Ouroboros Spine He's heading out the door

Dread settled in with the heaviness of thunderclouds peeling over the edge of a mountain and down into a valley. He refused to accept what she was saying, even though he did believe that both she and Raimo were now speaking the truth. Still- it left a sour taste on his mouth to know that the dark panther would boast of such things, when it meant that he was spreading rumours of bedding their alpha. He felt the vicious jab of jealousy, followed almost immediately by what he thought was sorrow. Not for himself, and a missed opportunity- but for Kukutux, who he pitied. Raimo was first hunter, he believed, because he had joined the pack first. Not because he had earned it. So, that brought a question to mind. He tucked it into his mind for later, and continued listening, his pupils narrowed but gaze distant. 

If Raimo sired Kukutux's children, they would also follow in his line as being sivullik. This idea did not appeal to him, as he believed that status should be earned. He had met wolves who had ascended through the ranks due to nepotism, who had not deserved to tread the same earth as those who had been honest, hardworking and dutiful but perhaps born to parents who had a lower rank. The realization that this might be a part of his life again made him clench his jaw. It was the way Kukutux ordered for things to be- and he had promised to learn her ways. But there was something that did not sit right with him, about rank being determined by birth-right. 

His startled gaze lifted suddenly when she mentioned that Raimo had sought to claim Sialuk as well, and he could not suffocate a soft growl that thrummed in his chest. So his suspicion had been correct and it made him dread what could potentially become of the young woman. Fortunately, Sialuk at least had made it clear enough that she would not have the zealous man that her mother was able to say with confidence that such a pairing would not happen. He was relieved that the women had final say when it came to wedding a man. Otherwise, Sialuk might have ended up claimed, when she was too young to have been sought for as a wife. 

When she drew in a breath he thought he could hear the sound of air whistling through the teeth of a cave; hesitance, he thought. And he understood why a moment later. She had taken him into her ulaq, and it all made sense. He wasn't sure how to feel about it, but he was deeply, deeply upset by that notion. Raimo would surely have confidence bolstered by the fact that their alpha had allowed for him to pursue her, even when she was not yet ready to conceive. He could feel a dull ache in his brow, and realized that he was still clenching his jaws together. He pulled in a breath and exhaled slowly. He knew she was watching him, waiting for a spoken response. Aside from being visibly perturbed at the thought of Raimo asking for Sialuk as a wife, he had been a block of ice. 

"If I had come to Moonglow at the same time as Raimo," He said, "And you had waited until now to choose, knowing neither of us would yield to the other- who would you choose as sivullik?" He asked, and lifted his gaze. Raimo, it seemed, had been bold enough to take advantage of a woman still in the wake of grieving the loss of her family. He knew not the details- but he knew the signs of pain when he could not see past the vague, distant look of mourning in a wolf's eyes. So he lifted his cool, taupe gaze to meet hers, and seek within them something that actually made sense.