Enough

Regent was beyond words.

His utter fury had finally boiled away to an inpassionate roar in the back of his skull, that predatory bloodlust that sings through every wolf's mind and heralds the kill.

The pup hadn't even attempted to flee or fight back. He'd simply fallen where Regent had thrown him, shoulder and leg leaving red smears in the thin layer of snow. Blood trickled quietly out of his nose as he dared to look up into the eyes of Death. He might have tried to say something, but Marcus too was beyond words, and instead closed his eyes.

A coward to the end...

Before the gaping jaws could close in on the senseless youngster, a gray blur headbutted Regent, sending him leaping back with a snarl.

Through the battle-haze, Regent froze as a pair of yellow eyes sought to lock with his own. Some part of him, the part that the bloodlust had temporarily consumed, was afraid to look into them, but he couldn't tear himself away.

It was Mara, and she stood between Marcus and his death, tail raised in challenge.

"How dare you," she thundered.

Regent quivered, still paralyzed by Mara's unblinking stare.

"Understand me now, Regent! You are my mate and my love, but if you dare to harm him again, you will fight with me!"

She seemed to loom over him despite her smaller size, and the battle-haze began to fade. Regent was suddenly aware, with a rising horror, of the sharp metallic tang of blood in his mouth.

"We are all in mourning," she said, sounding more like herself again, though her hackles did not lower, "But hurting each other is not going to change what happened. Killing Marcus will not bring our son back. We have lost enough already."

She did not move, even as Regent suddenly turned and ran. A groan from between her forelegs told her that Marcus was regaining his senses, but she continued to watch her mate until he vanished into the haze of snow.

****

...what?

No, really, I'm actually having a really good day. I've been trying to illustrate this particular scene for a while, but I'm still not sure if I did it justice. It is rather dramatic, after all.