“A perfect little kit.”

Lyara giggled softly.

“Never thought my first kit would be human.”

Then her expression shifted as a thought struck.

“Wait…”
Lyara frowned, suddenly alert.
“Last night… did you see her sleeping?”

Varrock rose slowly, stretching like an old but powerful wolf.

“Of course I did,” he replied casually. “I was on guard. I saw you, Sant, and Loona together.”
He gave his classic hum hum hum.
“She was nestled between you two like a kit newly welcomed to the pack.”

Lyara’s face heated beneath her fur.

“And you didn’t say anything?”

Varrock was already walking away.

“There was nothing to say,” he answered in his calm tone.
“Kits sleep with their parents. Simple as that.”

He disappeared into the trees, leaving Lyara with a warm, unexpected swelling in her chest — something between pride, surprise, and the quiet realization that, without noticing, the pack had gained a new little kit.

Lyara wrapped her tail closer to her body, keeping the cold at bay as she watched Loona try to mimic Aemi and Inuho.

“The daughter of Lionel won’t last much longer like this…” she thought, heart tightening. “Two nights at most. If we manage to reach the Wheat City soon… she’ll find proper food there.”

Her gaze softened as Loona steadied herself in front of Inuho and Aemi.

“Go on, Loona! Try Shadow!” Inuho encouraged, trotting excitedly around her.

“O-okay… I’ll try.”
Loona took a deep breath.

Aemi stepped forward, calm as a rising moon.

“I’ll guide you.”
She touched her muzzle gently to Loona’s forehead — an instinctive gesture.
“First… calm yourself. Control your breathing.”

Loona tried matching Aemi’s rhythm, but her breath still came short.

Aemi continued:

“Feel your heartbeat. Listen to it. Regulating your body comes first.”

Loona closed her eyes.
The world went silent.

Thump thump thump thump… thump thump thump thump…

She adjusted her breath. Her chest rose and fell more steadily.

Thump… thump… thump…

Her heartbeat slowed — firm, rhythmic, almost musical.

Her ears perked. Her focus sharpened like newly honed claws.

Her presence began to shift — like heat waves bending the air.
A faint shadow wrapped around her outline, dissolving her edges.

Aemi smiled.

“That’s it, Loona… perfect.”

Loona cracked an eye open.

“I… I’m doing it?”

“YOU ARE!!” Inuho shouted—far too excited to whisper.

Loona held the technique for a few seconds… until she noticed a tiny spider crawling in front of her paws.
Small. Minuscule. Completely harmless… yet something about it triggered a deep, irrational fear.

Loona’s eyes widened.

“KILL IT! KILL IIIIT!” she shrieked, jumping back like a terrified pup. Her heart hammered in her chest. The Shadow shattered instantly.

Inuho, confused, reacted in the most Inuho way possible: he lowered his head and ate the spider.

“There. Problem solved.” He blinked. “...You’re scared of that?”

Loona took a shaky breath. “J-just a little…”

Aemi padded closer and gently brushed her muzzle against Loona’s cheek—comforting, warm.

“It’s alright. Pups sometimes have strange fears.” She straightened up with a soft smile. “How about we try a different trick? We still have Hunting Instinct… and Predator’s Presence.”

Loona swallowed hard but nodded.
“Okay. I… I wanna try.”

Snow drifted silently around them as the little human-pup prepared for her next step. Aemi lifted her chin with pride, her tail swaying slowly.

“Predator’s Presence works the opposite of Shadow,” she explained. “Instead of hiding, you show yourself. It boosts your strength… and scares off anything nearby. Watch.”

Loona watched intently.

Aemi began by accelerating her heartbeat—Loona could hear it speeding up. Next, the wolf bared her teeth, spreading her paws wide to appear larger. The fur on her shoulders bristled. Her muscles trembled subtly, saliva gathering to trigger adrenaline.

And then…

Loona saw it.

A smoky gray-reddish aura wrapped around Aemi, swirling like living mist. The wolf seemed to grow— not physically, but her presence made everything around her shrink. It felt like she had become three, maybe four times bigger.

Loona swallowed.
“H-how…?” she whispered.

In the blink of an eye, Aemi relaxed. She sat down with the gentleness of a flower folding in the breeze. The aura vanished.

“You use your presence as a weapon,” she said proudly. “But it burns a lot of energy. It can scare enemies, create illusions of height… and it makes you stronger.”

Loona’s eyes sparkled.
“Can I try?!”

“No.” Inuho answered instantly.

Loona crossed her arms, pouting.
“You’re sooo boring… just like Ravik.”

Inuho jumped.
“DO NOT CALL ME THAT!”

Aemi fixed him with a calm stare.
“He’s my father,” she said slowly, narrowing her eyes.

“Don’t call me that,” Inuho repeated quickly. “I’m still way too weak to be a great warrior like Ravik!”
And to hide his embarrassment, he gave Aemi a quick lick on the nose.

She returned the affection with a gentle nuzzle.

Loona couldn’t help but snicker.

“Alright!” Inuho said, instantly cheerful again. “Time to learn Hunting Instinct!”

He dropped into a perfect crouch, swift and sharp.

“First, adjust your breathing and your spine… focus on hearing and seeing. If you do that, your speed, your hearing, and your sight improve fast…”

He muttered so quickly—and so seriously—that for a moment he didn’t even seem like Inuho. He looked like a completely different wolf, far from the usual chatterbox.

Loona blinked and whispered to Aemi:
“Is he… always like this?”

Aemi gave a small smile.
“Only when he uses this trick. He gets completely focused.”

A few seconds later, Inuho stood up abruptly.

“DID YOU UNDERSTAND how to do it?!”

Loona gave a crooked smile.
“Eeeeh… yes?”

Aemi chuckled, shoulders shaking.

“Perfect!” Inuho cheered. “Now let’s eat something!”

“I’m going to nurse Ame,” Aemi said quickly, already turning away. “See you later.”

She gave him a small lick on the cheek before leaving.

Inuho watched her until she vanished into the snow. Then he looked down at Loona, eyes sparkling with pure childlike excitement.

“Let’s eat! EAAAAAAT!”