Blacktail Deer Plateau A slamming door and a lesson learned

dante's face was drawn, tension set in the handsome planes, and lasher's ears fell back to cup his skull. the reason for the alpha's words arrived soon enough; the beta shook his head, lips thinning into a grim line. mordecai had not only departed them; dante would not act in such a manner if the ostrega and the healer had not angered him in some way.

"what did they say?" taltos muttered, training his eyes briefly on the silver face. already he dreaded the answer, but he stood fast, awaiting it all the same.