Vesper is by Nat!
(509) Ves sucks at being a hardass. :| Also I guess the posts will be more normal now. xD
The sounds of death and pain filled the small cluster of trees, but Vesper pushed them out of her mind—pushed all sensation out of her mind. She didn’t want to dwell on the bloodbath the coyotes had caused to these poachers, didn’t want to hear the frantic dying gasps of the wolf whose throat Helotes’ had kicked in, didn’t want to hear what they were doing to the dog hybrid’s opponent. She narrowed her world to the tawny wolf pinned beneath her, the deep grooves in her cheeks and the blood matting the fur on her chest. Her own wounds she’d pushed out of her mind.
“Demons,” the she-wolf spat, and the coyote shook her head.
“Horse-owners,” she corrected, tugging her lips back to show sharp, bloodstained teeth. Straddling the wolf’s hips, she leaned forward and grabbed her bottom jaw, squeezing hard. “I don’t want to kill you,” she said sincerely, “but I don’t think I can trust you.” Her claws lashed out to pin the arm not trapped beneath the she-wolf’s back, and she let her voice roughen, narrowing cold blue eyes for effect. “So I guess the best I can do is kill you somewhat quickly.” She blocked the sensations invoked by the woman writhing beneath her, forcing her other arm behind her then grabbing for her throat.
Ves was rewarded by whimpering, pleading, fear in the eyes. She tightened her hold then chanced a look over her shoulder—the she-wolf was too panicked to even struggle—and her gaze rested on the other corpses, as well as one poacher still convulsing. She wondered what Helotes would think, and then she decided she didn’t care. She leaned forward, her small lithe body almost fully pressed to the she-wolf’s, and whispered threats in her ear. She was not proud of what she said. When she was done, she tore off a section of the wolf’s ear for good measure, then stepped off her, watching the woman bolt out of the trees for safety. She didn’t think she’d be back.
Trembling slightly, the Centurion smoothed her mane back and looked at the guys; Helotes looked back at her while Asher had staggered back against a tree, his hands clasped to his reddened muzzle as he stared down at his kill. Vesper avoided looking at the mess then bared her teeth to make her point about letting the she-wolf go before either of them could protest, turning away and walking back out into the open plains.
“Kid,” she snapped, and the collie crept up beside her. She’d gotten her nerves under control, but he was shaking like a leaf. She glanced at him curiously.
“Never killed—like—like that—always from far away, y’know?” Asher stammered.
She forced herself to nod in understanding then turned, putting her hands on her hips as she looked for Helotes. “Thank you,” she said, her sincerity wringing loud in her voice although she still kept her hard expression. “Both of us could have been killed.” She heard wings and added, “Thank you, too.”
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