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((XDDD))

Talia doubled her size a bit by puffing her fur, growling in warning at the fallen wolf, but not forgetting that another behind her was possibly still caught in a blood lust daze.

"Come to your senses!!" She snapped her jaws with the force of her bark, demand directed to both males. She would not stand idly by while two that she knew tried to tear out one another's throats. "Kurogane, find someplace else to busy yourself!" She snapped once more, still standing where she stood and ignoring the bit of ache she felt for the force of her earlier attack, keeping her eyes on the one that she did not know so well.

Behind her, meanwhile, Tony rushed in on the scene to Thayne's side the instant that Kurogane was grounded. She knew that if he wasn't stopped, Thayne would likely go for blood once more. She whined and kept her posture low, to show she wasn't a threat, but put herself between Talia and Thayne so that he could see her.

"Thayne, please, that's enough!"

Kurogane snarled a negative towards Talia- why did she think he'd do as she demanded, when Thayne was right there, and still challenging him? He calmed a little, though... precious little. Thayne was no longer at his throat, so he had some room to think.

Until Thayne snapped his own command at Kurogane. "Go screw a tree stump- !" He faltered in mid-insult, distracted. A distinctive howl had caught his attention, making him flick his ears in its direction.

... It was Sen, alright. Probably wondering where he was.

".....Phaugh. I don't have time for you, or the little omega thing." He spat, glaring at Thayne angrily. "Be careful the next time I see you." He turned, making to leave, and glanced finally at Talia. "And stay out of my business." With that said, the big wolf turned fully and left at a comfortable stroll- he was not going to leave faster than that. They would interpret that as running away. Idiots.

Thayne watched the other wolf leave the area, not daring to relax until he was sure of Kurogane's absence. The howl far away was unfamiliar and he paid it little mind other than to remember it and file it away as someone that could control Kuro. In the meantime, he nuzzled Tony's head gently. "He'll not bother you s'much as I'm 'roun', me word t' ye," he murmured. "Are ye 'urt?"

He glanced at Talia, gratitude in his eyes. "An' wha' 'bout ye? 'urt anywhere?"

Talia was gone in a matter of seconds; Thayne watched her leave, hoping she really was all right. If not, Tsume would never forgive him.

Then he felt a tongue on his shoulder and looked over at Tony again, cleaning his battle wound. At the moment, he still couldn't feel it other than the sensation of her tongue on it. He studied her closely to be sure she really wasn't hurt. If Kuro had left a mark on her, Thayne would be sure to leave Kuro a limb short at their next meeting. And he was damn sure there would be another one.

Finally, he was convinced that Tony wasn't hurt, at least not on the outside. Maybe bruised, but not wounded. Satisfied, he let himself relax. He was starting to feel the fatigue as the adrenaline left his system and he hung his head, letting out a long breath.

He was relieved she was all right. Nothing else really mattered.

He looked her in the eye, hearing the factual tone in her voice and taking it for disbelief. He felt obligated -- no, compelled to explain. "O' course I came back," he said. "Ye didn' thin' I'd jus' sit an' let 'im do as 'e likes wi' ye?" Her blank look told him that's exactly what she had expected -- and that made him angry. Not with her, but that she'd been through something in her life that had caused her to have that kind of attitude about herself. That she was useless enough to think that she was on her own when it came to living.

"I 'ad t' come fer ye." Something in his tone as he said the words said that he meant "had to" in more ways than that he felt obligated to her as a female and a fellow wolf. Impulsively, he leaned forward, licked her muzzle lightly and touched his nose to hers. "As long as I'm 'roun', Tony, no one's ever gonne 'urt ye 'gain," he said quietly. " 'ow long tha' is... well, it's up t' ye."

[[::SQUEAL::]]

((Wow. You guys both summed it up pretty well. *DED* XD heart ))

Somehow... hearing that, while it didn't wash away all the insecurities, but it did stir something inside of her, swelling up in her chest. She knew it was dangerous. She, unlike Thayne, knew the owner of the howl that called Kurogane away. Was it worth risking?

... She decided that it was a choice that Thayne had every right to decide for himself. She couldn't be selfish about it and try to decide for him how much was too much. Besides, in all honesty, something within was demanding for her to stop running before she passed up on a good thing. In the short span of time she'd spent with Thayne she had been touched by his kindness. Not once, or twice, but three times. It wasn't just the fact that he'd been nice to her either, though! It felt like it was much more... complicated than that. She just couldn't say no.

Realizing this, Tony smiled, what appeared to be sadly. Maybe she was also afraid that, if she didn't trouble him he'd decide for himself that it wasn't a risk that he could take. He had a pack to think about, a responsibility to the safety of his family. Fighting for her was one thing, but would he still stand by what he said if he knew he'd be putting them in possible harm's way? She kept telling herself to bear in mind that he very well might do that, she didn't want to get her hopes up just because the chances were slim. To come this far only to get shut out again, she couldn't take that.

Tony bit back a whine, ears flattening and shyly brushing her nose against his. She moved her head and stepped closer to brush her head under his chin, shutting her eyes.

~I want to believe you, Thayne, it's been so long since I've had someplace I could sleep at night without worry.~

"Hear me out first, Thayne. There's something that you need to know."

She explained everything, or almost everything, anyway. Once in a while during the explanation she'd glance nervously at Thayne, as though afraid of being suddenly shoved away, but she remained where she was so long as she had no reason to fear. The warmth he gave off was still reassuring to her somehow.

As her tale wound to a close she trailed off softly.

"That's why I no longer have a place within my pack... It would be dangerous, at best," She began, sounding disappointed, rather than resolved. "for your family to take me in, Thayne."