He had watched them, the bunch of pups at the border with the new male. He had saw the way the boy jumped away from Ceal as if caught doing something wrong when Dragonfly showed up. Why did it grate on his nerves? Why did he care that another male was close to her? It had sparked a blaze so powerful that it took everything within him to pull away, to run until he heard nothing but the pounding of his heart. HE would not embarrass her before guests. He would not rip apart another because of the feeling that scorches his very being. HE did not know what the emotion was called but it made his lip rise and his hackles stand on end. That day, he had stayed near the tip. That day she did not miss him. At least that is what he told himself.

Since their last meeting he had shadowed her still, yet evaded whenever she seemed intent on coming near. He did not yet trust himself around her. He could not, would not, restrain from partaking in the luxury of her pelt. He would not reframe from nuzzling her. He could not stop the sinking feeling from manifesting within his chest whenever she looked his way. The way his belly took flight, the way he relaxed, content to know that she looked at him, not another. He was jealous, insanely jealous when she was around other males but as long as he stayed away he could handle it. Yet something told him should another show interest he would not hesitate to a duel for rights to her. He was not above battling for mating rights, not above serious harm to any opponent. But then he would not hurt her if she willingly went with another. He could not pain her and those emotions warred daily within him. Childish emotions mixed in as well, causing it to be a war zone within his mind.

So in order to distract the soldiers he took to hunting, stalking away the morning and most of the day away until he had finally brought down two porcupines. They were plump for the most part however they did not go down without a fight. A fight that left several quills sticking from his side and one within his paw. It was the one wedged between his pads that he tore out first, wincing as the pain laced him. Testing his tender paw before standing fully upon it he turns into himself, eyeing the ones that hover from his side. They waver as he breathes, and in anticipation of the pain a growl bubbles up from deep within his gut, savage in nature. This would not be pleasant but then what in life was?