Blood In The Water

The red toned stranger slammed her head into his chest. Jarring his teeth as he fought to keep a grip on the back of her head. He kept his weight in his back paws as he lifted his front off the ground, wrapping her in the equivalent of a bear hug. Holding her tightly for a moment, digging his teeth tighter in her fur, and then releasing her, standing back.

He dipped his head lightly, a gesture of appreciation for the bout. It had felt good to warm his muscles in a fight for a little while. He licked his right foreleg, which had begun to trail blood. A tone mostly lost in a landscape accustomed to blood. “You have style,” he complimented her between licks. “I didn’t catch your name?”

"Speech"