Many of the wolves from the Carnation pack were on high alert. Scouting out around the territory's perimeter and the Binturongs territory as well. Land and Air was covered thanks to Rayna’s flock volunteering the help from above.

It had only been three days since then, but it never stopped. Floods of Kris’s pack kept coming. It kept Erien, Duncan, Lucas, K and many others busy from then until now. Many in process healing wounds only reopening and leaning red landmarks from either side of the war. Finally, when it came to the end, many of the wolves fled, leaving their wounded, dying, or dead pack members behind. So much for loyalty.

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Diamond had accompanied one of the healers to the infirmary to check on everyone that was wounded and saved. More of them were Kris’s pack that was able to be saved and allowed to fess up what had happened from their side. It was more trivial than anyone had tried to think and the outcome if it wasn’t handled, would’ve been catastrophic.

“Hello.” Diamond stepped in after the healer did, Lucas and K looking up and smiling,” Afternoon Princess.” Diamond looked around seeing the Alpha and Beta weren’t around.

“Did they go with the others to patrol?” Lucas and K shrugged.

Erien was known for not being able to sit still even when he was sick. So what was the difference if his body was harmed? To him, there was none. And wherever he went, his little brother followed close behind.

“Do you know where they would be?” Everyone shook their head, some grunts from the healer cleans and bandaging wounds. Diamond took her leave, grasping onto her coat as she fled out from the wolves territorial grounds.

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Walking along the creekside, the still water had still not frozen. But, the footprints had, making it easier to walk in the snow.

“Erien! Duncan!” Diamond was calling out to the brothers as she went deeper into the woods, farther than she had expected it to be and her to go. The more she stepped into the frozen tracks, the deeper she went. The trees grew thicker until you couldn’t see past their trunk bodies, their bare branches looking like upstretched hands begging for the cruel torture of winter to end. Diamond curled her coat tighter to her.

Soon, the creek turned to a pool, and the faint hum of a waterfall was off in the distance. There, Erien and Duncan were, Erien neck-deep in the water while Duncan sat on the edge, half of his torso wrapped and lightly stained with red.

“Hey! I finally found you guys!” Diamond rushed over, her ankles shaking and making her stumble from the cold finally getting to them. Duncan looked over and stood up, nodding towards her and walking off,” I was only here because of company. I got to head back now. You can keep him company.” Diamond blinked, nodding back to him and stepped over, taking what was Erien’s younger brother’s place on the stacked warm blankets.

“How are you?” The question startled Diamond to shoot her gaze at the Alpha next to her. He was looking up at her now, back head in the snow seeming unbothered by it.

“I’m alright. Um,” she wasn’t sure what else to say. And she also wasn’t sure if to ask if he was alright.

“Don’t blame yourself for what happened. At some point, something like that would’ve happened. Kris would’ve been after your family’s territory and used you to get it most likely.” Erien sunk deeper into the water, making what was left nearly invisible.

“It still happened because of my escape. Everyone got hurt because of me. I need to do something about it.”

Erien shifted around, nearly toppling over the feline woman now below him. He frowned, a bit disappointed that she wasn’t giving up. Diamond turned red, avoiding his eye contact, burying her face deeper into her coat.

“Just let it go now. It was handled, everything will go back to normal once spring comes.” Erien backed off her, raising out of the water more and grabbing what Diamond assumed was his towel.

She noticed he had wrappings all around his throat, many patches that covered stitched up claw marks and bite marks on his back and arms. But the deepest ones were the marks that were already healed and older now, burnt down his right side that had a branding tattoo.

“What’s that?” Diamond pointed to it. Erien looking and quickly grabbing his shirt,” Just something I liked. Can’t really tell what it is anymore since the burns, but it was the Tree of Life once.”

“That’s cool.”

After that, both of them headed back to the pack. Duncan waited with Needfyer and Lydra for another cleanup and patchwork. Diamond went back to her stationed house and room where Opal was awake and smiling,” You were gone when I woke up. Everything okay?”

“Yes. I was talking to Erien. Everything is okay. But I have a question…”

Opal scooted over and patted the space of bed for her sister. Diamond sat down, unclipping her coat and hoping it in her lap. Her cheeks were still red, and not just from the cold.

“What am I going to do about liking the Alpha here? Everyone here has been through enough as it is, and not only him and relationships as well.”

“You are no different. You have had your fair share of them too. I think, maybe for now once everything is truly settled, say something. In private with him. Catch him when he is in his studies or going out, or wherever you two have gone to hang out alone.”

Diamond nodded, smiling. Some anxiety is still inside because what if the one time she says something, it goes wrong? That pain would be aching. And the pain of knowing if he liked someone else if there was someone else.