He was only a few months old, perhaps, but even Maluki knew that the alphess's decisions were the final word when it came to both he and his pack. She was his grandmother who had power over his parents both because of their blood relations and due to her place as pack matriarch; it never crossed the pup's mind that his jealousy for his brother would be something Ceres might address with Acid and Colibri. Maluki did not know the ways of manipulation, of laying vague lines to direct those around him to act; he would not learn such things for a very long time, when it was finally and when it would be his turn to do so, he would never take advantage of it. Maluki was good at heart, of course, no matter what might happen to him in life. Asking him to admit it then, however, might have been too much. The pup would have puffed up his chest and declared himself ruthless before he ever admitted to being a good boy.
Maluki made a deliberately stubborn face at her words about Akeni. She didn't live with his sister, she wouldn't know! His ears flipped back and he remained quiet, however, pouting at the soil instead. He didn't have permission to wander off alone, he knew, and his grandmother was quick to point it out. "No, Gramma," he drawled, pushing at the sand with a toe. She drew in close, hanging her shadow over him; the Tears boy sunk into his shoulders, preparing for a proper scolding, when an open-ended invitation arose instead. Ears perking, he gaped up at her with wide eyes. As realization struck, a grin spread across his youthful face and his tag began to wag: "R-Really? I can come?!" He jumped to his feet and was running circles around her in no time, eager to walk the grounds with the alphess he admired so.
When they began to walk, the pup set to work "protecting" her from the fireflies and crickets he came across, the pup bounding from one place to another with limitless energy. He calmed enough to stop and watch her, grinning, then perked his ears once more. Why was she out so late, anyway? "Grammy, is it hard to lead a pack?"
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