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 Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 2:30 pm
The silent exchange was not lost on Arcadius and he looked between the two with his good eye, his interest piqued. It was obvious now that the two were related, but in appearance only. There was no sign of the affection or protectiveness that one often associated with family, but it was as familiar to him as his own paw. His own birth-pack had been the same, and they had been made all the better for it. What use was there to learn to depend on a wolf who would not always be there, who would have another family to replace your own? If a father truly cared for his pups, then he would not love them. He would raise them to care for themselves, and this would make them stronger. It was a strength he had seen in the young adolescent’s retaliation despite his sudden attack and experience, and also one he saw in her father, that she would obey him so despite the threat to her own life. It was only her open fear that Arcadius was critical of, but a child’s actions were not always a reflection of her parents’.
He focused his gaze on the dark-coated male, the ease with which he discarded the female as a non-threat a clear indicator of the worth he attributed to her. The alpha (and, surely, there was no doubt now of the male’s status), on the other hand, held himself in a calm, self-assured way that had Arcadius wary from the start. He was either lying or truly did not see Arcadius as an immediate threat, but it was undeniable who was in control now. He lowered his tail a fraction in response, but kept his ears high, licking the blood off his maw not as a silent threat but in a slow, contemplative manner.
“You would be wise to take your daughter now, and leave,” he said, blatantly ignoring the wolf’s words. He looked straight at the male, his eye cold and hard, his fur rippling. It was true he had lowered his tail earlier, but it was also true that the alpha he faced was a much younger wolf. And with such similarities he saw in the two wolves’ relationship with his own past, he could not help but to test the alpha in some way and an old, familiar anger rose within him. He was eager to see what the alpha would do, although whether he hoped for the male to rise against him or to fall back, he did not know.
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:32 pm
Ralastor watched and waited, then nodded ever so slightly. Tasso leapt to her feet, slinking swiftly away from the outsider and circling around to stand at her father's side. Although her tail was tucked comparatively low, the multiple expressions of disapproval from her alpha had finally overcome her natural desire to express fear and pain. She did her best to keep her body language neutral, her pose obedient and willing, eager to fight again. At last, Ralastor glanced at her and seemed to swell up a tiny bit more on his next inhalation. It was hardly praise, but to the love-starved adolescent, it was a token of love and appreciation she had learned to cling to. It meant that she had done something right.
"The odds are now two against one," the male pointed out smoothly. "You just gave up an advantage and now the advantage is mine. Together we can easily kill you - individually, one can hold you at bay while the other summons the pack. It might be wise for you to submit." Excitement and determination crackled along the tips of each of Ralastor's hairs; he had deliberately taken the option to leave off of the table. He wanted this wolf in his pack, and he did not like to be told no.
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