I had always been a lone wolf, roaming the wilds with no pack to call my own. The wind in my fur, the scent of fresh earth beneath my paws—that was enough for me. But something gnawed at me, something I couldn't quite shake. I wasn't meant to be alone forever, I could feel it in my bones. It was during one of my solitary travels, moving through the thick of the Deciduous Forest, that I first saw him. Aspen. He was there, in the distance, a wolf who seemed to carry more than just the weight of his own paws. His eyes—they were filled with something I hadn't seen in my own. Purpose. Confidence. Curiosity. And perhaps, he felt something too because he noticed me almost immediately.
I had been skirting around the fringes, unsure of what to make of him. But then, without a word, he began to approach. It wasn't forceful, no threatening postures or sharp teeth. Just a steady, calm presence that made me wonder if there was more to this world than wandering alone. I stayed still, my fur bristling as I sized him up. He was different from other wolves I had met—something about him made me want to trust him. At first, I didn't make a move. But then Aspen did something unexpected. He spoke. Not with words, but with actions. He extended a small offering, a piece of fresh meat wrapped in leaves, a symbol of peace. I was cautious, but curiosity won over. I crept closer, sniffing the offering. He didn't push me, just waited. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
It didn't take long for Aspen to make his way through to me. He wasn't here to dominate or claim me like the rumors of some wolves in my past. He just wanted to show that there could be a place for me among others. I stood there for what felt like ages, thinking about what I could do. Wander alone? Continue my quiet existence in the woods? Or join him, follow this strange wolf with such an inviting energy, into something bigger than myself?
Something in me—something deep down—shifted. I finally decided. With no words exchanged, just a nod between two wolves that understood each other's quiet calls, I chose to follow Aspen back to the beginnings of the Forest Ridge pack. The decision felt right. The pack wasn't complete yet. It had no pups, no other members, just Aspen and Rock, the Beta, at the time. But something in their small bond, their determination, sparked something in me. I didn't need to be alone anymore. Aspen had found me, and now, I was part of something greater.
The rest, I suppose, is history.
Hunter 
Hunter