- She was so pretty.
The moment Hysteria had seen the pretty black wolf her heart felt like it had fallen through her chest. This wasn't like her -- she wasn't that kind of wolf. She had never felt weak in the knees before, yet there she was. It had been a mistake. Hysteria had wandered too close to a known pack land in hopes of picking a fight of some kind. Anything to make her raging heart meet the rise of panic and rush it so needed. She hadn't met a fight -- no, she had met her.
The wolf hadn't seen her, though a part of her vacant gaze looked like she wouldn't have noticed Hysteria if she was right in front of her. That didn't matter; Hysteria didn't want to disturb the pretty wolf at the moment. She stood there instead, mouth parting to taste the cold air as she watched the figure. It was unfamiliar, the feeling. Hysteria was unsure what to do with the damned vessel in her chest. She was almost angry, really, that it had finally decided to betray her in such a way.
She had returned home with a frustrated huff stuck in her throat. She felt gross, honestly. The other wolf had no idea she had been watching her, but the wolf who approached to collect her did. His amber eyes narrowed harshly as his teeth exposed, threatening the larger Berserker rashly. That's what family is supposed to do, her brain had whispered. The two were clearly related, and he obviously felt a protective urge her own family didn't understand. Couldn't have understood, even.
His gaze had reminded her of her own place; a stranger staring at another stranger. Still, as she prowled back to her temporary den her heart hammered, and the days following she found herself thinking of the pretty dire. How gross, her brain sneered, but she couldn't help the heat rushing to her cheeks. She was gross! True! But -- she didn't know what to do. She finally had something good to think about, and yet somehow that very fact made her feel worse than the Berserker's who beat into her each day.
It still drove her to, a week later, return to that treacherous spot and hope to see her again. She didn't have to wait long. The pretty wolf appeared, illuminated by the moonlight like art itself. Hysteria's voice caught in her throat; was she an idiot? What was she going to say? Hello? Hi? How are you? She was a stranger, for gods sake. What could she say? What was good enough? What was convincing enough to not frighten the little Dire as a massive Berserker approached her?
She had faded into her worries, snapping out as the Dire shifted. Something moved in their eyes, Hysteria would swear, and clarity seemed to surface as the absent wolf snapped their gaze to look at Hysteria. Her head cocked to the side, mouth parting as her head tilted. Hysteria felt her own breath catch in her throat as the Dire stood and approached, stopping before the Berserker neatly.
"Hello."
She knew at that exact moment she would be swept up by the Dire before her, forever and more.
"Hello."
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