He had been exploring Auster for the better part of the last few weeks, getting to know the area he knew he'd be spending the next two seasons in as much as possible before winter rolled in. It was no surprise that he'd be drawn to yet another volcano; the man seemed to have a magnetic pull toward living mountains. It was his father's soul, he was sure of it.. so the smell of brimstone brought grace to his heavy paws as he waltzed through the valley of vents releasing hot air from the burning earth below.

It was a feeling that hit so close to home it sent shivers up his spine in delight, a visible trot in his gait as he kept his eyes on the ground and his breath coming in through his mouth to protect the senses of his nose. Mmmm, this was perfect. It was like paradise to the jungle wolf, warm even in autumn and clearly dormant for the time being. Not many other animals would wander through here, not unless they followed his trail.. but even then, they'd have to avoid the screaming cracks in the ground. As if on cue, a gust of air billowed from below and he quickly stepped to his right to avoid it with a playful grin spreading quickly across his features. He couldn't wait until he told Eliana.

She had just missed them. The northern pines were empty when she had arrived, the pack scent still there but fading. She had been very disappointed, but luckily for her, she had been able to track the many scents all the way to the southern continent. She had sort of lost the trail upon crossing the bifrost, and the further she went the more awed and distracted she became at the changes of scenery. Where boreas had winter, this land had summer. It was odd, but she wasn't complaining. Better seasons and weather meant better prey. And boreas had been down on its luck with prey as of late.

Where she ended up, however, wasn't exactly on her route. She had more or less diverted away from the trail, some of it becoming lost to her as herds had decided to wander by and dispersed it. She figured it wasn't a total loss, at least she knew they weren't in Boreas.

Moving along, she wandered about this strange land for an hour or so, her nose wrinkling at the scents around her. She did wonder though...if her sister was somewhere around here. Dual toned gaze scanned the area, her ears perked as she searched for something, anything really. And before long, she would spot a large figure some distance away. Without hesitation, she set herself into motion, wanting to approach. "Excuse me! Sorry to bother you, but have you seen a group of wolves cross this way?" She stopped about a yard or so away, peering curiously at the large brute.

He had been playing like a pup, just as he did in his youth in Ruina's volcanic kingdom, with the hot air even if he had known the dangers. He was in a sane set of mind right now, though his fragile psyche could never exactly be described as 'stable'- he was a close as he'd ever get. The golden fur that framed her face and chest was what caught his attention first, forcing him to take a step back from the spitting cracks in the earth as steam rolled through them. He watched her as she approached him, his eyes narrowing with interest as he inspected her and made note of every movement. They way she held herself, the muscle tone beneath her pelt, these were all ingrained into his brain as important and notable features to memorize in his company.

Her thick set of armor appealed to him, and her tall and strong build that almost reminded him of his sister.. just.. fluffier. Her markings were what caught his attention and made his gaze hesitate on their flutter up and down her form, pausing on her maw and cheeks as he admired the brightness of her gold. When he realized he had been staring, he shook his head and lifted his ears to point in their usual, impish way. Inky lips peeled back from the thick of his teeth as he hissed out an answer, "A group of wolves... here?" His ruby gaze left her, searching the plateau around them as he thought, "Why would anyone ever come.. here? I have not seen them, and I am surprised to see you. Who are you?" His voice was low and rumbling, quieter with his last question though the way he stretched his neck out and would attempt to sniff the air around her brought that low key sound much closer to her ears, no matter how quiet.

Whether it was a bad idea or a good idea to have approached this man was unknown to her. She never feared much of anything, and she wasn't going to start now. The Ancora woman watched him, dual toned gaze narrowing ever so slightly as he seemed to...stare at her. Though she would choose to assume it was her imagination that he was looking at her like some juicy piece of prey. He seemed confused maybe, or maybe something else as he questioned why a group of wolves would be around here. Truth be told, she had no clue. For all she knew, her sisters pack could have passed by at some point...but when she thought about it, they would have likely taken a route around this steaming land.

She shrugged a bit, feeling kind of stupid for asking. But it didn't hurt to ask, right? She regarded him, studying him. But it was hard to glean anything from him when they just barely met seconds before. He did seem...awfully curious about her. Especially with the way he nearly seemed to reach closer. She stood her ground, however, alert. "I figured I'd ask anyone I came across. I'm looking for the pack that moved to these parts from the North." She contemplated keeping her name from him...but then that would mean she was afraid. "My name is Odette Ancora. The pack I seek belongs to my sister."

He was incredibly interested in her, much more than he should have been and it was beginning to become too strong of a feeling to keep hidden. He flicked an ear as she spoke her name, having never heard of the Ancoras. He had no idea who her sister was, either.

He was still in a bit of a playful mood and perhaps that played it's part in his next line of thinking; something about her strong and solid build just made him want to find out how much it could take. Something about the thickness of her coat made him curious as to how hard he'd have to bite to reach her skin. These were dreadfully impolite thoughts, and for a moment his ears lowered as he scolded himself. No, he shouldn't be thinking those things.. but.. this one wasn't fragile like the other woman he'd met. Perhaps.. maybe she'd be interested in a tussle?

His solid state of mind was slipping away from him without him even noticing, altering slowly as he continued to come up with reasons as to why it might be okay to fight with her. If she wanted to, it was okay.. right? He would get hurt, too.. he was sure she had a bite to her. Maybe.. if he got her to bite first?

He couldn't help himself, stepping away from the wide vent in the ground that kept releasing steam; he was fixated on her now, a playful smile spreading across his lips as he took a step toward her. "Tell me, Odette. Why would you think your sister would want you to find her? If she left the North without telling you, she probably did it on purpose." He grinned, thick and yellowed teeth on display as he teased her. "Is.. it because you're fat? I find the extra padding quite appealing, actually. So, maybe it's not that. Maybe you're crazy? Lazy? Whatever the case, I say you leave her behind. Us outcasts really aren't meant for packs."

Her head cocked to the side. This man...her demeanor started to change from bold to...cautious. She didn't know whether or not it had something to do with her surroundings. Or the way this large scarred stranger seemed to be eyeing her. Sure, she'd gotten the attention of many males in her life whether she wanted it or not. But this man...he was giving off a different vibe than usual. She straightened herself, standing as tall as she could. But compared to him, it still wasn't much. Dual toned gaze narrowed when the beast spoke, her ears flattening as her hackles began to prickle.

When he stepped towards her, she issued a low warning growl. Her lips twitching in the beginnings of a snarl. If he didn't get the hint to stay where he was, then he would find that she wouldn't just give him a little warning nip. However, when he spoke...she was somewhat caught off guard. "What?" Her defense seemed to break for a second as mild confusion took hold. Did he...know his sister? Did Avalon intentionally move to keep her from finding them? She shook her head slightly. No. Avalon wouldn't do that! "You don't know my sister." She spoke, her voice grabbing for the control she sought to hold. Hard and firm.

Her tail lashed as the man grinned, muzzle wrinkling further in a snarl as his words fell upon her. She was taken aback by what he said. But more so on the lazy part than the fat part. She knew she was in peak physical condition! She was no lay about, she was a warrior who trained day in and day out dammit! "I'll show you lazy!" She snarled, her fur bristling and her teeth fully bared now. Generally, she didn't lose her composure. But evidently she didn't take being called lazy very well.

Without a second thought, she lunged at the man. Aiming to wrap fangs around his muzzle to not only add more scars to his visage, but to shut him up as well! She didn't like being insulted, and this man seemed to do exactly that. Well, she would show him!

His grin grew wide from ear to ear, inky lips pulled back far enough to show a bit of the red of his gums. He watched her doubt herself and it made is chest swell as he boasted in his confidence of breaking her. She was going to strike, and his tail tip swayed like a preying cat as he waited for it. He watched her as she snarled and grew agitated by his words, causing him a low rumble to form in the depth of his barreled chest. It bubbled up his throat while his skull and neck lowered, releasing to create a rather malevolent and quiet laugh.

His eyes narrowed as his adrenaline soared, his limbs nearly shaking as his heart beat faster in his anticipation. Those rubies widened slightly as he watched her nibble the bait, enticing her by getting inching his face closer to her in hopes that she'd lash out. She moved, and quickly the beast whipped his skull back to avoid the bite-- though, he felt the sting of teeth drag through the tip of his nose just before he managed to retract it from her closing jaws.

He quickly moved to his left, wanting to get out of a head-on challenging position with the woman. His nostrils flared as the Minotaur snorted and shook his head, red muscle between his jaws slithering out to lap at the new blood dripping from the front of his nose. He swept it over the thick of his teeth, staining the front of his smile with a bit of red just before his lips parted wide once again to expose them.

He had no doubt that she would want to keep her teeth guarding the rest of her, to keep them as a barrier between his face and her body. His long limbs moved quickly, squaring out beneath the bulk of his form as they carried him, rushing to bring him further down the woman's right side. His jaw clenched slightly as he eyed her side, a pink froth coating his lips as the blood from his nose mingled with his drooling anticipation. He wanted to sink his teeth into her lovely black and gray shoulder, or possibly even further down to test how much flesh padded her rib-cage. Oh, fuck-- he was dying to know.

He lunged forward, aiming as far back down her right side as he could get.. trying to get himself as parallel with her as possible before his weight anchored into his wide chest. His back legs pushed against the soil quickly, aiming to swing themselves out of range of her teeth and get move him into a position that would turn their parallel stance into more of a 'T'. He was a blur of gray as he struggled to accomplish this. For his height, Elias was lean and had always trained more to tone his mobility than his strength- his father had taught him that his mobility would always be his greatest weakness. Instead of bulking up like his father, or even the woman before him, he'd chose to keep his body less weighed down and more agile. That training was put to work as his hips finally caught up behind him and he lunged forward, jaws parting wide as he aimed to take in a good bite of her fur and flesh, aiming to land just behind her shoulder blade in the lower- middle and cause his teeth to make an impact against her ribs.

Dammit! She had almost completely missed her mark! Her fangs barely dragging down his nose and cutting it, though not as much as she would have liked. Her teeth would snap shut with a click. She could taste a bit of blood when she swiped her tongue quickly across her teeth, warm and metallic. She bared her fangs once more, hackles sparking along her back as her anger intensified. The man pulled his head away from her, and Odette's narrowed eyes flashed with irritation. She was at the point of seeing red, refusing ti allow someone to get away with insulting her without a scratch. Granted she had done just that, but it wasn't enough. She wanted to tack another scar onto the man's frame, one way or another!

She didn't take into account, however, that this male was faster and bigger than her. Before she knew it, the sinister male flashed to her right side, her head following though her body didn't move fast enough. She saw the flash of his jaws, her throat releasing a vicious snarl as she sought to deflect his jaws. But she wasn't fast enough. Her jaws couldn't get close enough. He practically snaked his way down her body, the man's towering size combined with his speed overpowering. His body collided with hers, his teeth finding purchase where he had so desired. She felt the stabbing pain, her adrenaline not having fully kicked in to distract her from the stabbing sensation.

She yelped with a mix of surprise and pain, the woman being practically shoved to the ground during his onslaught. She usually wasn't so damn careless! But she had been so focused on finding the whereabouts of her sister, that she hadn't exactly been keeping up with her training. Big mistake on her part. The man's teeth dug further as her body fell away from him, flesh and fur becoming lacerated the more she tried to struggle from his iron grip. "Let me go you bastard!" She snarled at him, fangs once again flashing and snapping towards his face to try and make him let her go.

The fulfilling feeling that came with the sinking of his teeth into the flesh surrounding her rib-cage was indescribable. For a moment, the tall beast closed his eyes as he studied how far his teeth had to reach before they felt the smooth touch of her warm skin. His curiousity wasn't yet sated, and as those teeth pressed into her flesh and let the trickling of blood spill across his lips- he went further. How much flesh until her ribs were in danger? He didn't want to break them... he didn't think so anyway. Did he? No. He fought with himself. This wasn't an attack, it was a test of strength.

He stopped himself from finding her ribs, reluctantly loosening the muscles of his jowls as he focused instead on getting her down and immobile. He wasn't done with his demonstration. That's it, this was a lesson! She shouldn't be so eager to bite off more than she can chew! He brought up his right forelimb to weigh down on her back as he began pushing his weight into her in an attempt to get her down on the ground and on her left side. Once that was accomplished, he'd carefully bring his right paw over to the flesh that he held in the grip of his teeth. He'd release her, but immediately press his weight down into the bite he'd just made with his paw in an attempt to stun her from the pain and keep her down.

His neck turned as his eyes searched for her own, wanting to read what the struggle was doing to her psyche. He'd learned from his sister that most wolves leaked unspeakable emotions from their eyes, so he focused there as he pressed his paw upward and then downward, stretching the bite wound. Would she strike? He chuckled, "Now why did you think that landing a bite might be a good idea? Whatever the reason, it's clear to me now why your sister left. I'm sorry to break it to you if you don't already know, but you're unfortunately very uhm.. well, how can I put this." For a moment, he feigned the desire to candy-coat his words as his eyes fluttered upward while he sought out the proper term. "Dumb and lazy. You have so much potential here girl, and you're just letting it go to waste. What are you even doing with your life?"

He laughed, thoroughly amused with himself before he released his paw from her and took a few steps back. He was still toying, he couldn't help it at this point. "I'll give you a mulligan, come on now. Let's try this again."

A snarl ripped from her throat as the man sought to continue hurting her. She winced with the pain, the woman holding back a whine as his teeth dug further into her flesh. Were this any other situation, she wouldn't have had a problem. But the fact that she had been completely unprepared for this unexpected encounter, and having been previously focused on finding her sister, she wasn't in the best shape. She fought back still, her legs attempting to brace her body to keep from being pushed to the ground, but his weight was too much for her. Eventually, she reluctantly ended up on the ground. Her left side pressed firmly against the earth, ears flattened as her teeth remained bared. As soon as she felt his jaws relax a little, she was about to attempt to spring up and lash out, that is, until she cried out in surprise when he applied pressure on the wound with his paw. Dual toned gaze squeezed shut. And when she did open them, she found the man's gaze drilling into her own. She stared back with all of the anger and rage in the world, desperately trying to hide the fear and insecurity that was trying to creep up on her. She'd been faced with many an enemy before. But none as crazed as this male. "If you value your life, you better let me g--" Teeth gritted together before she could finish as the man proceeded to worsen her wound. His words fell on flattened ears, though they didn't go unheard. He was wrong! So very wrong! But...why did she suddenly feel like part his words were true? Was the situation playing tricks on her mind? Was the pain clouding her thoughts? She refused to believe she was what he said. She had made it this far with tons of hard work and a fierce determination. She didn't make it this far relying on hand outs, let alone someone else taking care of her! Finally, the pressure was released as the man stepped away from her. She glared at him, watching to see what he would do next. Though as soon as he spoke, she didn't waste any time pulling herself to her feet, tail lashing and hackles spiked along her back as she snarled at him. "You're wrong! You know nothing about me! You're nothing but a coward!" She hissed. Fangs bared, lips pulled back to expose them fully to the gum line. Her wound hurt like hell, especially after the way he toyed with it after the nasty bite...but she wasn't going to take this lying down! She would make him fight. She exploded in a flurry of movement, albeit a little slower from her fresh wound, but she would aim to slam her entire weight into his form regardless. Whether or not she was able to overpower him, she was going to do what she could to make this as hard as she could for him. With that in mind, teeth flashed towards his face as she once again, attempted to hurt him. "Speak"

The sheer amount of hatred behind her eyes as she stood up and barked out her claims made his blood soar through his veins with newfound energy. The way anger seethed from her form and inspired her to try to take the male left something in the air that he found utterly delicious. Through a crooked grin, the male flicked his tongue out past his teeth as a snarl ripped through his throat. He anticipated her attack, his toes digging into the ground beneath him as he practically begged for her to let all of her rage out on him.

When she barreled forward, a sound most wicked bubbled out of him in the form of a low laugh. His inky lips exposed the red of his gums nearly ear to ear, his thick and yellowed teeth clenched tight and yet still not tight enough to hold back the sheer amount of saliva this little interaction was causing him to release. It rolled down the slopes of his fangs and flung from off his chin as he suddenly worked his flexible body to hop to his left and out of reach of her seeking teeth. Knowing that she was mad enough to do as much damage to him as she could inflict was something that the beast inside of him fed on so ravenously he felt nearly starved by all of his past interactions. His heart lied dormant within his chest, no compassion at all beating through his veins as his violent desires filled him to the brim.

He was done playing.

She seemed adamant about attacking his face and although a bit of masochism within him yearned to understand just how powerful of a bite her jaws were capable of, he could not allow her to attack his face. He needed his teeth and his sight to overpower her, so as he moved to his left his elbows fell to land upon the ground, his spine bending with his agile muscles as his jaws unhinged. Hellish growls released from the beast's widely barreled chest with his bloodlust as he aimed to lunge upward, to grab her at the bottom of her throat and knock the wind out of her as his jaws clamped around her trachea. If successful, the beast would lift himself up to his full height with enough force that he hoped to lift the heavy woman off of her two front feet. Then, he would kick off the ground with his hinds and throw his body weight into her as he tried his best to get her on her back.

Her weight, strength and sense of determination satisfied something within him that he hadn't experienced before in his life. It was enough to awaken a passion within him, but not a passion typically spawned from admiration. No, this was a bond built on hate and the desire for it. He wanted her to loathe him, he wanted to push her psyche to limits it'd never before experienced. He wanted her to feel as deeply vengeful as he himself was capable of, and he wanted her to grow from it. In his mind, his actions were transforming her into a monster just as chaotic and powerful as he, and oh god was it beautiful.

Transfixed on his new obsession, he could not stop himself. He had to break her, to make her submit in ways she would fear and hate forever. Never again would she allow herself to become so weak, but for now.. she was his fragile little play thing. He undoubtedly expected her to kick and scratch against him, but he would endure as much as it took for him to get into position. He would keep his jaws light enough that he wouldn't kill her, but if she struggled too much he cut off her oxygen once again. He felt his chest against hers as his forelimbs locked on either side of her, leaving his hinds to come up behind her own and cradle her body. If she didn't understand what he was trying to do before, she soon would.

-fade-

Through her continued efforts, she still missed the bastards face. She was hell bent on scarring him for trying to hurt her, but little did she know that she herself would become scarred in more than one form. Her lunge had missed, the male disappearing from her sight in a matter of seconds. Before she could even come to a skidding halt, she heard the most demonic sound before she suddenly felt intense pressure at her throat. If she hadn't stopped in her tracks seconds before, she was definitely stopped now.

Her front paws began to lift off the ground from the force of his attack and weight, the woman staggering in surprise and pain, hind legs nearly buckling beneath her as she struggled to keep herself up. She gasped for air, his jaws tightening around her throat and making her struggles work against her. Before she knew it, she was on her back. She desperately tried to kick and scratch his underside, strangled whines barely slipping past her lips as she tried to fight against him. She felt a mixture of fear, hatred, pain, desperation...she was going to die today, wasn't she? He was going to strangle her...he was going to drag her into the abyss that she had been so far from. And she was powerless. For once in her life, she had picked the wrong fight. He was too big, too heavy, his thirst for blood overpowering. She waited for her world to go black and still.

But then he did something else. The realization took several moments to set in, but when she felt him begin to straddle her, she tried to kick more. This could not happen to her! Not this way! Was this what he had wanted? Or was he just trying to scare her? Eyes that began to glaze with the lack of oxygen widened suddenly when she felt him. Her body grew still as she struggled to breathe. He wasn't just trying to scare her...he was trying to ruin her..and succeeding.

It was at this moment, she truly wished she was dead.

-fade to black-