Kavik didn’t know where Kirastasia was, and this was a huge problem, because Kavik’s entire world revolved around her. Her and his mother, Queens. Two females that held all of his life in their paws. And neither of them could be found.

“Sociable” wasn’t on the dark prince’s list of personality traits. As a matter of fact, Kavik despised strangers—because he feared them more than anything else. For Kira, it was spiders; the white princess squealed in terror if she even thought she saw a squirming, eight-legged form, always crying hysterically for Kavik to kill it. Kavik on the other hand . . . strangers were unknown enigmas to him, breathing moving masses of uncertainty that he did not understand and couldn’t control. Mother had told her children to be wary and hidden in the den all thanks to the demented intentions of strangers. Strangers were always the reason the pups got murdered in those sinister nursery stories he and Kira had listened to.

The only good thing about a stranger is that they also don’t know anything about you, which sort of makes you a stranger yourself—but if a stranger somehow discovered your secrets without you learning about theirs you were in trouble. Big trouble.

Kavik shuddered just thinking about that possibility. Imagine: for someone to somehow see more of the contents of your soul than they should! It was like being naked, or having your skin peeled off layer by layer. The bones of your every riddle laid bare. Only Kira was safe for him—she was his sister. She knew everything there was to know about Kavik. And now she was gone. Lost. Forcing the white-splashed youngster to abandon the haven of his den in search of her infuriating snow-pale butt. A savage puppy growl grated out of Kavik’s narrow chest as he stalked under the thick forest shadows. Curse her! Where was she?!

Panic raked up the sides of Kavik’s throat until he nearly screamed. With a jarring sensation of clashing thoughts he realized that he no longer recognized this part of the woods. He had traveled too far from his cave and stood close to the border. It’s proximity horrified him. The scent barrier seemed infinitely frail. A stranger need only place their paw over it in order to reach inside Malignant and kill him. Kavik needed to run away—now—before anybody saw him and—

A soft sigh brushed the lad’s ears. Abruptly he paused, lithe body still poised to sprint back to safety. Momentarily forgetting his fear, Kavik slipped into hunter mode. It was an odd quirk of his: scared child one second, emotionless predator the next, to sides of a gleaming mirror. On quiet, careful paws Kavik traced the territory’s invisible wall until his amber-ringed eyes caught sight of another boy around his age. A demanding rumble vibrated behind Kavik’s teeth. He did not speak, yet the message was clear: “What are you doing here?”



{OOC: no worries, dear, same here! <3}