Doomed from the Get-Go

His initial attack had not been entirely successful, but it had made enough contact to put space between the purple brute and his young child. That was all Artorias had hoped to accomplish and he had done so, now forming a barrier of muscle and fangs between the would-be predator and his daughter. The boy bristled, growled, leveled his tail, gave every sign of refusing to back down, which was the wrong move to make. The dire brute elevated his tail, fangs fully bared in a vicious snarl that asserted dominance and commanded submission from the whelp. Artorias did not want to harm a youngling, but he would have no qualms about cutting the stranger to the quick if he tried to challenge him when it came to protecting his family. With the moment of pause where the two males squared off against one another, Artorias was able to assess the threat in his entirety. The boy—most definitely a boy by the youthful look about him—was notably younger than him, likely either about to be a yearling or freshly turned adolescent. Far too young to be engaging in this sort of sordid behavior with a pup half his age. His scent wasn’t blended with others, suggesting he was a lone wolf. He was also quite large, heavy set with developing muscle, but not quite as tall as the sapphire and obsidian wolf was. If it came to violence, it would be more of a bloodbath than a skirmish.

Artorias could hear Briar comforting Talyssa behind him, only vaguely paying attention to their voices. His focus was entirely on keeping the stranger at bay by any means necessary. The boy began to offer a growled explanation for what had happened, but it seemed he was conveniently leaving out a few important parts. Artorias had no doubt the lad had stepped in to fight the coyotes with Talyssa given the amount of damage caused to the corpses back in the woods, but he severely doubted the boy's intentions were purely altruistic when he had saved his daughter. The lecherous look that had been on the adolescent's face when they'd arrived had already told the Aegis all he needed to know. He did not see a hero standing before him; he saw an opportunistic hunter looking for easy prey, a degenerate monster that lusted for raping and degrading women. The stranger reminded him far too much of the other monster he had put down to keep his family safe. He thought he'd seen the end of fiends like Oxx when he slew the demon, but as he glowered at the stranger in front of him, Artorias saw the same kind of monster again.

Another snarl rumbled in the dire brute's throat, his fur bristling and hackles raising higher. Flaming amber eyes burned into the piercing two-toned gaze of the younger brute, scrutinizing everything he said. "And so you decided that entitled you to her innocence? Or were you leering at her like some toy for you to use because you enjoy skulking around the edges of my pack looking for trouble?" Artorias snapped back, accusations harsh and venomous with keen suspicion. "The only reason you're still alive is because you aided her. This is all the mercy I will show you after the way you eyed her up on the beach and again here. She's a child for gods' sake!" Yeah, Artorias had seen the way the boy had looked at her then too, and now again in the aftermath of the slaughter. He would not thank this wolf for the part he played today. It was clear to him what kind of man this wolf was going to become and he would not permit his degeneracy to infect his family. There would not be another Oxx so long as he lived.

From behind him, Art caught the soft whisper of Taly saying something to Briar, but he couldn't make out the words over the pair of growls emanating from both brutes. Talyssa's presence was the one thing keeping Artorias in check. He would not engage in direct violence in front of his child without provocation or reason, but he was not about to give the pervert a pass on making aggressive sexual advances towards his very underage daughter. Holding his ground between the stranger and his mate and pup, Artorias lifted his head in a show of dominance and strength, staring down the boy. The sapphire brute was giving no misconception that he very much an alpha taking charge, and this whelp was threatening his wolves. "Who do you think you are, boy? You’re lucky I don’t tear your balls off right now." The alpha’s words were snarled through clenched teeth, practically daring the young man to try his luck with him with a snide answer.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"