Slim, white knuckled hands gripped the side of a worn mug; its contents giving her some means of comfort. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep her from the throats of the civilians who had to choose this particular day to be loud and obnoxious. She was in no mood for this and their cheering didn’t help.
     The humans were celebrating some big event that required huge amounts of rum and drunken singing. The female could’ve cared less about their happiness, however she found her mind wondering what it was they were celebrating. Her grip relaxed as the mug was lifted to her lips; the warm liquid tickled her throat and a purr of satisfaction vibrated through her. She placed the container down and licked up the drops that escaped.
     Allana tilted her head just enough so that her peripheral vision was level with the door.  It wasn’t required to watch the door since her senses were heightened, but it eased the uncertainty in the back of her head. Knowing who left and who arrived was vital. The pub was small for a town of a couple thousand people; every table and chair was occupied. Those that weren’t occupied were either broken or stained from the toasting of overfilled mugs. The structure was surprisingly sturdy, wooden floors and stonewalls enclosed the space. The scent of the building could not be forgotten, musky rum and stale bread. Yummy.  
     Allana turned her attention back to her own mug and drank from it again. What was she doing here? Of all the places in town she had chosen a run down pub filled with chattering baboons. Not to mention baboons in heat. The woman had lost count of all the hopeless fools who offered to buy her a drink. She had politely turned each down and each one insisted on it before she flicked a deadly gaze on them.
     Sharp, green eyes, set on a finely sculpted face, glared at the humans who did not leave her alone. Jet-black hair framed her face and spilled lightly past her shoulders. She kept it of medium length and unbound, her signature trait other than then drastic color of her eyes.  Her build was short but powerful, measuring at only five foot one and a mere hundred-twenty two pounds Allana was one of the smallest of her kind. Like all physical features it had its good points and bad points.
     The woman was small enough that she could disappear into the woods and sneak up on unsuspecting prey much easier than her heavier brethren. However her size often got her placed at the bottom end of the pack, even if she was the Alpha’s daughter. Her pack was one of the largest throughout the land with twenty-two members and two hundred acres of territory.
     Raised by the second most powerful Alpha, Allana was the key to the pack’s survival, she alone was supposed to start a sister pack to her father’s. Destined for this great honor, she was raised with the best training in both physical combat and leadership skills. Both of which would help her survive until she found a mate. The Code required that the alpha female have an alpha male in order to start a pack, but her father tweaked it enough that she could start a pack in his territory without breaking the Code. Allana’s path was set.
     The woman took a swig from the mug and smacked it down harder than intended, the bartender jumped a bit before continuing to wash an already clean counter top. This bit made her angry. No, not angry. Furious. She waved the bartender over and he refilled the mug as her mind dug up Brohm.
     Brohm had been the biggest and toughest Were in the pack next to the Alpha. Not to mention he had the highest ego. He had been jealous of Allana for as long as she could remember and his attitude clearly showed it. Throughout her youth the male made it a habit to emotionally beat her down. Allana handled such situations calmly but her anger could clearly be seen when she sparred.
     Allana was solely convinced that Brohm wanted to be the heir. It was unmistakable; however Allana was certain that he couldn’t do any permanent damage. Her judgment was wrong.
     Allana pushed the mug away and stretched her legs. She placed a few coins on the counter and stood to leave.
     “Thank you, miss. You have a good day now.”
     “Yeah. Sure.”
     She gave the man a crooked smile and turned towards the door. The walk wasn’t that long but for some reason she felt that it was miles away. Her senses perked up as she felt the eyes of many a people watching her leave. It was an uneasy feeling but one that the woman had grown used to.
     Allana reached for the door but was knocked back as it suddenly swung open. The force had pushed her into a nearby table toppling mugs and spilling their contents on the owners. The woman’s ears picked up the unfriendly words that were said under breath; she glared at the doorway and straightened up as she dried her wet hands.
     Three burly men filled the doorframe; all of which had blood shot eyes and wreaked of so much booze that Allana had to cover her nose.  Their steps were heavy and confident as the marched over to the bar where Allana had once resided. Good thing she was headed out. The woman smoothed out her gown and tried for the door again; she had only managed to open the door when one of the men spoke.
     “Sorry ‘bout that lil’ lady. Didn’t really see you there.”
     The tallest of the three swung around.
     “How ‘bout I buy you a round to make up for my rude behavior? Better yet, let me buy everyone here a round!”
     The room erupted in a cheer as a keg of rum was rolled out of the back room, the three men lifted the wooden container to the counter and uncorked the stopper. Allana rolled her eyes and stepped outside without saying a word. Humans were just so stupid. The woman fiddled with the end of her sleeve as she walked down the cobbled street. She wasn’t headed in any particular direction. Just walking.  
     The town was petit compared to its surrounding brethren; it was widely known for its traders and craftsmen making it the star town when the Harvest festival came. Buildings lined the road and tapered to a dull point; the pub was just south of a fork in the road. Placed relatively in the center it had the most visitors. The far right path split into three more roads while the far left stayed its course leading out to the dense forest that circled the town.
     Allana was lucky to find a town nearby; it saved both her sanity and feet. She had taken the right path and wound her way through the streets looking for something to do.  As she past an alleyway her ears perked as a small elderly woman materialized out of the shadows.
     “Strange indeed. Yes…very strange.”
     The old crone shuffled over to Allana who had stopped in her tracks. The woman was confused about the old woman’s words and looked over her shoulder for the source of the crone’s attention. No one was there, only Allana.
     She slowly turned her head back around to the old woman who was now just a few feet away. One eye was a dull gray blue and the other a milky white. Her skin was a dark pale color that reminded Allana of an over washed garment. She may have been hunched over a dark mahogany cane but the woman’s eyes told Allana that she was very much alive then her physical state led on. The woman’s clothing was new to Allana, unlike her loose and form fitted gown, the crone's gown was a faded purple gray that had worn quite a lot. It hung loosely in most places and holes spotted the odd material.
     Allana took a step back. She knew the old woman could not do much physical harm but the female wanted to take all precautions.
    “What is so strange about a girl taking a stroll?”
     Her heart hammered in her chest. Did this woman know? She couldn’t know. Allana was very careful when she went hunting, always staking out a portion of the forest before she changed.
     “Oh no my dear. I meant you are strange. Never have I seen one of you with my own eye. This is quite unexpected.”
     The woman turned and motioned for Allana to follow. She didn’t want to go but a part of her told her it was all right. After all, what harm could an old and crippled woman do?