Redhawk Caldera Reactivity

Caracal may have unwittingly saved his father's life by darting underneath Towhee, tripping up his mother and significantly slowing her momentum. In case she had any notions of stepping over him and continuing her attack, the pup clung fiercely to her foreleg. She could feel the way he quivered and it ratcheted up her fury, though the weight prevented her from lunging forward and ripping out Reyes's throat like she wanted.

She breathed hard as she brought up her free leg to drape over Caracal's trembling back, orange eyes full of fire as she leered at Reyes. In the absence of a physical attack, she went after him with her words. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Towhee bellowed loudly enough for likely all of the Teekon Wilds to overhear. "HE'S A FUCKING BABY, REYES! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

For some inexplicable reason—perhaps because Wraen had been the only thing on her mind for some forty-eight hours—she pictured her friend asking, "How has Reyes grown into the role of a father?" The recollection thrust a spear right through her heart, leaving her with little to do but clutch her little boy and choke.