The start of their venture went smoothly enough. Accompanied by a few of the pack's top warriors, Lou and Alaric started visiting the known homes of territory residents to update them on the situation and confirm their intentions moving forward. Most had reacted to the news positively, but there were a handful that were proving to be problomatic.
"I don't care who you are! This is my home, and I'm not leaving just because some stuck up wolf tells me to!" An older gentleman snarled. Based on the grimoir in his hands, he was likely some kind of spell-caster.
"Sir, I've already warned you about this," Lou was struggling to remain patient with the man. "This building in no way belongs to you. If you join the pack, you're welcome to keep it, other wise you will need to clear out."
He had been suspicious last time they met, but back then he had been willing to entertain the idea of pledging himself to the pack if she proved herself. Whatever that meant. She wondered what had happened between then and now to warrant such a hostile reception. Glancing around, she wondered if THEY were involved.
"Over my dead body!" The man shouted.
Lou shook her head and bit her lip to try keeping her temper at bay. Obstinate squatter or not, the man was loosing what he considered his home. To a stranger of a different race. Of course he was going to put up a fight. She doubted he was as powerful as Momma Lydia, but even beginner level spellcasters were capable of being distructive. That grimoir could prove to be a huge problem if she didn't handle him carefully.
"What's your problem with wolves anyway?" Lou wondered. "Joining the pack is the simplest option."
"You filthy flea-bitten mongrels are nothing but thugs and bullies!" the geezer snapped. "Always looking down on the rest of us! Bah! Why would I join your pack? You'd just stick me in the lowest rank and use it as an excuse to bully me and take my home regardless! I'm not stupid!"
Lou clenched her hands tightly and fought her urge to just end the man. He wasn't wrong, that was a total werewolf move. In fact, Lou was sure that there were other pack leads in the city that would happily trample over others like that.She felt a little differently, but it wasn't as though he was simply going to take her word for it.
The previous alpha of her pack was exactly that sort. As far as she knew, his remaining followers still carried on such prejudice as they subjected and bullied those they deemed weaker than themselves. The more the old man spoke, the more confident Lou became that these rogues were responsible for his hostility.
"Well, what do you think would be best?" Lou glanced to Alaric who had been silent during the entire circular exchange that had been going on the better part of an hour now.
"If he is unwilling to cooperate, we can't risk leaving him be and potentially creating trouble for us later," Alaric replied, staring the man in the eye. "Unfortunately, he's proven that he won't see reason, so he's forced our hand. We have no choice but to remove him by force."
"Now wait just a minute, you can't just kick an old man out of his home!" He protested as a pack warrior flanked him on either side and seized his arms. "There are laws against this! The council will hear about this! I know a really good lawyer!"
"Sorry to say sir, but those laws only protect citizens that are legally occupying a residence," Alaric replied. "You have been squatting, and there for have no actual ownership of the building or land around it. Our Alpha generously offered to gift you this home you've so lovingly cultivated over the decades under the condition you pledged your loyalty to her, but you've spurned her offer and so there's not much more to say."
Lou loved the way he had of speaking. He sounded so authoratative and official, meanwhile every word out of her mouth sounded like the naive threats of an amature gangster. Unable to help herself, she clasped his hand and gave it a squeeze.
"Heartless bastards!" the old man kicked and struggled as the warriors wrestled his grimoir away to prevent him from casting. "I knew you were nothing but brutes and bullies! I'll get you for this! You'll all pay!"
Lou sighed as the man was dragged away, kicking and screaming. She hated expelling him knowing full well that he viewed her as the villain and that he wasn't alone. Legally obtained or not, the residents of her newly reaquired territory could only view her as an outsider and a usurper. Fortunately for her, distrustful or not, most of the rest of them were willing to see reason, even if only to retain some semblance of the status-quo they had grown accostumed to.
"Don't let him get to you," Alaric spoke softly into her ear. "It may seem cruel, but going easy on him would only create more problems in the long run. He's the sort of guy to take rash actions like inciting rebellion, or attacking other people because they don't see his way."
"Yeah, I know," She replied. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek, then glanced down at their schedule to identify their next location.
The sun had passed it's zeneth and was begining to dip low in the sky. If they wanted to keep their schedule, they'd have to hurry. Dealing with the old man had eaten up a lot of time, and Lou was reluctant to keep operations going after dark. She had a number of allies, but she had also aquired quite the collection of enemies as well.
"Lou," Alaric glanced at her. "I know you wanted to get more done, but I feel like we should start perparing to head back soon. That said, I am anxious to ascertain the condition of the old pack house."
"Alright," Lou replied, casting another glance at the setting sun.
Things had been going smoothly, and most of the others had gradually started to relax throughout the day. Lou, on the other hand, continued to grow more and more anxious. There was no way they would get through the day without an attack, and nightfall was the time her enemies seemed to be most active.
"What's got you so on edge?" Alaric questioned, glancing at her as she investigated their surroundings.
"Just call me paranoid," Lou replied with a tense smile. "I'm used to having to constantly watch my back."
She could feel their eyes on her. In the back of her mind, the mocking laughter and jeers echoed through her memory, as did the rancid smell of body odor, tobacco, and booze. Were they laughing at her even now as they watched from their distant vantage? Would they continue to laugh when they finally chose to reveal themselves?
"Why?" Alaric wondered. Based on his expression, he wasn't clueless as his question may have sounded. He was trying to learn more about her. Unfortunately, Lou wasn't interested in reliving her past for the sake of satiating his curiousity.
"Let's just say, there are things better left forgotten," Lou replied. A chill ran down her spine as a howl sounded in the distance. They were coming.
"What was that?" Alaric questioned, on guard. "That wasn't from one of our men, was it?"
"No," Lou shook her head. "Much as I wish I could forget, some things refuse to be forgotten."