Dragoncrest Cliffs this maudlin moment

He'd never heard of coastal packs being barbarous, or any packs, really. Perhaps it was his culture that was thought of as such; he'd never considered it, but thought it made sense, in theory. Her threat did nothing but expand his grin, and he stuck his tongue out and waggled it at her, eyes narrowed in laughter suppressed.

Oh, you can have my tongue, all right, he said lewdly, swiping it along his jowls. I like bounkola. I don't give a shit about royalty. I answer to Heda and no one else.

Verx stared at her, and for the first time in a while, his eyes were drawn to the scars along her face. Battle wounds? he asked softly, voice unmistakably different. Gentler, more sympathetic. Or something else?