He can smell them. The scent of blood and birth a permeating, heady odour that brings him from the blackened confines of the darkness to seek his imprint tonight. He can feel her through the bond of imprint, the heave and sweat of her body and rapid beat of her heart that seems to thrum from her mind to his own as he comes from the dark and night- summoned by the sweet scent of blood upon earth. He understands this scent, understands the touch of spring and the mewling cries of pups the echo into the silence of the night as the rest of the pack sleeps- tucked within their dens, hidden from the black Angel as he passes this night like the reaper of death itself in search of this young blood tonight. Never before has an imprint of his own born his children, never before has his mind been driven so strongly towards this scent and need and desire to seek them and yet perhaps this danger exists still. He has made to maim all others born from him, his mind refusing to allow males to exist, for instinct demands he remove them as he sought to remove all his brothers, for they are competition for the affection of the females he possesses, his mind incapable of making this distinction unless forced as Flare had so forced him. Her scent, her milk- protecting Singe and Lonhro as well as her teeth, refusing him entrance to her den and as such sparing their lives. He is a dangerous creature when jealous and he grows jealous of any and all children whom would dare to nurse at the teats of females he declares his own. Daughters he will permit- but not sons, never sons, Lonhro and Singe alive still if only by there own cunning though the scent and protection of Flare upon them fades day by day as his own hunger grows and his mind conflicts.
He does not destroy that which he owns and yet…that which he owns is male…is touching what is his and as such his mind becomes conflicted, confused, instinct demanding he protect and yet mind demanding he destroy until all that is left is a furious furore of misunderstanding that becomes nothing but anger. Once more he comes, as all the births before to seek the source off this feat tonight. The cry of another echoes upon the air, an intruder upon his lands and yet such is the insanity of his mind that for a moment still he ignores it, fixated instead upon the scent of blood as emerald eyes of reptilian cold glow within the gloom, peering now into the den as She of Scars snarls in response to the cry of Jaidah and the small one mewl and cry beneath her- his own form now encompassing the entrance to the den, refusing her exit as a snarl rises within his throat. It is a curious sound, a sound of question and yet his heckles bristle still in response to the female, a warning towards her now that his temperament is….volatile as nostrils flare.
He can see them now, two small bodies as before, littered with her scent and tainted with his own and yet still the demons of his mind hunger as he presses forward and forward still. Yet he is cautious, his mind remembers the snarls and teeth of Flare and as such he is wary- that dark king, wary of the female before him for he knows of the rage they will bring in defence of the whelps whose meat is the most tender of all. His movements are hesitant, cautious, reptilian gaze resting with fixation upon the children and yet….instinct and hunger have already begun to conflict now- stronger perhaps…..for they are born of imprint and his…soul does not desire they are harmed….frustration beginning to etch across his form, confusion flaring within those deadened emerald eyes.
“Mine?”
The word is a harsh whisper….a hiss upon the air, hunger rages within him as saliva pools from his jaws so rapidly and yet instinct presses upon him still…a desire to……protect what is his own, the infliction of imprint upon him further pressing him to guard, not to destroy as another rumble of agitation coils within him, seeking understanding in that single uttered word though each muscle remains tense still, taut. He is a volatile creature after all, dancing upon the knifes edge of reaction. To guard…..or to destroy.