My gaze remains fixed on the bloody mess I have created, even as he becomes apparent in my periphery, though he stills as he takes in my monochrome form, innocent face covered in red, silver chest drenched with it, fangs stained in crimson. Yellow and gold eyes glare at him as he stands there, looking at me with desire and anger in his eye, my hackles raise even before I know he will charge me, but there is no submission in me any more. He made sure of that when he could not tolerate Anastasia, even her name brings a sudden and sharp pang into my chest, his lowered head aimed at my legs as I snap back to reality. He may expect me to balk, to run, to roll and take the punishment I have coming to me for leaving, but he will not find this in me today. Devil runs deep in my veins, just as he runs through Don's. As he is about to close in, going for a typical slam from his bulk, his aim clear - to get me off my paws - I raise up on my hind legs, a screaming rage escaping me as I aim my fangs down on his scruff. My legs will wrap around his neck and I will hold onto him as I try to rip and tear his ruff with savage punishing shakes of my head, should my bite land.

Pain and breathlessness take me as his head hits my diaphragm, black rims my vision and stars blink before my eyes, but I simply force my body to exhale into the deep inky, warm, and hopefully shredded scruff. He snaps at my hind legs, pushing me back, though I keep pace by walking backward using the force against him, moving with him. If he stops pushing, I will stop tearing, but I hear and feel the vibrations of his growl bubbling up. His snarled words make me stop my assault, and I let myself fall over, rolling so I could put space between us without having his jaws catch me, though with his motion it is impossible. I land on my back, his bulk above me now as he snaps at my face, his words echoing in my head. Once again anger mounts, a vicious shrieking snarl of rage and hurt and love and pain as I snap right back at his face, hoping I catch a lip or his good eye or his ear, something to let this torrent of emotion loose on the one who deserved it most. "I HAD TO!" I scream at him, right into his face, laying on my back in the bloodstained mess I made of the shore line.

"I HAD TO KILL IT!" I scream again, my fangs out and flashing right before his nose, legs pushing up at him as I struggle to free myself of his dominating pin. I snap and snarl and scream at him again, "IT WAS WEAKNESS, I HAD TO KILL IT! YOUR FAULT, ALL YOUR FAULT!" My voice cracked, the fight suddenly gone as grief sends a tremor down my spine, and through all his violent snapping, I duck my head up and at his throat, receiving whatever savage bites I had to. "I killed it...Doni, I killed it...my, our baby...I killed it, oh, I killed it." I can't hold anger toward him for long, he wanted me to, I couldn't, I had to leave to understand what he meant.

I hurt now, my lungs and abdomen surely bruised and I know I have cuts from his fangs burning on my face. But, I am home, and it can just be us now. As it should be.