Redhawk Caldera One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas

As much as she wanted him to play tag, Wildfire squealed loudly when he came toward her, ducking behind her father and pressing herself against his back. She had half a mind to dive beneath his tail. But then the Alpha male stood suddenly, exposing her. The child squeaked again, dropping the patch of flesh and backpedaling. She laughed, albeit nervously, as Sebastian bowed playfully and then barked. She made a strange eeeee! noise when he hopped closer, then suddenly he was gone back toward the kill.

Wildfire swallowed and sat up straight, peering at her father. He tipped his head. Despite Sebastian's misgivings, he enjoyed watching the two play and bond; it was essential for the pack dynamic. Encouraged, the puppy ventured back toward the large male and the carcass of the fawn. Keeping her golden eyes fastened to his face, she sniffed again at the kill, then began to gnaw on one of the legs. She wasn't hungry but she was a canine, ever eager to chew on something.

"They've known the taste of meat since they were only a couple weeks old but we just started to wean them," Peregrine said conversationally to Sebastian. "That said, she just ate breakfast, so I doubt she'll even make a dent. Think she's just chewing, actually." If Wildfire had wanted to eat more of it, he wouldn't have stopped her, nor allowed Sebastian to interfere either. He might have caught the fawn, yet the Alpha and his children had rights to every kill made by their pack. He rarely, if ever, invoked this right. But he would never let anyone withhold meat from his growing pups.

Anyway, it didn't appear to be an issue whatsoever. Wildfire continued nibbling on the leg, her sharp little teeth easily sawing through the fur, flesh and bone. In fact, she severed the last inch or so, including the dainty little hoof. The pup jerked in surprise, then sniffed at the dismembered limb. There was a small splinter of bone poking out one end, though this didn't interest her much despite the scent of blood. Wildfire pressed her nose against the little black hoof, then mouthed it, oblivious to the fact that she was chewing on a dead deer's foot.