Rishima was probably the least buff of the four Alphas, although still maintaining strong visible muscles. Her skin was a shade darker than Leyra’s, and her hair was long and dark and braided down her back. She had thick dark eyebrows and full light brown lips, and a hooked nose. What seemed like homemade jewelry adorned her neck and wrists, a series of metal and wood beads. 

Fox fidgeted in his spot, unsure of where to sit. Rishima didn’t smile at him, but she held out a hand towards the table in invitation. 

“Come sit, Fox,” she said. She sat at the head of the table, with the Beta at her left and the Omegas at her right. Fox surveyed the available spots, and decided to pull out a chair that was two seats away from the Beta. He figured sitting away from the Omegas would help everyone get a decent impression of him. He folded his clothes up in his lap and used a slight grip on them as an anchor for his newly-returned anxiety.

“Sorry I couldn’t take you this morning, getting everyone ready for the day took forever,” Rishima said.

“That’s alright, ma’am,” Fox replied quietly. 

“I see Ahren already got you the clothes Leyra promised, so we don’t have to worry about that. I’m supposed to give you a tour, too, but I don’t think you want to be carted around the town, so here’s this map,” Rishima continued, and she pulled out a long folded piece of paper from amidst her pile and slid it across the table towards Fox. Fox reached over and picked it up. 

“You can study it so that you have a decent idea of where everything is for when you have tasks there,” she said. 

Fox was surprised he’d been given a map of their territory. He unfolded the paper and looked the map over. It had a satellite view of the town, with each building clearly labeled. There were highlighted lines of different colors spanning between the buildings and through the surrounding areas. A key on the bottom corner of the map told him which colors meant roads, sidewalks, dirt trails, and streams. It wasn’t a map of their entire territory, because Fox didn’t see the campsite, bonding sector, training sector, or the farm sector he had heard about that morning. It only showed the housing sector, the Alpha’s houses, the town, and the edge of the territory where the busy road cut through.

Fox stared at the line for the highway, the road he’d been on before he got captured. It only passed through a small section of their territory, wrapping around the edge of the town, and the part that was specifically within the border was only two miles long. The jagged lines that highlighted the pack's border ran alongside that road, only half a mile apart from each other.

Disappointment, frustration, and self hatred brewed inside Fox’s chest. If he had been on foot, he could have easily skirted around the edge of the territory and kept the road within sight, allowing him to continue on his planned route of travel without trespassing at all. And if he had just stayed inside the old man’s car instead of panicking and bolting, he probably wouldn’t have been spotted or scented out right away, and he could’ve passed through undetected. 

He gritted his teeth and prevented himself from releasing a heavy sigh. He folded up the map and tucked it in his lap with his clothes. He was not happy with himself at all.

Rishima, not privy to his inner turmoil, proceeded to give him a rundown of what she expected out of him, and what his tasks with her would include. 

Rishima helped oversee the schooling for the pups, who were taught by the three others in the room, as well as by some of the adult pack members. They had two schools, one for the younger kids and one for the older kids. Because of Fox’s status as a lone wolf, he wasn’t allowed anywhere near the pups, and therefore wouldn’t have to worry about helping out at the schools. They also had a youth center, which was basically a recreational center for anyone under 18, and Fox wasn’t allowed to work there either. Fox was glad for that; kids made him uncomfortable.

Concerning the town, Fox was assigned the most menial tasks. Cleaning up litter, street sweeping, shoveling snow when it would come, power washing buildings, tending to the landscaping, scrubbing off graffiti, and unclogging sewer drains to prevent flooding during bad storms. Occasionally, if one of Rishima’s assistant Betas called out sick, he would take their place for the day and help her wherever she needed it, excluding the schools and youth center.

Fox listened in silence, nodding every once in while to show the Alpha that he was listening. When it became apparent that Fox wasn’t much of a talker, she moved on to other topics that didn’t necessarily concern him. 

Fox could feel eyes on him as Rishima continued talking with the others. He glanced up and met gazes with the male Omega. Dark blue eyes studied him, curious. Fox didn’t want to anger anyone by interacting with the Omegas; he assumed he wasn’t allowed anywhere near them without an Alpha present, same as with the pups. He shifted in his seat and kept his gaze on the map, pretending to be busy studying it.

He listened as Rishima talked about the upcoming school year, only a couple weeks away. She asked the teachers if they had a better time with longer classes with longer breaks or shorter classes with shorter breaks, and then they moved on to whether or not they should stick with larger exams or just small quizzes, and so on. Fox wondered why he was here.

“As for the survivalist classes… does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get the kids to pay attention and take them seriously? So many of them complain that it’s not important,” Rishima queried. 

“I’ve suggested a week in the wilderness outside the pack borders, but the parents weren’t very happy about that,” the Beta said. 

“Yes, that’s a little too dangerous,” Rishima replied. 

“Perhaps utilize a rewards system? If the kids have incentive to do well, they’ll likely pay more attention,” the female Omega said. 

“We’ve tried that before, but a lot of them weren’t happy with the prizes,” the male Omega joined in. Fox glanced up and was relieved to see that he was no longer staring at him.

Fox frowned at the word “prizes”. The only reward of survival was just that: survival. It made him wonder how spoiled or ill-prepared the pups were, and how well they would truly fare in a genuine survival scenario.

“If… if I may,” Fox interjected cautiously. Everyone turned their heads to look at him. The attention made him draw his shoulders up and avoid direct eye contact. He trained his gaze on the wood of the table. “I- I think, perhaps, if you put them in a real-life scenario of needing to survive against a threat, they will be more engaged. I’m not trying to be monstrous about it, but fear is a very good teacher.”

“Fear? You’re suggesting we terrify them into paying attention?” Rishima responded. 

“Not necessarily terrify,” Fox replied quickly, feeling his face heat up at the tone and unwavering gaze of the Alpha. “But if they know what it feels like to go hungry, or be cold at night, or know that there’s someone out there with bad intentions and they only have their claws and teeth for weapons, they’ll understand the importance of these survivalist classes. I’m under the impression they don’t think they’re necessary. They don’t know what it’s truly like, fending for yourself.”

“He may have a point,” the Beta said. Fox turned his gaze to her, surprised. “Like how birds teach their babies to fly by tossing them out of the nest, maybe we should try putting the kids in mild peril. We don’t have to traumatize them, just scare them a little to open their eyes to reality.”

Fox was really surprised now. He didn’t expect them to listen or take to his idea so readily. Rishima stared at him as she thought it over, eyes narrowed in skepticism. The Omegas exchanged uncertain looks. After a long moment, Rishima leaned against the table, elbows propped on the edge and hands clasped together. 

“How do you think this would fare as a team building exercise?” she asked. Fox hadn’t been expecting a question like that.

He shrugged a little. “Sometimes lone wolves team up to share resources or fend off a greater threat. I think, since they’re pack wolves, they would band together quickly and focus on each other’s survival as well as their own. But I don’t know…”

Rishima nodded, still thoughtful. “I suppose we could give that a shot.”

Fox’s eyebrows raised, his mind reeling for a brief moment. He couldn’t believe an Alpha had not only heard his idea, but was willing to use it. 

“Do you have any other tips?” the Beta asked. Fox thought for a moment, then shook his head. He didn’t want to come off as arrogant by spouting more suggestions on their teaching methods.

“Well, I suppose that settles our meeting. Unless anyone else has issues they want to discuss?” Rishima said. Everyone shook their heads.

Rishima began to gather her papers, and the other three stood from their seats and began to leave. Fox stayed where he was until Rishima stacked her papers neatly and rose from her chair. She leveled her gaze with his.

“Well, we can cut the day short since you don’t really need a tour or to get your clothes. You can head back to Leyra’s or make yourself familiar with the territory. Do be advised, though, that if you get anywhere near the border, the pups, or the Omegas, you will be punished accordingly,” she said.

Fox nodded. “Yes ma’am, I understand. Before you go, can I ask a question?”

Rishima tilted her head at him, considering his words. “Yes?”

“Do lone wolves get any days off? Or do we work every day no matter what?” he asked.

“You get one day off a week to rest and have time to recuperate from your labor. You’ll get two days a week if you maintain good behavior. If you get sick, of course, you can take the day off but you must stay in your bunker. Or in your case, Leyra’s spare room,” Rishima replied. Fox exhaled quietly in relief, nodding.

“Thank you,” he said, and she nodded once. 

“After you,” she said, holding an arm towards the door. By then, everyone had already left and it was just the two of them. Fox understood her caution at having him behind her. He turned and headed out of the room.

He remembered the way out of the town hall building. When he stepped outside onto the sidewalk, he looked at Rishima, unsure if he was actually allowed to wander by himself. He considered the fact that it might be a test.

“Am I really allowed to walk by myself, Alpha?” Fox asked as Rishima headed over to one of the cars parked in the small lot. She turned to meet his eyes. 

“You’ve done well with everyone so far, so yes. You behave very differently than the other lone wolves. I think you can have this privilege,” she told him.

Fox momentarily frowned, but he didn’t argue with her on anything she said, even though he had questions. “Thank you, ma’am,” he replied. She nodded again, curt and precise, and then opened the door to her navy suv and drove away.