If he was honest, he was a little shocked by the male's - Cenmatl's - sudden switch. At the mention of the other alpha, he seemed to change entirely and though taken aback initially, Israfel fast understood - he'd do the same for Samia. It was a moment of understanding and as the pair steadied themselves ready to take on the crazy woman, Israfel felt empowered! No way could some weird stranger defeat the absolute power of protecting something important! Yeah! They were going to show her and then Israfel was going to earn his Hero Badge the honest way. It'd impress Jackdaw and Samia, help save Cenmatl and ensure his future comfort in Iromar. Really, this woman had actually helped him.

The thing about fantasy was, though, that it seldom reflected into reality. At first, Centmatl seemed to have a grasp of the situation - he had found purchase on flesh - and yet, the woman seemed to twist her way out of anything he threw at her. Slowly, Israfel had begun to realize that it wasn't going to be that easy - not for them, at least. He had practically forgotten that experience really did trump determination...if he had ever even known that.

He had hardly expected to grab her and so, when she spun, he had immediately released his grip and allowed himself back several short paces. He lowered himself defensively, though his heart pounded against his chest in pure revolt, as she shouted him down. On his way back, she had managed to snag his paw briefly, though he had retracted despite the pain; her teeth had slashed across the top of his toes and though it appeared as little more than splatters of blood on his white fur, he felt the pain immediately. He could barely place his weight down on it, the toes unable to spread without red hot pain and so he nurtured it as close to himself as possible without making it obvious. She'd know though. He hated the fact that she had actually tasted him.

And then an unexpected player seemed to enter the fray. Israfel had begun weighing up his options as the woman had turned her attention back to Cenmatl and so, he was taken aback when the child appeared between them all. He jerked, unsure if he had moved to attack in surprise or if he had moved to shove the child aside, but then he rose in confusion, brows furrowed. He hadn't time to consider the strangeness of the child, and instead, he hoped he would act as a distraction. With a deep breath, he readied himself before he allowed a bellow of a howl to erupt from his chest; he summoned the alpha, his tone deep with urgency, and hell, he even called out to Spirane wherever the heck they were. Let everybody know! If anybody was desperate enough to fight a dozen wolves then let them.

He settled then though his paws sought to gather more ground behind him, his posture defensive once more as he eyed the child and the woman. If she came for him, he wasn't sure entirely what to do - he was smaller, at least. Hell, he even considered shoving the child in her path. Maybe that'd stop her.