Ouroboros Spine xlvvi. ringing in my head, when you broke my chest

He was not upset when she stiffened, but sighed deeply when she unnecessarily tucked the children closer to her, as though she expected him to rip one away from her and end its life because it was different. Simply because it had been a custom when he had been growing up, did not mean he would continue on with his pack's tradition.

"Calm yourself," He sighed, but the effort was futile, and his wife raised her hackles and growled at him. Stiff-legged, standing over the children as though she faced a child-stealing coyote. He remained still, and deeply unimpressed. Inviting tension like this, while standing over the children? The mark of an inexperienced mother.

She hissed more direction at him, and an open threat which caused him to exhale a slow, dark sigh. Perhaps it was simply her hormones that were making her this irrational. He'd tolerate it for now but if this behavior persisted, he would not be interested in having children with such an unreasonable creature again.

"Wife. Do not invite a storm into the den where our children are sleeping at your feet. And do not cast me as the devil without understanding first that I have reasons for my suggestion, that are just as much about protecting our child as yours." He said. He wanted to scold her but she seemed too wound up for that. He did not like that she chose to face off against him with their children at her feet. It enticed him to want to throw her aside and chase her from the den so she could cool off, away from the babies...But that wouldn't have helped either. She was cornered- and a cornered animal would fight to the death to protect its children.

"You must understand that where I grew up, our family would have been ostracized for this. Our mateship nullified and breeding rights revoked. And the child would have been taken and mercy-killed." He said. "These are not the ways that we have here, and no harm will come to our child at our ulaq. But it exists elsewhere." He stated with a sigh, and sat down, hoping that might cause her to relax a bit.

"Puppies that are different are bullied, and adults are too. Some day, Ink will be all grown up, and will travel, and inevitably, his path will cross with someone who will hurt him for being different. Kill him, maybe; the hate is out there. Trust me." He warned. "So, we raise Ink to be strong. I suggest, we help him begin his life, being raised as a boy, so that he can defend himself better when he grows up, and if he decides...To be different."