Silvertip Mountain eyelet lace & peonies

he pursed his lips, thinking. this had nothing to do with the bear-god—at least not to him. pain was easy. he'd never tortured before, but if he thought about how he'd inflict punishment upon his seed-donor sire. . .

i'd make them afraid, surya answered. i would hold them down, put my mouth around their throat, so they think i am to choke them. and squeezing, tighter, tighter. . .NO! this was not his father, this was an asset they needed alive.

he drew his tongue along bared fangs, pondering. i would hurt them where it hurts most, he continued. take flesh from their belly, the pads of their paws, their cheek. hurt them. make them ugly. but leave their eyes, so they could see how ugly they are now.

god, where had that come from? he tucked his tail, almost ashamed of the savagery that'd slipped from his maw. the rage had temporarily commandeered his tongue; now, he was left speechless, gaze intermittently shifting from merrick to the ground.