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Shew really did a lot of writing

That day Saluce had left the shop early once again. Now though it wasn’t out of fear he did this job, more because of a sense of service to the pack. For once he was doing things not for himself but for others, and like any other day now he found it easier to travel along the lands in Secui form. It was truly an impressive form, and seemed fitting for the more wild lands he now inhabited. The twin blades where left at home, for now, if open combat called he’d take up those blades of death and rush into battle. But today wasn’t that day; Saluce had made some headway in designing a gift for Layla. For now he was keeping it a secret from her, and today after some design headway had made his form had slipped off into the wilderness.

Soon his nose caught a threatening scent. Feline, big, male, his nose told him the story he needed to know. The scent itself crossed dahlia borders for awhile, a couple of days old and it was enough of a perceived threat that a deeper investigation was warranted. Dahlia had young pups running around, such a predator roaming in and around their borders was a threat to them. Logically the behemoth continued onward traveling out of pack lands into the neighboring country side. Such an investigation was intriguing as he followed the path for awhile, tracking the feline, before long it brought him at least several miles from his pack land borders. Nose huffed silently as he almost lost the scent before again he picked it back up this time the scent was much newer, very recent some hour or so old. Saluce could almost taste the hunger or he paused a moment ears twitching in thought before re-examining the scent, no it wasn’t hunger he decided, the scent screamed something else. Now though his actions were much more cautious, coming up on a cougar without the element of surprise would be senseless. Finally he recognized the air about it all, the cougar was hunting, and now he delighted in the thought of turning the would be hunter into prey.

Quietly the behemoth stalked along, now his ears stood high above his head, searching like a form of echo location for anything that would give away his quarries location. A rustling of leaves, then a growl alerted him, the cougar was already in the midst of its attack. Something in the back of Saluce’s head told him to hurry, the behemoth hadn’t caught the others scent, mostly because he had followed the cougars, but as he approached silently ears lowered to the back of his head, hackles bristling, lips curling back into a demon like smile, those blues looked upon the poor creature the cat was toying with. Saluce couldn’t let himself be bothered by her injuries at the moment, nor could he afford the luxury of contemplating if she was dead, alive or mortally wounded, or just scratched. The threat was in front of him, the cougar still unaware of the devil behind it.

Such was the way of nature, hunter turned into prey, prey turned to hunter, and the circle of life would spin in its perfect circular harmony. Saluce was the Apex Predator here; no other being so close to his home would ever dare trespass then attack individuals near the border. No this cat had to go, the cougar had committed the cardinal sin, to a future father, mated wolf, and one so pleasantly aware of his bloodlust, this attack challenged everything Saluce stood for and now even as the Cougar paused to consider its next move the behemoth who rivaled it’s since in Halfling form smoothly inched closer. Lips where licked as those deadly fangs bore exposed in a silent growl, practiced footsteps continued, tail held in behind his legs to keep it out of harm’s way. With a quiet laugh the lunge was made. The harbinger of death swooped in, jumping to use his size to weigh down the cat, and render those claws useless, to let his form land then go to work on the cat. It was all rather simple; the cat never even knew he was there.

A weight struck the cat, as he was considering his next move. Before he even knew what was happening its body was weighed down by the mass that had jumped on it. A growl escaped its lip even as it tried uselessly to utilize its weapons. Saluce’s jaws came down on the back of the cat’s neck, iron grip increased by the chosen form, bite force and the strength of his body surging through his natural born weapons. As he latched on, paws raked across its body tearing flesh with his jaws as the pinnacle of his efforts continued at the back of its neck. The struggle lasted awhile; each being unable to give up, the word quit never entering either’s mind. But soon the victor of this fight would be decided. The cougar had begun to lose a lot of blood from the secondary wounds Saluce’s claws had given, and with that weakness building in the lions body, he faltered. Sensing the change and strength being snapped out of his target, his legs dug in as his own neck flexed and began to rock back and forth in a feral shake at the lion’s neck. Blood soon began to pour out of the predator turned prey and as its body fell, the wolf changed positions, those iron jaws, releasing, and body moving quickly and soon they latched back along the bottom of the cat’s neck, near its life force. He could feel the blood surging in violent bursts between his jaws, legs braced, dug in and with the strength of his entire body he gave the cougar one last violent shake before canines inched in, pierced the jugular and the cat cried out in a gurgle of blood. One last outburst finished the fight, with one last swipe the cat reached out and raked Saluce across the front shoulder, claws attempting to dig in. The attack itself was successful, but the injury would be merely just a badge of honor at this point.

Satisfied as the cougar finally stopped moving, death coming to it as its life force spilled out, Saluce almost laughed, almost reveled in the conquest. No such pitiful creature dare come so close without the repercussions of his fangs. No as he stared at the creature her breathing caught his attention, the hell hound moved then, nose and face covered in the cats blood to move to her own face. Saluce nuzzled gently across her maw wondering if she still held some form of consciousness. Saluce had been in this position once, the pack he now guarded had offered him help, and in return he had joined them. Maybe now as he tried to stir her, adrenaline still coursing through his body he pitied her. She was a mix; he had seen them before, not quiet one thing or the other. Was it ignorance or a twinge of almost racism that coursed through him to almost hold her below him he wasn’t sure? If it had been an earlier time he would have left the poor creature to die. Considering it more a disservice to allow them to live, now though as the male looked over her his voice made its way through his grizzled form.

“Madam Wake up. The beast is dying and here you lay, if help is needed it is offered, if you do not want it I shall leave you to make peace with yourself”. Still though, he gave her the choice. The same choice that she wolf warrior gave him. Accept help or die stubbornly in self pity. The choice was hers.

For much of Saluce’s adult life he lived by the sword and would have died by it. Such thoughts seemed foolish to him now, even his not so long ago request to die like a warrior. The male had found within the borders much to live for, to love and felt now a sense of duty. Truly he was quickly becoming much more than just a hired sword now. This she wolf hybrid mix whatever though, as he listened almost disgusted him, she wreaked weakness. Everything she spoke of only made his form inch closer away to leave her to whatever fate the worthless being derived for itself. If he pitied her, if he felt some form of empathy for her he would have given her the warm embrace of death himself, ended her futile struggle. But as those thoughts danced around in his mind, ever thoughtful it occurred to him that she reminded him much of himself. Was it the fact that he now hated his past, and she represented a small reminder of what he once was? Saluce wasn’t sure as cool blue eyes looked over her weakened form.

Her voice spoke with a child like ignorance; of course he had killed the wretched beast. That voice spoke as if she was saddened that he had killed it. Finally he resigned himself to sit down next to her, paternal instincts kicking in forcing him to show some compassion for her. Saluce didn’t speak to her as she rambled off, but his ears perked as she asked for help. The grey behemoth let out an audible sigh as he let a gentle lick across her face reaffirm that he would continue to help her.

“Alright then little one” the grey spoke softly, paws slowly becoming hands as the behemoth slowly shifted into a more suitable form to carry her. Those hands gently ran across her body in a soothing fashion as he looked over wounds carefully. Everything was almost comical, he was a killing machine but instincts, and love had clashed and now even he was not immune to the instinct to nurture.

“it’s okay, I’ll take you to someone who can help you heal. I’ll carry you to my home where my mate can look after you until your strong enough to return to whatever life you live” The voice spoke softly even as she tried to move, no he wouldn’t allow her to try and stand and hurt herself more. Arms moved around her as he stood picking her up to take her for help.

“Just try and be still little one” finally he started walking towards home, a stray once again would be lead into Dahlia whether or not this one stayed was up to her.