Porcupine Ridge carrie [m]

With ego and hope for reproduction both bruised, the tawny beta had withdrawn from the scene to nurse the surface wounds Taggarik had given him. By nature he was unable to hold a grudge or even understand the concept, so there would be no faulting the alpha male for his righteous action. It was, however, still too soon for him to go seeking the alpha and he retreated to be alone in his solitude.

He didn't think he would encounter Vuk alone again, so when the breeze once more lit up with the scent of her, he nearly turned the other direction. Yet biology was stronger than his fear of Taggarik's wrath and soon enough he was heading toward her. When he spotted her, white and nearly invisible against the snow but glowing like a beacon to his nose, his posture swiftly changed into one befitting a begging subordinate: low, head tilted upward, tongue lapping his lips nervously, and tail wriggling. He expected at any minute to be set upon by Taggarik, but Vuk was alone, and several moment's assessment of that fact made him bold enough to step toward her.