Bearclaw Valley We abandon one-another.

The boy wriggled under him, but Aventus did not relent. Not until he could taste the iron tang of the boy's skin welling against his tongue where a bruise was forming and his teeth were rubbing it raw. Not until he felt the sweet high of securing his victory sweeping through his belly. He'd been immobile in that cave for way too long, and he needed a win after being defeated so handily by Nyra.

When Glaucous grew most desperate, Aventus roughly shoved the pup into the ground and then released him, prowling away with his tail held rigid and high and a growl in his throat. A promise of further violence in the future—forever would he assert his dominance with physicality when it came to these two intruding pups.

A bad omen for his future behaviour around children, if one cared to look close enough.