[[ Orrite then o: ]]

Leto growled ferociously as she was shoved into her habitat. As the cage slammed shut, Leto let out a final growl, in case the humans were still in earshot. Finally, after a long sigh, she padded into the habitat, curiously poking at a few plants. It seemed like a forest, and yet it didn't. The sky shone blue above something shiny, Leto looking upwards with a squint of her eyes.

"Where am I?" She muttered to herself, jolting a little when she heard a reply.

---

"You're in the zoo, kid." Ketu said, emerging with Bari next to him. She looked rather curious, eager to go over and poke the newcomer. The red she-wolf seemed to take a hostile defensive stance, her lips drawn back in a snarl. Ketu only laughed at this.

"No point in doing that." He said. "There's only one territory in this zoo. By the way, my name is Ketu, and this is Bari." He nodded towards the yellow she-wolf, who flicked her ears in return. "There are a few others, but they're not part of the welcoming committee." Ketu added dryly.

---

Skoll paced through the forest, wandering off from where his leader was supposed to be.

[[Fail on Skoll's part xD ]] 

Jade looked up to the blue above, clearly seeing the strips of silver that barred her way from true freedom. She could remember a time when escape had been all she thought about, but she had been in this habitat for far too long and her instincts were beginning to fade. She no longer felt trapped, no longer minding the smell of human on her surroundings and food. She ate what ever came to her without a care for it, but even with her mind devoid of urgency, her heart cried everytime she looked at the sky. She shook the dust out of her fur, shifting her eyes back to her surroundings. This small group of wolves she now lived with were her new family. All here from other places but in the same situation as her. She vowed that if she ever found herself out of this cage, that she would protect them as best as she could. Now those chances looked as if they were diminishing quickly. Her ears twitched. A slight noise near the door caught her attention, a new scent soon filling her nose. Her ears tilted back some, the scent bothering her some for it did not smell like the trees around here but rather a fresh and biting smell... Of outside. She stood and began to pace slightly as she waited for Ketu, who was their leader of sorts, to return.
~~~

Jake stalked the bug that had caught his eye, keeping low to the ground as he crawled after the little critter. All his muscles tightened, strongly built under his redish fur. Even for a young adult, he was a little adventurous and rowdy. Easily distracted by such things as bugs. His back legs positioned themselves in a way to slingshot himself forward quickly. Just as he pushed off from the ground, something tugged Jake to the ground. He whimpered as his snout was smashed into the dirt and pressure was felt on his tail. He looked around to see who was stepping on his tail and saw the "Beta Male'. He wasn't officially Beta but neither was their Alpha official. They were all just happy to follow those two leaders for the time being. "Soran! That hurt, why did you step on my tail?" He whimpered, pulling his tail close to his body when it had been freed.
~~~

Soran chuckled at the youngster, a joking look apon his features. "Because you should be finding a more useful activity to fill your time other than chasing bugs. You are an adult, not a pup any longer. You should try acting your age." He responded, though he knew every other young adult Jake's age would act in a similar manner. He was just secretly jealous he couldn't act like a pup any more. Instead he found himself lying around most of the time. "If you are so upset about it, why don't you take it up with Ketu?" He asked before turning and searching out a shady spot. There he curled up and fell into a light doze, quickly and without care. Even through his light snore he could hear the young wolf runn off to find the Alpha. His ears twitched with the sound of Jake's voice calling out, 'Ketu! Ketu? Soran is being mean to me! KEEEETU!!!'
~~~

Sakura stood in her little corner, appearing calm for the moment. She lounged in the sun, away from the majority of shadows around her. She dreamed lazily until she smelled it. More so she could hear it, which was what really woke her then. The gate closing with squealing hinges, soon followed with the scent of yet another wolf. Her heart started to pound with questions like 'Will they like me? Will they be nice? Will Ketu stand up for me if they aren't nice? What if the pack no longer accepts me?...' The list continued, ranging from specifics about the new comer to generalizations and self-esteem issues.

Ketu, Bari and Leto's ears pricked when they heard a squeal. With a 'tch', Ketu turned around, obviously looking slightly irritated. He was muttering something that only Bari could hear, and the yellow she-wolf smiled slightly at his comment. They both looked at Leto over their shoulders, who stood there, rather confused.

"Looks like we really will have a welcoming committee for you." He said, beckoning Leto with his tail to follow him. "I can tell just by listening that that's Jake." Ketu sighed. "Soran is the only one that's more mature than me, asides from Skoll." Leto didn't seem to understand a word he was saying, but quietly followed them, her eyes flickering from bush to bush, afraid of a sudden ambush.

---

Skoll poked his head into a bush, to see Sakura closely approaching a sleeping Soran, with Jake running of and shouting their Alpha's name. Skoll rolled his eyes. This happened practically everyday. Bari was like the mother of the group, but she didn't really do anything to stop Sakura from wandering, or Jake from squealing. Ketu was the only one that told Jake to shut up. Emerging from the bush, Skoll said a quiet hello to Sakura, then sat next to Soran, sighing. 

Jade watched the female who entered with the Alpha and Bari. "I see we have a new addition to the pack. Mind introducing me to your new friend, Ketu?" She smiled and looked around the Alpha to watch the new comer. "I'm Jade, by the way. Welcome to our little... Er, family. It is quite odd, I do realize, but after a couple of years you kind of get used to it." Her eyes kept darting to and away from Ketu, her heart skipping a beat almost everytime. This new wolf was pretty, and unconciously Jade stood taller and more 'majestic' like. It was a natural thing that she didn't even really notice. She growled as Jake stepped on her tail in his rush to speak with Ketu. "Ouch, runt. That hurt. Go sit in the corner or something... Excuse me for a moment." She grabbed the younger wolf by the ear and dragged him with her to the corner of their little space. The whole time he was whining, fighting the older female for freedom. "No, I need to speak with Ketu. KETU! Make her STOOOP!." He called out, tripping a couple of times.

~~~

Sakura half-heartedly smiled at Skoll, nodding in greeting as well. Her heart skipped a couple of beats, having been too distracted by the thoughts in her head to hear the creeping soul. He had managed to startle her. She saw Ketu return with the newbie and she barked at a small distance from him. "Hey Ketu!" She got out, then retreated some into the opposite corner of Jade and Jake. Soran stopped snoring for a moment, lifting his head to take in the situation. He nodded greeting in both the direction of the Alpha and Skoll who had just sat down beside him. "Another runt to add to the mess. Don't we have enough? Those humans are driving me crazy, so crazy that I think it is time for another nap." He sighed, laying his head back down on his paws and falling into a slight slumber.

Ketu smiled at Jade, happy to see Jake being punished. He sat down, tail batting the ground as the Alpha made no attempt to save Jake. Only Bari helped, pushing him aside loftily and approaching Jade.

"Come on, Jade, it's not very necessary. He's already an adult, although barely." She shot a steely look at Jake. "It's not like Soran here is any more mature." She flicked her tail towards their sleeping second-in-command.

---

Leto snarled involuntarily at Soran's comment. Before Ketu or any one of the wolves could stop her, Leto had already placed a paw over Soran's back. She growled. In the wild, a wolf must assert his or her place in the pack. Obviously Leto had sensed the faint idea of a pack in this small group of wolves. This wolf... He couldn't be the Beta, could he? Too lazy, too intolerant, nothing like her old one.

"I'm not a runt, and it's not my fault I was taken from my home to be placed... Into... Into... Into THIS!" She growled and hopped backwards, away from the rude Beta.

---

Skoll seemed to be amused by the small outburst from their new pack member.

"Ketu, I still sense a bit of the wild has not left her." He said. "I remember when I was with my pack. She acts like the daughter of the Alpha. Were you a descendant of the Alpha, new one?" He asked Leto, semi-curious. The red she-wolf shook her head.

"I'm the daughter of the Beta. And my name is Leto." Her blue eyes flared, daring any wolf to challenge her. Skoll merely flashed a faint smile at her, looking quite happy with himself. 

Jade snorted but listened to Bari, releasing the wolf from her grasp. She turned around just in time to see the new girl place a paw on her Beta's back. Her eyes widened in surprise that she would as daring as that to touch their Beta. Soran maybe lazy at times but he was no slacker when it came to being Beta. Soran raised his head as the girl hopped back. "Even as the daughter of a Beta, you should know manners at least. Or is the wild more savage than I remember." He snarled, getting up to full height. "Leto, is it? A news flash for you darling, none of us wanted to be here. The humans like to take and show off. We, trophies and nothing more. Unfortuneatly, here you have to earn your place. Even as a born Betess, your role right now is just as that of any other normal wolf." Soran's eyes flashed with anger and annoyance. This Leto girl was here for two minutes and already trying to claim his spot. Most could believe that he had the roll of Beta because he was soon to come after Ketu. But in reality, he earned his position just as Ketu had earned the right for his. Soran puffed out his chest slightly and stood tall, towering slightly above Leto. His eyes seemed to challenge her to take his position.

Jade stared, unable to believe what was going on before her eyes. "Here for two minutes and she has already cause drama. Though it is a good change to see Soran do something other than sleep for once." She laughed to herself, being one who knew the Beta quite well. They had arrived at the same time, for they had been caught in the same forest. Both packs were close to each other, and they got along well so they knew each other well enough not to attack each other. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Jake slink away trying to go unnoticed. She let him be for the moment, too interested in the unfolding events.

Once Jake was free, he made his way back into the group... Away from Jade. He sat back, sort of close to the Beta and the daughter of a Beta watching closely to them both. "Leto, right? This is Beta Soran, I'd be careful if I were you. He can be a big bully sometimes." He caught a look from Soran and Jake was off running again, into the underbrush to hide from the angry wolf.

Sakura was cowering in the corner, not at all enjoying the squabbling. If fighting broke out, she might get hurt, and if anybody knew anything about this wolf, was that she afraid of pain.

"Then try and get out, instead of lazily moping around underneath a rock!" Leto retorted. "You all came from the wild, right? What would your pack members say if they saw you right now?" Leto huffed and turned away, running away from Soran. She ran past Bari, Ketu, Sakura and the fleeing Jake, towards the end of their habitat. Angry with herself again for being captured, Leto neared the metal cages, throwing herself at it. The metal made a horrible CLANG sound, but didn't break. Leto picked herself up and tried again, until the metal was slightly dented from all of her efforts.

---

"You scared her away, Soran." Ketu said in a bored voice, though his ears pricked at the strange sound of metal. "Did the humans find another wolf?" He asked nobody in particular.

"No... I think I heard a whimper with that last bang." Bari murmured, turning her head in the direction of the sound.

---

'Well I think we should look for Leto. I'm willing to bet on my next meal that she's the one causing all this ruckus." Skoll grinned. Leto certainly would be a trouble-maker.  

"Scare? Never, Ketu. I merely brought her attention to the fact that we are no longer wild beasts. It is true our pack members would be disappointed but they have not lived as we have and have no idea what it is like. Even are most wild here are starting to lose their way of the wild and have grown too acustomed to this confinement. All was peaceful here until she showed up, but as valiant as her efforts are to save rile us up, it just wont work. It never has and it never will." Soran turned away from the clashing sound of metal and the slight whimpers of the wolf. He stalked back into the shadows, eyes glazed over in memories he had long since tried to bury. "She has only made things more difficult for the rest of us." He murmered to himself.

Jade shook her head and ran in the direction the Leto had gone. "I'll be back, I wish to speak with her alone if that would be alright?" She raced off in the direction of the racket and came upon Leto ramming the gates. "I'm impressed. Your dent looks bigger than mine did." She sighed, looking down the line of the fence for a mark she knew no longer existed. "You should rest a little, your journey here must have been long for I don't quite recognize the scent of your pack. I am not for, nor against your efforts to break these chains, but the truth is that the moment you walk away all your work will vanish. The come in our sleep and fix the fences to ensure that we don't escape. And those who try get the dart. Either way, you can not win. But if your heart tells you to continue this madness, then by all means continue ramming the gate. Just don't injure yourself too much. If you get bored, we will all be waiting back where you entered and met everyone. If you need anything, just give a little shout and I will come running." Jade gave a little reas.suring smile before retreating back into the brush. She sat in the shadows to watch Leto for a moment before she decided to return to the group.