Redhawk Caldera we all sell our souls (sooner than later).

He didn't like the look on the guard's face. There was an edge to the serious expression that lay there; Reyes could remember a few instances where men looked at him that way and he instinctively knew he did not like it. Moreover, the stranger tried to get Tierra to leave with Meerkat — that alone was a red flag. Reyes rose up to his proper height and stared down the pale guardian. Meanwhile, his daughter hurried towards him, refusing to leave.

The red wolf began to bristle. Tierra, Reyes called out, not looking at his daughter any longer (almost afraid to move his eyes from the wolf standing before him). Go find mom, okay? I promise we can play after. The tone of Reyes' voice was so thoroughly paternal that there would be no room left for compromise.

Reyes did not want to fight. He could not shake the burning of the stranger's eyes upon himself, or the clear warning signs coming off of Azon as the guard prowled closer, circling towards where Reyes waited. There had to be a damn good reason why this guy was posturing like this — especially now, when all that he wanted was to see his family and talk things out.

Meerkat slipped away with one final look back at him, and it was odd; Reyes couldn't read the look on her face. He couldn't tell if she was nervous about his being there (which she seemed from the beginning) or if there was something deeper at play, but there wasn't time to find out. She was gone in the next instant, off to hunt down Towhee — leaving Reyes to watch over his daughter Tierra with a rising tension from the guard.