Something does not feel right. He felt it but was not for certain what it was at first. He shifted his weight as he lay with star-touched head up. Why was he feeling this way? He felt like his stomach was going to churn. He stood up suddenly then, opal eyes wide. He was driven to move. She was close. He shakes his lowered head, trying to shake off the feeling. But this is a feeling that he cannot shake. He cannot rid himself this wild darkness. She was so different than he was. They were both troubled, but her so in a very, very different way. She called for violence and fire. She called for blood in heart, but these were all things he could not exactly put words to. It was a feeling, and one more unsettling. This was not how he expected imprinting to be. It seemed to be...very different than his parent’s imprinting.

He knew she was close and he knew he had to go to her. He started running then, heading towards her. He moved like a dark wind, weaving through the many trees of Taviora. He swore he felt pain that was not coming from the work of his lungs. He pushed even harder, instinctively knowing which direction to go since she was indeed in Taviora and indeed not far.

He comes just in time to see her on the ground, surrounded by the others. He slows down and arrives at the group, the males of the pack, Dexter, Tithe, and Teza. He knew enough to know that Arace was the reason he felt sick to his stomach. She had obviously been involved in a scuffle, and he arrived just in time to barely hear her reasoning. He narrowed his eyes. Her reason...it was not the truth, and it made him even more sick that he felt he had to defend her somehow. He had to ensure she would not be harmed, but he would not lie for her, or stand for her lies. At least...not now, he does not think so, anyway.

Even though he felt something was wrong and off, part of him wished to comfort her as well. It was all tugging him in multiple directions, and he had never felt so polarized. He marches past them now, moving around to get to her. She is shrunk down now, her eyes wide and she attempts to appear innocent. He...knows this is false, he feels it, that she is playing this game but part of him wishes to fall into it just as much. He was to be what she needed though- even if she did not like it.

With her form shrunken and close to the ground, he moves to step over her...not so much to protect her from the jaws of the males of the pack, but to prevent her from leaving. His movements were deliberate and without hesitation even if the others continued to go after her. Dexter very well may have to grab her by the scruff to keep her down- but he knows that Arace will not be killed before his eyes. He...could not allow it, but enough to keep her in her place? Even though it pained him to see her like this, he had to do it...he had to do it for her, even if she doesn’t like it. His fur is ruffled and his eyes of opal, normally soft, are as hard as the stone they resembled. He knew if she ran, they would chase. He knew if she fought, they would fight back. He had to prevent this, and the look upon his face is stern.

”You are not going anywhere,” he said firmly. His eyes, flashes of blue, yellow, and pink, seemed almost...disappointed in her. Even though there is this...turmoil of some sorts in her that he does not understand, he feels there is something...better in her. He cannot force it out of her- but he can try to guide her to a path where both of their souls could be calm and free. Not now though, but perhaps one day. He does not even know what exactly happened, his eyes lifting to the others for a moment.

"What happened here?" he says, voice coming through gritted teeth. Why did she have to make this so...hard?