Did she birth all of them?
The thought crossed my mind almost immediately.
But the more I looked around the chamber, the less likely that seemed.
The Matriarch wasn't the only female wolf in the pack. Which meant many of these pups probably belonged to the wolves I had killed outside.
My expression softened slightly at that realization.
I activated [Analyze] and began inspecting them one by one.
The results were exactly what I expected.
Level 0. Level 1. Level 2. Nothing higher.
They were little more than newborns.
Then a realization suddenly hit me.
I had spent the entire fight wondering what the Alpha had been protecting so fiercely. Why it had reacted so aggressively whenever Ariel or I approached the cave. Why it had repeatedly thrown itself into danger instead of simply retreating deeper into its territory.
Now I understood.
