The russet fur bristled erect on the nape of his neck, his stiff posture towering over the young couple. Heath wouldn't stand a chance in a direct fight, one arm or not. Jacquez struggled to rein in his feelings long enough to listen, knowing full well how much Ruri abhorred violence. Heath struggled equally to maintain his polite defense, to defuse the tension. It didn't work. "You have to ask?" the collie-dog snarled in disbelief, features contorted in contempt. "Tu ne m'as pas demandé la permission, tu m'as menti -- à plusieurs reprises! -- tu essayes de l'emmener loin de moi, and you do not even try to tell me, as if it is a secret you can hide from me. Those damn wind chimes and pony tricks are your underhanded methods of seducing an innocent girl." His tail whipped wildly behind him, teeth gnashing in agitation. Why wouldn't the stupid rat just run away already, never to return? He thrust aside the memories of them drinking together, vexed by the realization that Heath really had been hiding his true feelings all along.
"I am a man and I know what men want," he growled simply, fingers flexing in and out of a fist. He was itching to punch, to solve the situation by ending it all. It was rare for him to feel emotions of any sort, and his automatic reflex was anger, always anger. It got things done. It felt good sometimes, but this was not a righteous anger, this was a confused and jealous fury. Ruri's voice, fluttering with panic, cut him deeply - a mistake? He, the king, was making a mistake? How was he in any way the enemy in this situation?
"Ruri, you do not understand! I have sheltered you from the ways of men for a reason, and I'm not about to allow anyone to, to, sully you now! Aren't you happy the way you are? Perhaps the mistake I made was bringing you here in the first place," he snapped, brushing the dark fur from his eyes in a frustrated thrust. Didn't she see how good she had it? An adult now, a beautiful young woman, still as good-hearted and innocent as she had been as an abandoned pup? Without Jacquez's protection, the blind girl would never have been able to feed herself, let alone survive amidst the opportunistic loners. She had to stay the same; where would he be if she left him behind too? His paw trembled, unsure how to react to the powerful passion coursing through him. Everything in his world was falling apart, and the loss of control was devastating. "Why would you do this to us?" he hissed at Heath, grasping desperately for someone to blame other than himself.