Haunted Wood Kill what you want to Take what's left and eat it

To see Clay stand up straighter and put more strength into his stance caused a warm rush of pride, his lips slowly curling up into a smile until the moment was ruined just as quickly by Vengeance's growled rebuttal. Valour turned and faced his mentor, returning the glares with his own for a long moment before he dropped his gaze and instead glared daggers into the dirt beneath his paws. His heart raced in his chest, each word from the man he looked up to sinking deep into his mind and heart like painful burrs. It was his fault that Clay was looked down on? Just because he was his friend? He didn't understand how that worked, it wasn't like he protected the other boy or anything. He knew Hela had picked on him and that Clay followed him around like a lost pup but-


He blinked and his ears slowly went back. That was why Clay followed him around, Because nobody messed with him when he did. "I've been a shield for you" he murmured and looked up at Clay, feeling confused. It wasn't that he wanted his friend to get hurt and bullied but he couldn't protect him from the rest of the pack when he had his own issues and reputation to deal with. On top of that, how did he know that Clay hadn't been using him cuz he was the only one who could face off against Hela. "I can't protect you like that Clay. It doesn't work like that here" he sounded cold even to himself, his eyes flashing with regret and ears shifting back hinting at how he really felt though he squared his shoulders up and turned to Vengeance "He won't ever be the alpha pup so he's either below me or Hela. He listens to me as he should to an alpha. So what if I'm not nasty to him like everyone else is around here?" he knew he shouldn't have said it, he should have chosen himself over the morally right decision for once but he couldn't help it. He couldn't stand there and be horrible to Clay when the boy was the only nice person he had really ever known beside his mother, who's memory was so faded he could barely recall her face anymore. "Can't he have a different use? Medicine? Hunting? Serem could use someone to teach right?" he tried to appeal to his Warlord, determination on his gaze and stubbornness refusing to let him keep his mouth shut.