Hushed Willows we'll create an empire for you.

The youngster barely had time to react to the adult's counterattack. He saw Harlyn dart closer, felt her teeth close around his scruff, then let out a yip of surprise when she pinned him to the ground with a throaty snarl. His little tail instinctively curled toward his belly, covering his exposed privates, and he squirmed. He wasn't so much frightened as bewildered. Whatever else was going on here, the game was definitely over. Harlyn didn't want to play. That much was clear.

When her grip loosened and she nudged him, Tambourine's tail stirred tentatively. He arched upward to place a kiss on her chin. Was he apologizing? Or granting forgiveness? Even the little boy didn't know, as the situation was quite a bit over his little head. Either way, he just wanted to make things right. He studiously ignored the lingering stench of blood even, as deep down, a tentative connection was made where the distinctions between id, ego and super-ego were still developing. He wouldn't acknowledge it consciously for some time but, all the same, Tambourine now understood on some level that imbibing on the flesh of his kind was forbidden.