Ankyra Sound You will never be alone.

It felt right to be exploring around the rendezvous site, if only to keep his siblings safe. Maybe this was where his father's blood rang the truest: as he patrolled the limits of the territory that was designated safe for the kids, eyes flashing from branch to branch overhead as the trees danced in the saline breeze. This was the most alert Reyes had ever been. He hurried along until he caught sight of something large moving a good distance away; had he known what a bear was, he'd have made that assumption (now that he knew what assumptions were). In truth — he was watching @Vengeance roam along the beach. Even from this far away Reyes could make out that it was some kind of wolf, and he was awed.

In and out. To and fro. With no desire to climb the ranks, or be a shining example of the perfect pack mate - Vengeance wandered more than anything. He'd keep up with the border patrol more than anything, but other than that he would lazy around in the easy life of a pack wolf. Well rested, he ate whatever the pack brought home, any scraps that were left - but with the ability to sleep and rest as he pleased, hunting was easier anyway. 

He felt his pelt come alive with static as he felt someone's gaze fall upon him. Slowly his fiery gaze scanned the lands until they fell onto the familiar figure of the young pup he saw a few days prior in a similar spot. Their eyes met, and this time... Vengeance approached. 

Steadily he came closer to the smaller wolf, staring down on the thing as he thought through his process once more about what to do... His fangs and belly ached to reach out and end the pup's life, squeazing the light out of the eyes of this thing and making a snack out of it... but he enjoyed the easy life so far, and being the culprit for the death of a youth would be the worst way to keep one's position within the borders... for now at least.

Instead, he chose to try something similar. You know... Barritone vocals thundered from his maw as he spoke, his eyes never leaving the small boy. For some, locking eyes is a sign of a challenge.

He stared.

He watched endlessly, breathlessly, until the shape shifted and grew.

It grew so large as it approached, but Reyes couldn't move. He wasn't afraid really, but there was a flood of excitement and curiosity within him as the shape grew, contorting in to a familiar canine shape, and then stopped. The boy stood there in silence, blinking up at the behemoth — and his ears twisted to catch the rumbling of the stranger's voice. The mention of a challenge had little effect on Reyes; he didn't know the word.

The boy swallowed his nerves and watched the stranger's eyes without care for how it may read to him; he had not been taught much in the ways of dominance versus submission, and his mother Rosalyn was always staring down the wolves of the grotto, so why not follow her lead? The boy scowled, imitating his mother as best he could, and then out of the blue responded with a question: Are you daddy? The stranger's coat was dark like his own, and he was one of the few menfolk he'd come across (besides the rangy Illidan), so the connection seemed obvious. Am I gonna be big toooo? Reyes more-or-less gasped the words, and his face grew long as his jaw slackened.

No. Cold and heartlessly he answered the pup's first question. He was aware that his mothers were a couple, and so the only answer as to how this pup could be would be from a male's touch - but other than that, Vengeance didn't know much more about this pup's history or genetic bloodline. He was a firm believer for purposeful breeding to create the next generation as needed. 

The boy kept his gaze on Vengeance as if he didn't know how to speak to those bigger, who have more status than he. Clearly he wasn't taught social norms, as far as Vengeance was taught when he was this one's age. While the boy asked his questions, Vengeance lowered his head to try and nude the boy harshly with his nose, to toy with him and even using his paws to roughly manhandle him as if he was trying to get a sense of what he was, who he was, if it didn't chose to just sit there uselessly.

I don't know. Once again he went straight to the point. From this pup's mom's size, it was unlikely... but not knowing who the father was and what he looked like, Vengeance had even less of an understanding on what this boy may become in time. From this however he was certain of one more thing... this pup had no idea who his genetic father was. I don't think you will. he said, this time his voice was unusually softer than the normal boom in his throat, instead he was mostly talking himself, looking at the size of the pup's tail and paws - he would be average at best unless he had a lucky draw in the gene pool.

The man's refusal stung, and it surprised him. Oh, Reyes murmured, and had to duck almost immediately as a massive paw drifted overhead. He watched it with the same wonder as before, reaching out with his snout and sniffing a bit, frisking his tiny whiskers at the rough pad until it was out of his reach. He felt the touch of something on his haunch and spun in opposition to it, only to find another probing touch somewhere else, again and again, almost like a game.

I don't think you will, the man commented, and for a second Reyes had forgotten the context of the conversation and paused, tilting his head. He remembered when a burning heat flooded his face - and his scowl deepened, becoming something more than just a mimicry of his mother. The boy was a little agitated from the game, but he was made more furious because of the man's assertion. I'll be big! I be bigger than you! He claimed, lunging towards the man's chest defiantly, only to collide with him and be deflected with ease.

He spent a few moments gathering himself against the sand, and once he was up again he was tense and frowning.

The man was just no good when it came to children. His attitude and upbringing failed him to go on a pup's level of understanding, or even to be gentle when speaking or dealing with them. He had no care in how his words stung, or now his bigger limps and body could do more damage than intended for something this small and fragile. 

As he was brought up - if one was gentle to the young, they would grow up fragile. Only the strong and hostile survived. End of story.

The boy declared he would be big, bigger than Vengeance he exclaimed, and Vengeance laughed, scoffing at the outburst and watching as the thing bounced off of him and into the dirt. Defiantly standing infront of him as though he was ready to begin a duel. 

If you challenge me; aim to kill boy. Edging the boy on, he growled through the words. Spitting through his teeth before once again slashing with his paw, this time faster than before, more offensive than just prodding out of curiosity. Like a cat playing with a mouse, there was no intent to kill... but there was no kindness in his actions either.

Reyes didn't like being talked down to, least of all by strange men. It bothered him deep-down to his core that anyone would think it was okay to goad him, or to call him out for being small. One day he'd be big, strong, and powerful - and this beast would rue the day he caused the boy such upset. When prompted by the stranger's words, Reyes shook out his coat and loosed a roar (which was more of a pitchy squeal), then plunged forth again, aiming for the densely furred chest of the man which he'd previously bounced off of. It didn't occur to Reyes to try a different tactic; he bore his fangs with ferocious pride even if they were useless needles, and with an athletic leap he dove for Ven's nearest limb in an attempt to grapple with it, although his teeth wouldn't do much damage.

Asked Java for the okay for some power play!

As the pup roared, Vengeance showed his own threat, lips peeling back to expose the yellowing fangs in a silent threat of his own as the earthly cape brustled, giving the already very large man, an even larger appearance all around. Once again the pup bounced off his chest as he tried the same tactic as before - it wasn't as if such a small lump of flesh, so young, so soft, straight from the womb could do any feasible damage to an adult, but he would never learn by doing the same damn things over and over. 

After the first.. well, second attempt failed, this time the young one went for a leg. A change at least, so he seemed to be getting the right idea. Unfortunately for him, Vengeance was a tough tutor. No praise, no encouraging words; just action. 

A few seconds passed as he watched the youth wrestle with the limp that could very well crush him with not as much effort as one would assume, he thought about it... instead, reaching down, he grabbed the young wolf and threatened to crush him with a quick tightening of his jaws. Not enough to pierce the skin, but enough to make that pressure present. It all took less than a moment, the grab, the pressure and eventually the toss as he flung the pup away. Purposely not into any object of course... 

This time he let out a battlecry of his own, growling in response to show the kid what a snarl truly looked like.

He thought for sure that the man would feel the pinch of his tiny teeth and succumb; it was obviously the result of faulty and immature logic, because his grappling didn't amount to anything at all. Before he could think of an alternative, the man's face bowed towards him and Reyes was suddenly airborne. He was lifted free of his earthly constraints, and as soon as he failed to feel the earth beneath his paws, the boy squirmed.

He kicked, stretched, protested --- and the more he did, the more pressure he felt all around him. The pinch of teeth that could very easily crush the lift out of him. The game felt like it had ended in that instant. A deeply rooted instinct flared to life that made his movements all that more frenzied. He growled as best he could despite the pressure, snapping at air and shrieking as if he were in the throes of death.

Then, he said through the air and came to an abrupt stop as his body crunched against the sand. Although he relished having the earth returned to him again, Reyes was left a bit spaced-out as the adrenaline coursed through his tiny body. He was quaking more from the strength of his adrenaline than the fear which had amassed during his flight, and it took him a second to get to his feet and face-off against the massive bear of a man. As he turned to glare at him, Reyes was confronted by sharp yellow teeth set in a grimace, then the lion's roar which boomed through the air. It felt like he'd been punched in the face by the hot air that exited Ven's open mouth.

He was bowled backwards by it; flinching away and rolling to his back, flashing his belly and curling up in to a useless lump just as the sound concluded. The boy huddled there for a few more seconds and then, in the stillness, erupted in to sobs.

Fighting every temptation, every desire of each fibre of his being to destroy the boy, to devour him whole as the mouthful squirmed and kicked in his maw, caged by unrelenting fangs that threatened to steal the breath of this newborn soul. The fact that he didn't was gift enough for this youth and his mother, mothers from his understanding of this one's situation at home.

Once the boy was thrown, Vengeance expected one of two things. The kid would retaliate once more, or accept defeat; to which after a moment, the later is what followed. Pathetically the child rolled over in submission, crying and weeping from the experience he had just gone through. There was a moment of a glare that he spotted from the child, but it did not last long once he was shown what a growl should sound like.

Disapointed, the man stood still once again, towering where he stood as he looked down on the boy in a gaze that one could only see as disgust. If this was his boy he wouldn't stop, a toss and a growl was nothing to cry at for a warrior. Only one thought came to mind as he stood there watching the youth. He may become big someday, but - You will never be strong with cowardice like this. Through his nose he huffed, nostrils flaring as he forced the air through them in one gust. 

With that he was done. He saw no promise from this one. Turning his back on the young pup, Vengeance returned to the beach to search for something else more entertaining...

The boy wailed, his whole body shaking with the after-effects of adrenaline and then, as that ebbed away, the power of his sobs. Perhaps if he had been a little older then little Reyes would've bounced back quickly, assailed his spontaneous tutor with his best efforts, but it was not in the cards today.

His eyes were shut against the glare of the sun while his pitchy crying almost drowned out the deep voice of the man - but when he realized they were talking to him again, he tried to stifle his sobs and listen. He sniffled, choking on some phlegm, but by the time Reyes had a handle on his emotions he'd completely missed what Ven had been saying - and rolled to his chest in time to see the burly man retreat.

From that point on, Reyes decided he wouldn't put up with being stomped on even if he grew up to be little — he'd become strong, strong enough to battle the likes of that bear of a man and win. He tucked in to the sand and would remain there a while, glowering at the giant pawprints left behind by the monster, brimming with frustration and the inklings of hate.