The fire warmed me as I paced back and forth in front of it. 'Do I really have to do this?' I asked. I was whining, and I knew it.

"Yes, you do. The pack has been waiting for days and is quite interested in the creature that their leader bought," Thoysal replied calmly.

'But I'm a fox. I'm not a werewolf like them.'

"I'm not exactly a werewolf either, and I'm still part of the pack," he retorted as he waited beside the exit.

With a huff, I gave up. 'Alright then... Lead the way.'

The vampire walked out, with me on his trail. I shuddered as icy air brushed past me, seemingly going straight through my fur. At least, the extra coals I had eaten were still warming me.

I carefully walked on the path that had been cleared of snow. I couldn't even see past the snow on either side of me. A hissing sound filled the air behind me. I looked back, watching the cloud of vaporized water drift up before freezing again.

"Was that your tail?" Thoysal asked.

'Yes. Just how much did it snow the past few days?' The walls of white at my sides served as perfect reminders why momma and I stayed inside during the winter.

He chuckled softly. "You really have a thing against snow, don't you? It's the first clear morning in a while. That speaks for itself."

I growled and grumbled, occasionally swatting the snow to cause a hissing sound. My tail was about the only part of my body that wasn't bothered by that awful stuff, and I did not hesitate to use it to take revenge on the snow.

The voices of people could be heard ahead. There were so many that I couldn't even count separate ones. My steps faltered and I looked back, about ready to run to my cozy and warm fire once more.

'Nix, it's alright. You will be fine. You can stay right next to me,' Thoysal said.

I didn't move. 'There's so many of them...'

'You'll be fine. I promise.' He kneeled next to me and softly pet my back. I relaxed slightly, releasing a soft whine.

'I've never seen so many people. What if one of them captures me again? I-I don't want to be stuffed into a bottle again,' I said, trembling at the thought.

He gently shushed me, running his hands through my fur over and over. 'No one will do that. And even if they do, I will stop them. No one will put you in a bottle again. You'll be free.'

'It's happened before, when I was away from my momma. I'm away from her now, too.' The fire back in the cave seemed more enticing by the second. Others couldn't touch me when I was in there; it'd burn them. I would be safe.

'It will only be a few minutes, alright? Then I will teleport us back to the fire. That'll save you the walk back through the snow.'

He knew how to drive a hard bargain... Being moved into the fire within a second wasn't that bad of an idea. I finally looked at him. 'Only a few minutes. Then I'm running away. And if anyone attempts to catch me, I will burn them with all my might,' I said. This better not end up badly...

Thoysal petted me for a few moments more before standing up. 'Are you ready?'

When I gave an unhappy huff, he walked on, me on his trail. Gradually, the sound of voices became louder. When I was about ready to turn around again, he said, 'You can do it. It's this one time. Then they're satisfied.'

I flicked my tail nervously but continued on. The snow walls went off to the side, creating a clear area large enough to fit several hundred people. I paused and hid behind Thoysal's legs at the sight of them.

'T-that's more people than I've ever seen in my entire life,' I said.

'This is almost the entire pack,' he explained. 'They will not hurt you unless Oscen and Sila allow them, and they like you.'

I shifted in place uneasily, ears flat against my head. He stroked my back before walking onto the large, flat rock. After a moment of hesitation, I followed him. Sila gave me a comforting smile. "Good to see you could make it. It's going to be alright."

Knowing I couldn't talk to her, I just gave a whine, my tail low to the ground. Maybe, if I looked pitiful enough, she would let me go back to my fire. My hopes were shattered when she said, "It won't take long, I promise. You may find that it's not so bad after all."

She led me higher up on the stone, where Oscen was already waiting. He watched the crowd below him with a confident look. Sila stepped up next to him, head held high. I simply hid behind Thoysal's legs. That crowd looked far too daunting to come any closer.

"Members of Sharion, thank you all for coming," the Alpha spoke. All of the gathered people fell silent at once. "Especially the Omega's, as I know you do not like large groups, and you were the first to discover this rather interesting and important issue."

A small group of people shuffled uneasily in the back as all eyes looked at them. Oscen cleared his throat and continued, "It's an honor to stand with you all here, werewolf and vampire alike. I am proud to say that I am your leader.

"As you all know, just over a week ago, the Vesmai invited me to take a look at one of their members' collection. Once there, I took interest in one item and brought it home as a novelty from their world. However, the item was not what I thought it was. It was a she - a living being trapped in a bottle."

Thoysal gently nudged me forward. With trembling paws, I moved to stand next to Sila. Hundreds of pairs of amber eyes stared back at me; some with curiosity or sympathy, others with faint anger or even disgust. Gods, I wished I was back in the fire.