unable to bind.mated to none.father to Eztli, Lixue, Petra, Citlalli, & Itzel.Taviora

He was built for stamina and it showed. He was used to tracking killers for days, weeks even. He had once kept up with a serial killer for 4 months. He did have patience from hunting, that's for sure. He knew Tuari meant well and she had such faith in him to do the right thing. Maybe she'd never understand unless she saw the stretches he went through to get his point across to his victims. It wasn't just about the kill. In fact, the kill was the last important part of it. He made them SEE what they did to others. He made them understand the lives they took before he took their own. He would listen to them beg for their lives then he would rip their throats out, if they were lucky. If they weren't so lucky, he would start dismembering them while they were still alive. Tuari thought she was invisible but ever since that day the roles had been reversed and he had managed to surprise her from the leaf pile, she'd never been invisible to him. He could pick out her scent anywhere.

He knew that others didn't notice her that much. They didn't know how to listen. They just needed to learn how to use something other than their ears. He was sad that her imprint had left her and if he ever did come back, Dexter wasn't going to let him off that easy. There would definitely be a smooth talking-to for the hurt he put on Tuari. He wanted her happy above all else. He was glad she was coming out of her shell since he'd been back and she was brighter and seemed to have more purpose in her step. It looked good on her. As they ran, he was enjoying the wind and the smell of the forest. He would never tire of this smell. He veered off to the side, knowing he would never catch her in a straight up race, not until she tired. He would have to use his cunning. He ran parallel to her in the trees and watched her slow down with a satisfied smirk. Then he veered back toward her and was pleasantly surprised when she ran right smack into him and fell over.

He was quick to make sure she was okay first, eyes wide as he stared down at her after stumbling to the side and almost falling down himself, but when he saw the look on her face, he knew everything was alright and he started to laugh, just as he knew she was on the inside. He watched her wriggle in the leaves with a boyish grin, wagging his tail.

"You're silly."

He murmured softly, the affection clear in his tone. As she batted at him, he danced around her and barked gleefully, using his own paw to kick some leaves up at her as he play bowed and then threw himself down in the leaves beside her, rolling and wriggling around. He noted the new look in her eyes and it caused him pause if only for a minute. He could swear it was like she wanted something from him...something more to their friendship. He didn't know how to handle that, at least not right now. Tuari meant the world to him; there was no denying that. But he couldn't forget about the connection he shared with Talien either. The hunt with her had been something special and they moved like shadows. She was sassy and witty. He was stumped. He'd never thought about this angle of it, of the feelings Tuari might be having when they reunited. They weren't pups anymore. There was bound to be emotions. Now what was he to do with that? He cared about Talien but he also cared about Tuari. What's a guy to do?

She was silent, even more silent than usual because she wasn't even trying to talk with her eyes anymore. It was like she had already told herself that he would reject her and she was thoughtful. He didn't like this version of Tuari. He wanted his bright and playful best friend back! He barked to get her attention and kicked some more leaves up at her, grinning as he danced around her. Her attention wavered and then she was staring up at the sky. Scowling in thought, he moved to lie down beside her, nudging his shoulder up against her as he settled down. He turned so that he could stare up with her, smiling softly as he gave her a sidelong look. She was so pretty and she didn't even see it. He could feel the winter chill setting in and he knew his hormones were going crazy, but it was true, hormones or not. Tuari was a true beauty and she didn't need a voice to mesmerize him with her song. When he looked at her, well, it was what one would call effulgence.

"Tuari....you ever think about....like kids and stuff?"