My gait slowed as soon as the hare changed direction, darting towards Emil. I didn’t want to put too much pressure on the already crazed prey. Soon enough the hare would tire and if Emil kept up his vigilance he would surely be able to wrap his young jaws around his first kill. But as I slowed, a single ear flicked to the side. The hair on the back of my neck prickled; something felt amiss. I took my eyes off the young prince for only a second, just in time to spot the descending form of a shewolf moving in. Immediately I feared for my charge’s safety, but I was too far away from him to put myself between him and the familiar white and crimson harlot.

Regardless, I charged forward, the hunt forgotten entirely. My hackles bristled and a snarl poured forth from my maw. Her teeth snapped forward, and I was relieved to see her take the hare in her jaws rather than the golden fur of Emil’s neck. But as the dame that seemed somehow determined to ruin every outing I had with a youngster of Diveen withdrew with her prize – what was meant to be Emil’s prize – in tow, the boy followed her.

I put on a burst of speed as Emil moved closer to her, his curiosity clearly getting the best of him. I skidded through the snow as I came to a halt. Rather than placing myself between the hungry female and my student, I stood tall next to him. My legs were stiff and my hackles raised; I leaned forward and tucked my chin down, conveying dominance and aggression. She had taken the hare, and nothing could be done for that. But she need not bother us anymore; she’d gotten what she’d come for. Teeth still bared, and growl rumbling in my throat, I spoke to the young prince. “Emil, we will find something else. This hare is spoken for.” Finally I quieted my snarls and let my lips fall back over my teeth. But my stature did not shift when my body did, moving to usher Emil away from the shewolf that dined upon the hare, always keeping one eye on her even as they moved away.

I put some distance between us and the flame marked wolf, always wary of her distance from us. If she was hungry, she very well might try to steal from us again. But I would not let that happen again. Constantly aware of her presence on the edge of the field, I directed Emil further away from her. “There may be more hares in the area, Emil. But they will all be on edge, very nervous now that they’ve seen their brother chased down and killed. Would you like to try again? Or perhaps another day?” I would leave the decision up to him; I would not force him to continue. Hopefully he had learned something today, despite the female's rude interruption. I now stood as a vigilant guard at his side, eyes glaring at the form of the wolf feasting upon the hare.