[puddssoul]

Mia was a bit older than she had been, and sat across the clearing from the other wolves, her lithe, thin form spread out in the sunshine. She let out a contented sigh at the warmth that spread through her bones -- the winter had been harsh, and now the soft sunlight of the spring was refreshing. Then, all of a sudden, something heavy and furry pounced on her. She let out a yelp of surprise at the feeling of sharp teeth at her throat, and rolled over, howling as she threw the attacker off of her and leapt to her paws, panting slightly. Across from her, an all-too-familiar peice of gray fluff chuckled at her, one of the older males with sharp, keen eyes that watched her every move. Behind him, a whole group of males laughed and chortled, and she realized it was a joke -- a mean joke. Settling down, she gave the other wolf a deep, soul-burning glare. The male glanced at her, then whimpered a little and stepped away -- but it was too late. She sprang forward, pouncing on top of him, and smacked him right to the ground. His friends stopped laughing as she bit into one of his paws until she saw blood spring up, then finally let him go with his little wound to show as a punishment for teasing her. She would be as kind as she could to them, but only as long as they treated her with the same respect they gave to each other. Just because she had been an outsider when she was a newborn pup did not mean that she didn't fit in now. Nellie kept telling her that, and Mia smiled, knowing she had just stood up for herself for the first time. What a wonderful feeling it was!