A few days later…

Tony sat by a river depressed. Beatrice slowly walked up to him.

“Tony?,” she asked quietly.

Tony turns to look at her irritated.

“What?,” he demanded bitterly.

“Uh… I was just at the meeting… Apparently the first rain of fall is coming early this year-,”

“No duh… It’s not like humans come into the forest distinct any other time of year,”

“Yeah. So we’re all heading to Valley’s. You wanna come with my family?,”

“No. I do not. I can travel by myself, I’m not a little pup anymore,”

“I guess not but-,”

Another young wolf around the same age as the two trotted over to Beatrice. “Let him stew in his self pity Bea. He’s not worth it,”

Beatrice looked at the other male wolf disgusted. “Tony’s the only one who gets to call me Bea,”

The other wolf wrapped a paw around Beatrice. “Here’s the thing Bea. How’d you like to travel with me this year to Valleys. It’ll be the walk of your life,”

Tony looked ready to murder the other male wolf but didn’t let either him or Beatrice see it. Beatrice squirmed out of the wolf’s grasp.

“Oh Mason… If it was anyone else, I’d be flattered. But with you I’m really not,”

Tony smirked from where he was sitting at Beatrice’s jab. Mason shrugged and began to walk away before turning back around and walking backwards.

“You’ll come around. All the ladies do,” Mason said and walked out of sight.

Tony groaned. “Have fun getting that idiot to take the hint Bea, I’ll send you a howl when I get to Valley’s,” Tony said and began to walk away as well. Beatrice walked in her own direction.

“Take care of yourself alright,” she called out.

“Yeah!,” Tony answered. “You too,” he added in a whisper that was too quiet for Beatrice to hear.