who do you think?

[Fire]

Slow decay, I won't stop fighting yet

Obviously, avoiding his best friend wasn't an ideal situation to be in, especially when they were so dependent on each other at the moment. Well, Bion felt as though he was depending on Taya at least, which was part of the reason he'd had to stay away. The most dangerous place they could be was together. It was suspicious. The Falling Moons would use it against them, he knew that much. At the moment, they were all each other had, and he wasn't about to let them use that. After having a little time to consider their problems, he'd decided that there was no point doing this half heartedly. Caden was half-deranged and close to death, and Bion was already in more danger than he'd ever been in his life. This was the kind of situation that demanded taking risks.

The biggest problem was Taya's safety. If this failed, it would be on her as well. He had to hope that it didn't. And he knew that it wasn't fair, not to even give her the option to leave now, but even that would look suspicious. It would look staged; planned. They had to stick here, both of them.

Bion padded carefully to the top of the cliff, perching himself as near to the edge as he dared to be. At this height, the wind was fiercely cold, and even with his winter coat it made him shudder. He squinted against it, looking out over the lands but seeing mostly a flurry of snow. He could remember vividly meeting Esmerelda on his first Winter outing alone. It seemed like a different life. Standing here, on the cliff, with a hardened heart and the kind of self-loathing that cuts to the bone, Bion knew he could never go back. There was an odd twinge of nostalgia that he felt for his past self; for the carefree pup who loved to make others happy. What happened to him?

Life, he supposed.

Breathing in deeply, Bion readied himself for what was to come. Everything was about to become even more interesting. Interesting, or dangerous. Was this ridiculous? A little. Tilting his head back, he released a deep, resounding howl over the Moon lands. It was intended for one wolf to answer, but for all to hear. It was a challenge; a threat.

Justyn

Who do you think that is there?
I came to fight
I am in the air

[[Midnight]]

Recently, Justyn had been keeping to himself on most occaisions. There was only one wolf who could approach him and get a friendly greeting; otherwise, all others were mostly ignored. The likely reason for this was his recent bombshell from Rose, his best friend. She'd betrayed him and somehow he'd hurt her, too. None of it had made sense because everything had been grossly misunderstood by both parties. First she came to him to tell him that she was given commands to become mates with him and manipulate him while she took control of the pack. This was a shock, but mainly just unexpeced. He might've let himself be used, anyway, because he felt he was just that devoted to her. What hurt worse was the next phase of their conversation, about how the idea sickened her, how she preferred to be alone, about what she expected from Justyn - to be a better Beta and serve her in that manner.

Needless to say, he was confused now. The only thing he knew was that Rose was hurt enough to tell him not to come around anymore, and meanwhile the only one who'd never pushed him away was Fallon. On the contrary, thanks to Rose's rejection, he and Fallon were closer than they'd ever been before. He'd been holding himself back with her, thinking that Rose might someday need him, but now he was set free from that. It hurt, but Justyn was used to these kinds of pains. He was used to being unecessary in the lives of others.

He had tried taking Rose's advice to heart, though. He lived with this pack but wasn't really part of it. He didn't have any desire to draw closer to anyone. Things were about to change, though. Duke would die in the near future. When Duke died, Justyn felt that much of his hatred would die with the old wolf. Maybe it wouldn't hurt too much to start acting like a Beta who cared.

He'd started with the pups, since he found he had more enjoyment with them. They listened, obeyed. They took interest in him as well. Several of them admired him, he knew. One in particular was following him around whenever she could. Truthfully it made him uncomfortable. He was starting to feel that she wanted more from him than he would ever be willing to give.

"I think I'm better at fighting than my siblings," Binah was exclaiming as she padded alongside her brawny companion. Her fur had really grown out and she looked like a full grown adult now. Even Justyn had to admit that she was beautiful. He'd been teaching her how to fight, but lately he'd noticed that she was getting a bit more prissy about it. If she rolled in too much filth, she had to take regular grooming breaks. She also enjoyed bragging at any moment, but more so in silent ways, like brushing her tail along his jaw when she walked by. Frankly, Justyn had yet to decide if he hated Binah, or was amused by her in a condescending way.

Right now, Justyn was feeling restless as he did a little hunting in the mountains. He wanted to get back to Fallon and see how she was; she hadn't been feeling well lately. But he didn't want to return without food. He was feeling more and more protective of her and even his manners had instinctively improved. Only with her, though.

Hunting was proving difficult with Binah's constant chatter. Her attitude started the moment he'd told her he wanted to hunt for Fallon. She grew loud and impatient, and it was starting to piss him off. As if she could read his thoughts, she suddenly pressed her side against his and nuzzled under his chin. He growled at her and changed his direction.

"Touch me again and I'll bite you," he snarled at her nastily. "Why are you following me if you aren't interested in hunting?"

He stopped to turn around and look at her. Binah had the most mischevious smile on her maw that made him squirm. She must've been able to tell because the smile turned into a humored grin.

She'd opened her muzzle to respond when the echoes of a howl rang across the territory. It was a very pointed howl that took the attention of both wolves immediately. Binah frowned and looked at Justyn's face with sudden seriousness. His face was solemn.

"Good grief, it's about time someone saved me from your irritating company," he said with gruffness as he started padding northbound, towards the Moonhowler cliffside. Binah said nothing and watched him walking away, her face generally emotionless apart from the curiousity in her eyes.

It was obvious what that howl was meant to say, but Binah was impressed that Justyn seemed able to completely shrug it off and head towards it without any rush to his step. Before the black-pelted male was out of sight in the brambled, a grin had spread once agian across her cream face. That was why she admired Justyn.

Minutes later, Justyn was standing near the top of the cliff, staring at the shape of the wolf who had called out to him. The winter wind was fierce and elegantly whipping at his fur while he stood motionless, his face void of expression.

"It's cold outside for whelps, Bion. You should go back in the dens and suckle more at your mothers belly."

His voice was stern but there was a hidden smile in it as well. He stared Bion down, looking completely unphased, but what was really running through his mind were questions.

Why him, of all wolves? Does he want to fight? What am I going to do?

Is this Rose's idea of retribution?

[Fire]

In the minutes before Justyn's arrival, Bion found himself more anxious than he might otherwise be. He hadn't eaten a decent meal for a while, much like Taya, because the Moons seemed to take the hierarchy a lot more seriously than the Stars, and being an Omega here meant going hungry the majority of the time. That being said, Bion had realised that there was very little that he missed about being with his old pack. They were better company, sure, but now that he'd betrayed them and found out that his family were all Falling Moons, he didn't think they'd want him back anyway. The worst thing was that he'd probably doomed Taya to this life as well, but he'd try his best to get her out after all of this was over. Just because he was staying didn't mean that his best friend had to as well. She deserved so much more than this pack, and Bion would never forgive himself for what he'd done to her.

As the Beta wolf came into sight, Bion noticed that they were both quite a lot alike in terms of build and colouring. He couldn't help but be glad that the similarities ended there. Justyn's expression was fathomless, and Bion tried not to let this phase him. He didn't fear Justyn any more.

Bion snorted at the remark. "I'm not the one who trails Rose around like a lost pup, Justyn." He had to hold back a sigh because this felt so childish, and when he thought of his mother he felt confused. Now was the time for a clear head, so he pushed Rose out of his thoughts completely. He'd find out what he'd done to deserve her hostility later. "I didn't call you here for us to bicker. I called you to challenge you." Bion let his head loll to one side slightly before finishing his sentence, watching Justyn's expression intently. "For the position of Beta."

Honestly, Bion half-expected Justyn to laugh at him if it weren't for the fact that Justyn seemed incapable of laughter most of the time. Bion almost felt sorry for him.

[[Midnight]]

Bion wasn't the only one who was lost in a moment of compare and contrast. Hazel-gold eyes were narrowed while he studied Bion's every movement and every physical attribute. He could see a lot of Raiden in him. How true it was, that these two were similar. Justyn liked to think that he was larger than this rival of his, but he had to tell himself truthfully that he wasn't too sure. For the first time since hearing Bion's threatening howl, Justyn was giving serious thought to this fight and wondering just how evenly matched they were.

He waited with uncharacteristic patience, his head lowered, while Bion took his turn to reply. What the youngster said made his ears twich. He gave a snort and curled his lip in a sneer.

Actually he felt inwardly torn with what to say in return to Bion. His anger conflicted with his natural instinct to protect Rose. But he decided that his worry was inappropriate -- no longer necessary. In the beginning it was a bit of a secret friendship, but after a while it seemed that everyone was used to Justyn and Rose being on friendly terms. Even Duke was to the point of desiring for hot-headed Justyn to mate with his beloved daughter.

His sneer turned into a knowing smile. Just because he was Rose's long lost son didn't mean that she would expect Justyn to pamper him or quietly take disrespectful lip from him. Like hell he would!

"You're a smart boy aren't you? I didn't realize you knew what was going on between your mother and I. I'm surprised you're okay with it." With feigned embarassment he dropped his gaze to the ground and scored a claw across the stone beneath him. He glanced momentarily at the sharpened claw before shifting his devilish stare back to Bion.
"I thought you'd be more bothered by our affair since it hurt your father so much. It broke his heart when he walked in on us in his own den. She took me instead because she decided she loved me more."

All lies, of course. Justyn thought it safe to assume that Bion knew nothing about who he really was or even his age (which was the same as Bion's), so he decided to see if he could play the lie out even further. He found himself more pleasured by it than was probably natural.

"Your father was always jealous of me. I guess I couldn't blame him for it. I was having an affair with her before you were even born. She was different from most wolves, but in the end that's what I couldn't resist... I've always wondered if maybe you're my son instead of Raiden's."

He paused for a long moment and licked at his muzzle as though he just taken a bite of delicious meat. The wind continued to blow and swirl snow into the side of his body, but with his winter coat it didn't bother him much. His smile disappeared and he finally let his hackles bristle, all traces of his humored facade gone. He wasn't happy that he was about to fight a bloody battle - at least not like he might have been once upon a time, when he'd done nothing much but live for fighting. He was starting to see though that he had no choice but to defend himself. Bion was clearly set on challenging him and Justyn knew that, even if he believed this sudden crazy story and was upset by it, he would not likely back down. He had challenged Justyn and to turn away now would be more embarassing than losing this challenge.

"One last chance, Bion. You can walk away without any wounds and I may or may not make a big deal out of this. Because let's be honest: how the hell do you plan on being a Beta in this sorry pack? Despite your lovely heritage, I don't see you being the 'Caden-torturing' type. After all, you were raised by fluffy kittypusses over there in the Stars. You actually think chivalry is going to work with your grandfather? You don't even know how he treats his own pups, nonethless a little whelp like you who spent his life licking his own pampered, starry ass like a cat."
But if you want to have a go with Daddy," he finished finally, taking a pawstep foward and showing his fangs, "...then have at me, son."

[Paint]

Nestled a little way off in a cozy alcove of the Mountain Range was Rose, surveying the land before her mapped with white and spattered with green and grey. Her long, thick pelt fitted perfectly with this weather, and she always enjoyed the lack of dirt that came with snow. She could travel as much as she wanted and have not a speck of mud upon her. What she didn't like, however, was the trail that snow left behind. Rose was particular, and liked to choose her company. To have pawprints leading away and her scent clinging to them irritated her. This is how she had ended up snuggled in a half-den dug out of the mountainside, watching the snow fill up the pawprints she'd left, until she was once again untraceable.

When her long lost son's howl rose up nearby Rose's ears flicked forwards. It was an urgent, aggressive sort of howl, and from the sound of it it was for Justyn. At the thought of him her heart sputtered painfully. She'd been left so hurt by Justyn at their last meeting, and much as she'd assessed the conversation from her clear memory she could not understand what he wanted from her. Nor, it seemed, what she wanted from him. She had left him with the idea that it was his turn to approach her if he felt any remorse, which he had not. She did not make herself easy to find, she knew this, but it had never been a problem for the Beta before. Coolly Rose stood and shifted forwards, allowing the cold to bite at her nose again as she peered over to Moonhowler Cliff. What her eyes showed her was very clear; even from a little afar the body language of both wolves was hostile. She tried to listen but her acute hearing would not work from that far. She waited a moment before deciding that it could only be one thing; he son was challenging her... She paused in her thoughts, a rarity. She no longer knew what Justyn was to her. A scorned lover?

In cold thought and even colder heart Rose set forth into a run. If this was to happen then it would do no good to have only her witness- she knew that either wolf would be capable of lies to get their place. No, if they were to fight it out then she planned on watching. And her father needed to know as well. So an audience they would have.

Rose did not often run, but when she did it became apparent that it was also a strength for her. Although slightly less graceful in the snow, Rose knew that this was what her breed was made for. She felt as if she could outrun a cougar if she dared to race one as she flew down the mountains howling just once for her father. His howl rang back nearby and she changed direction like a rabbit from the predator's jaws, soaring through the winter wasteland until she came to her father. She slowed and stopped before him, chest heaving after her sprint, and took him in.

Duke was old, it was apparent now. Certain fringes of his fur were losing their colour, giving way to whitish grey, but nothing about age seemed to be changing his size. He was still the largest wolf Rose thought she'd ever encountered, and as he stood she felt a rush of affection for her father. He had been constant amongst all of this change. He stared at her with their identical dark eyes and his customary frown was accompanied by a nod.

"Bion's howl?"
"He's challenged Justyn, from what I can see."

Duke thought about this a little. He wasn't much for thinking ahead, and for consequences, but he was one for survival. He knew that Bion was his grandson, although he felt very little affection for the young wolf, and wondered whether he would be less likely to be challenged by a family member. From his experience, no. Justyn had served him as a Beta wolf all this time without much trouble. It seemed, actually, of little consquence to him.

"Come, father."
"You want me to see who wins? Whichever one isn't dead."
"Neither of them will die today," Rose snarled. Duke snarled back. She stared him down.

A moment later they were loping back in the direction of the fight. Rose toyed with the idea of staying back and watching, wondering if her being there would affect the battle. But her pride and manipulative mind wanted to see, mostly, what Justyn would do with her presence. Duke bowled through the snow, pumping his legs, working his lungs, refusing to show any sign of physical exertion. Truthfully there were not many, but enough to wound his pride. When the father and daughter eventually came upon the Cliffside they slowed their pace and entered the scene quietly. Rose once would've stayed behind her father but she approached shoulder-to-shoulder and they stopped to assess the situation, heads raised and bodies still.

[Ashara]

A shiver ran through Laylas spine. It wasn't from the snow covering the ground around her but from the howl that had just pierced the air. She could clearly hear that this was an aggressive howl, there was going to be a fight. She trembled at the though, would one of her pack mates die? Not that any of them liked her or vice versa, her falling moon blood kept her here not her personality. She always wondered what it would be like as a dancing star. She had heard that being gentle was a good thing there, here being cruel was a good thing. Thoughts of leaving often crossed her mind but she had never even tried a combination of fear and loyalty held her here.

The white she-wolf lowered her head burying it in the snow. If she lay down the snow would camouflage her, only her dark nose would show since her fur blended in this the colour of the snow. Pretending she hadn't heard the howl was also an idea but she felt like she was obliged to attend the fight. If she didn't go her pack mates would probably jeer at her for her not enjoying the violence and cruelty like the rest of them would. Fights made Layla fret, even just tiny arguments between wolves she hardly knew. This y the sounds of it would be big.

Layla raised her head and gave it a shake sending snow flying from her coat to the ground. Taking a deep breath to turned to amble towards the cliff the howl had been howled from. She took her time hoping that she would miss the fight or that it wouldn't happen. In her mind she was debating whether she should turn around or not. Something kept her going, not the feeling that she should do it to try fit in with her pack but a slight feeling of curiosity. Yes she was curios over who was fighting. Had someone challenged one of the higher ranking wolves or could it be someone from outside her pack stupid enough to venture onto their lands and issue someone a challenge...?

Layla sped up slightly as curiosity got the better of her. Paw prints flawed what had been a smooth white blanket of snow. She paused to sniff them. Rose and Duke had passed only minutes before her. Could someone be challenging her alpha? She sped up again until she finally reached where the rest of the wolves had gathered.

[Fire]

Admittedly, Justyn's words took Bion by surprise. He'd expected anger, dismissal, amusement even. But this? This caught him off guard. The thing that confused him the most was the way he spoke about Rose. Bion had no idea that they'd recently fallen out, but the way he was speaking about her sounded...wrong, somehow. There was no reason for Bion to believe what he was saying. Why would he lie, though? What kind of advantage would he gain in a fight? Perhaps he wanted Bion to be caught unaware; wanted him to be distracted. Bion couldn't be sure, so he decided not to give Justyn the satisfaction of knowing how confused he was.

"You're wasting your breath, Justyn. Save your energy for the fight." He took a moment to consider the idea that Justyn was his father. The idea was ridiculous, of course, they were about the same age and most likely born the same Spring. It made the thought of Justyn mating with Rose even more repulsive. "I can only hope my mother had more sense than to mate with a psychotic, hot-headed moron like yourself." Bion's worries concerning his mother began to creep in once again, but he refused to let them linger. Rose was not his biggest concern now. All that mattered was ensuring the safety of Taya and Caden.

"I have no misconceptions about Duke, I'm aware that his attitude toward his family is nothing more than indifference. And me? His estranged Dancing Star grandson? Nothing more than embarrassment, I'll bet. I know what I have to prove, Justyn. Maybe Duke needs someone a little less unpredictable to rely on." Truth be told, he was fully aware that Justyn was a better Beta than he would ever be, and it worried Bion a little to see how easily he lied now. He had never been a good liar in his entire life. Lies made him feel dirty and wrong, they made him feel like a coward. But now Bion couldn't feel more like a coward if he tried, so he supposed it made no difference.

At Justyn's last sentence, Bion breathed in deeply, readying himself. It would have made sense for him to be more nervous than he was, but he couldn't make himself feel it. All he felt was void. He couldn't even bring himself to care what happened to himself any more. A small part of him even wondered if it might be better for Justyn to just kill him in the fight, but he couldn't leave Caden, or Taya. He couldn't leave his daughter.

Lowering his head and tensing his muscles, Bion matched Justyn's bared teeth and snarled ferociously. He took a small step forward, then another, slightly to one side, and then charged at Justyn, ears and lips pinned back. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Duke and Rose arriving, and another wolf he didn't have time to identify. He kept his eyes trained on Justyn, not letting himself be distracted, and leaped into the air in an attempt to clamp his jaws around Justyn's shoulder.

[[Midnight]]

The insults Bion tossed back were petty and Justyn tried not to let any of it be a bother to him. Name calling was something he could usually roll over his shoulders, but there was one particular term that his rival used that made him more angry than any other: psychotic. Justyn never had been secure with his state of mind and, secretly, had always held an irrational idea that he would somehow turn into a copy of his diseased father. If there was one great fear that Justyn had, it was losing his mind in that manner. His heart thudded with anger and a twang of insecurity that made him angry with himself, too.

Bion pissed him off.
Like father, like son, I guess, were his thoughts as he felt a cold calmness creep over him. There were no longer doubts in his mind about what he wanted to do. He wanted to sink his teeth into Bion's throat and just throw him off of this cliffside. These thoughts and desires were a clear reminder of the bloodthirsty personality he had been slowly shedding; it had suddenly returned to him and he let himself embrace it.

He had no words to say now. The casual, aloof manner had disappeared to be replaced by a front of absolute hostility. His snarls grew loud and his hackles were fully raised by the time the other wolves had gathered in the background. His eye's did not leave Bion, but Duke's huge shape was easily distinguishable from all others, and Justyn felt his heart race to an even higher tempo. Somehow he felt excited to be fighting Duke's offspring, and having the grandfather himself as a witness.

He saw the white pelt of Rose, too, standing next to Duke, but he had no time to decide what his emotions were about having her as a bystander as well. Bion had already taken the charge, and Justyn felt his mind give all focus to the fight.

Instead of trying to sidestep Bion's leap, Justyn stood his ground and let the wolf take a bite at his shoulder. Bion's weight was incredibly heavy for him but the impact did not manage to knock him off his steady paws. The pain in his shoulder was intense, but he could tolerate pain. To take this direct hit was all part of the plan. His retaliation was quick as he aimed his jaws towards Bion's lower neck, snapping shut with all his strength... Justyn clearly meant business, and wanted this fight over quick and clean.

---

Binah had followed behind Justyn just far enough away for him not to notice her. She was intensely curious to see the outcome of this fight, but more than anything, she wanted to see the Beta's fighting style and how he handled himself. Justyn was one of her heroes; not really for his intelligence, but she loved the way he blew everything off in such a casual manner while meanwhile being, as Bion had just said, unpredictable. He was the only wolf who'd taken an interest in teaching her much of anything, yet he pretended to be so uninterested in others.

She'd listened, with great strain, to everything that passed between Justyn and Bion. All of it made her heart beat with andrenaline and she felt herself grow hot under her fur. What was this nonsense about Justyn being Bion's father and Rose's lover? Rose was her sister and, though she hated to admit it, another one of her role models. She loved Rose's slyness and her way with words. Binah wanted to be just like her - even as beautiful.

Binah's ears burned and she found it fascinating to hear these secrets being exposed. She wasn't sure yet if she believed them or not, but she found no reason for it not to be. She had always felt that her sister was far closer to Justyn than she'd ever let on.

Speaking of the Devil, her ears twitched and she almost jumped with mild surprise as her father and sister padded up to the sidelines, their eyes focused on the scene being played out rather violently now. Binah hated to take her eyes off the fighting just as it was beginning, but her gaze stayed right on Rose as she wondered silently if the white wolf had heard any of the confessions from a few moments ago. From the looks of it, neither of them had. She snuffed and looked to Layla now, her bright eyes full of many scrutinizing thoughts that she kept to herself.

[moki]

Saki lay down in the snow, relaxing her body and mind. She had been running for about half an hour, although she was very good at it and it was one of her main strengths, she got tired easily today. She could feel through her fur that the snow was cold, but it didn't mind her at the moment. She wanted to calm her mind from all of the thoughts she had been thinking about lately. So she just lay there, silently, listening to the sounds around her. As she was just about to drop off, she heard a threatening howl. She wandered who it was who had howled. She thought it sounded like her brother, Bion. Should she go and investigate? Or should she just stay out of it? She thought to herself. She was curious about it, of course, but she didn't want to intrude. But if it was her brother... She didn't want him to get hurt. At last though, she once again began to run. This time to the source of the sound. She followed where she thought it came from as best as she could. It brought her to the top of a cliff.
She noticed that there were already some wolves there. She saw her Mother, Rose. And next to her there was also her grandfather, Duke. As she padded closer to the other wolves, she noticed in the middle of it all, there was Bion. She was right, he had made the howl. Who was that who he had threatened to fight? She realized it was Justyn. Why had her brother challenged the Beta for? Was he in his right mind? She decided that she would stay located behind a rock big enough for her to not actually be seen properly, but she could still see what was happening.

[Paint]

Duke's ears flicked ever so slightly atop his ebony head as he watched the two wolves swap insults and then, finally, settle into battle. Truthfully, Duke didn't care all too much what the result was. He'd like good work from his Beta wolf, as always, but if they came up short, well... He never raised his expectations too high. Duke had always been a strong leader, and had not necessarily needed a Beta. But if it would make them feel better about themselves (well, one of them, anyway) Duke was happy to have a subordinate leading hunts and fighting beside him. So he watched with little in the way of expression, although like the pack he'd raised and was currently being surrounded by, the glint of joyful malice at watching a fight twinkled dangerously in his fathomless eyes.

Rose was not quite so content. Her ears flicked constantly to take in the sounds of the other approaching wolves. Intelligence served a purpose to Rose, namely that she could always see an attack coming. It didn't take her long to establish that there were others nearby, hiding most likely, and her maternal instincts kicked in when she thought she scented Saki somewhere near. Layla she did not know very well because she'd never much cared for her. She thought the female was too soft for this pack, although her curiosity at this fight was a good sign. But aside from these distractions, Rose's heart was in an emotional vice. Her son and Justyn were ripping into each other and as she saw Bion's teeth snap onto Justyn's shoulder she closed her eyes against the pain for just a second. She had always said that if Justyn and Duke were to fight she would not care for the result, and would not intervene. That they could both look after themselves. This, though... this she had not prepared for. She did not know her own son well enough to call the result.

[moki]

Saki wondered if she should show herself or not. She had guessed that her scent had already been smelled. So really, there was no point in her continuing to hide. From where she hid however, she saw Justyn clasp his jaw around Bion's lower neck. As this happened, she winced. She could tell her brother was in pain. Though she wanted to stay hidden, she also wanted her brother to know she was there for him. That's if he still recognized her. She came out of her hiding place and slowly padded to where her mother was standing. As she got near to Rose, she smiled to her, then her expression quickly changed to concern when she saw her brother's neck. Justyn's teeth had gone maybe a little too deep by the looks of it. 'Bion... Why did you get yourself in this mess...?' She thought to herself. She desperately wanted to just run out there and help her brother, but she knew that may be the wrong thing to do. So instead, she just watched, trying to fight the urge to help him.

[Malo]

The call had been heard by most of the pack and Fallon was no exception. She had been sleeping towards the front of their den, well trying to sleep. Her stomach ached and she felt heavier than she ever had in her life. Lately she hadn't been sleeping well, and though she witheld that information from Justyn, she was sure he knew. But it didn't stop her from trying to ease his worries. So it was in this current state that she heard the call that set her nerves on edge and made her fur stand. Someone was challenging...Justyn

She stood up slowly, catching her breath as she felt the rabbit she'd had for breakfast churn dangerously in her bowels. After steadying herself, she set off in the direction of Moonhowler Cliff, praying she got there in time.

It didn't take long to find them. The mountains were covered with signs that quite a few Moons had heard the challenger as well and were probably fighting amongst themselves for the best seats. Finally coming into view, Fallon couldn't help but narrow her eyes in in cold hate. She had missed any commentary that may have taken place, but she didn't need to hear pointless banter from Rose's haughty son Bion.

The last she had seen of the male, she had been ready to go to blows with him. It was only because of Rose that she and Justyn had let his slick comments slide. Had that encounter been part of his plan to challenge the Beta all along? She couldn't quite figure his angle out. What she did know was that her heart dropped as Bion smashed into Justyn's shoulder. She wordlessly moved into a spot where she could lay down and watch the exchange, and only then did she notice the other spectators. A wolf she knew little of named Layla, Caspian and Kohar's sister Binah, Rose's daughter Saki, of course Rose herself who was as composed as always, and Duke, who's expression showed little interest at all except for a small sparkle in his eye. She bowed her head in submission to Duke and gave an unreadable glance at Rose. She wandered what was going through her mind. Putting the thought aside, she settled down, her attention now fixed completely on the situation at hand.

[Fire]

The effect of the adrenaline almost terrified Bion. It had been building in his bloodstream ever since he'd called Justyn to fight, and it made him feel wilder; stronger. He hadn't at all expected Justyn to stand and withstand Bion's attack, but he quickly adjusted to the change and attempted to pin Justyn down after the attack on his shoulder by leaping onto his back. Unfortunately, Bion over-estimated the jump and landed clumsily on the otherside of Justyn, just as he made a savage snap at Bion's throat. The adrenaline in his body made him quick enough to avoid fatal injury, but his reactions were still too slow and a sharp, seething pain shot through his neck. He could feel hot, sticky blood at his neck but forced himself to ignore the wound and focus.

Snarling, he backed away from Justyn a little, keeping his eyes locked on his opponent. If he wanted to win this fight he was going to have to be quicker than Justyn, something that he hadn't thought would be a problem. Without wasting too much time, and sprinted forward again, this time darting to the left at the last minute, and in an attempt to catch Justyn off guard he dodged right again as fast as he could; hoping to collide with Justyn's neck or flank.

Bion could see Rose watching the fight, as well as Duke. He would later come to wonder who she was rooting for, if anyone.

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[[Midnight]]

Justyn was in tune only with Bion's movements, his muscles rigid with expectation as his jaws groped for flesh to rip apart. His youthful enemy had caught his footing with a swift reflex that pulled him up and over Justyn's girth. As Bion swung over him, paws scraping across hiw brown-saddled back, Justyn snarled and swung his head around to follow him. Bion's plan didn't seem to go as expected, however, and Justyn's paws slipped as the black wolf tumbled over him and fell clumsily beside him. His teeth did not make their mark on his neck, but he felt a wild surge of satisfication when he felt his fangs still sear through some soft skin, staining his fangs with Bion's blood.

Panting already, Justyn swung himself around to face Bion again, licking his chops before curling his lips in another ugly sneer. He expected a moment's preperation, thinking that Bion would need a moment to recover from his new wound, but the Beta was caught off guard by the speedy counterattack. He was rushed once again by a dark hulk of muscle that had suddenly gained greater speed than before. As Bion feigned to the right, Justyn flinched to his left, ready to meet Bion head-on, but at the last second, Bion had cut himself short and swiveled the other way. Panicking, Justyn cowered back in an attempt to dodge.

This was a bad move on his part. He was bowled over in the side by Bion, getting the wind knocked out of him as he fell to the ground. He felt teeth latch on to his neck, dangerously close to a fatal bite, and for a moment, all he could do was lay there with a flash of fright in his hazel eyes. He was not ready to die.

Before Bion could reposition his fangs closer to his jugular, Justyn twisted his body around to pull himself away in a risky, foolish retreat that ended up causing a chunk of fur and flesh to rip away in the clutch of Bion's teeth. He stumbled away as blood spurted towards the ground below him. He had no idea how injured he was or if he might be dying, but anger and pride put an extra savageness in his exterior. With a blind fury, he screamed and rushed at Bion with his full strength, paws outstretched in an attempt to score his claws across the male's face.

He wasn't ready to die. He and Fallon shared a wonderful secret between them, and Justyn was looking forward to seeing the Spring. As he charged Bion, feeling the anger boiling over, his will to die fighting was starting to slip away.

Bion would make a terrible Beta. Maybe Duke deserved this. After all, he'd managed to destroyed the one thing kept closest to Justyn's heart.

[/blockquote]