One Pro of Being Beta;; Justyn - OPEN

[[Midnight]]

A bone cracked and flesh ripped as Justyn's powerful jaws tore at the body of a lifeless elk calf.
It had just been lying out in the open (as open as this forest gets), cold as ice by the time the Falling Moon Beta had stumbled upon it. It must have been seperated or abandoned by its mother, and couldn't cope with the cold weather and harshness of winter. And so it collapsed into the snow as a free meal.

Blood covered his face and even drizzled down somewhat on his wide chest. He was glad he was getting to eat something alone, and the calf had been freshly untouched as well.
Actually, this winter hadn't been hard for him at all. Food was scarcer but rather easy to catch. All it took was some stealth, wit, and a powerful bite to take a single, sickly deer from a large herd. Not to mention, if you tracked an elk for several miles and kept it's energy draining, it would overheat and give out. Justyn was learning that he was a little smarter than he had given himself credit for.

And it wasn't like being Duke and Myu's single Beta meant that you had to feed the pack before you fed yourself. That was one convieniant thing about being in a pack of honorless pigs.

Another bone crunched as he ripped at the shanks of the elk, proof of the inherited power of his two fathers before him, who were Alphas of the Dancing Stars pack. Ironically, however, Justyn had always hoped he would never much take after his mental case of a father.

His hazel eyes flashed forward as he chewed a tender piece of meat, a sign that he was keeping aware of his surroundings.

[Malo]

Sleek and beautiful against the snowy background, a figure moved closer, her nostrils filled with the scent of death, and a possible meal. She hadn't eaten in awhile now-not that it showed with her thick brown coat. Stepping lightly, she made small indents in the snow, paw prints that showed where she had been, which disgusted her. She hated everyone knowing her business, and the tracks were just another way to follow her messed up path.

Scanning the terrain, she spotted a dark figure ahead, brown, black and big. Underneath the creature were the remains of an elk, and the female could feel her mouth watering. Her stomach growled as motivation to get her ass moving, and she sped her pace up. Coming within earshot of the wolf and his meal, she recognized the scent as their beta male. |Damn. Just what I need, a superior harping down my neck.| Her face dropped, knowing full well that stealing from someone of higher authority would be much harder than just one of the deltas or petty omegas. Her eyes narrowed and she approached with caution before stopping a few feet away.

She could already tell he knew she was there, no one left their guard down in this pack, especially not while eating or being alone. She cleared her throat anyway, but did no more to make an introduction.

[[Midnight]]

He eyed her in the way he eyed everyone - a cold glaze with a small hint of curiosity. Even though he had the pig puppy-dog eyes that had given him a look of innocence in the old days, he had learned that while you lived in Falling Moon, you had to get rid of anything that made you look like... Well, like a pansy. Thus his face was hard as stone as he chewed the tender but thick piece of meat in his jaws.

It took a moment for him to finish and swallow before he could adress the new company. He put two-and-two together and figured she was here looking for a bite to eat, which made him lick his chops while he flashed the female a smug grin.

"Are you hungry?" Justyn asked, keeping a smooth tone and making eye contact.

He stood up off of his haunches, his ears perked atop his head while he shifted his weight very casually. It was obvious he wasn't annoyed with the arival of the female on his lunch break just by the fact that he didn't make any moves to chase her off. Instead he just watched her face expectantly, hoping for an answer to his question.

He didn't know this wolf very well. When it came to Falling Moon, though, was that a good thing or a bad thing? It seemed almost like an impossible theory for the wolves in this pack to ever take the time to really get to know one another by free will.

When you were tough enough to take care of yourself, I suppose you don't feel a need to make allies within your pack.

[Malo]

She looked at this dark male, her face set hard but emotionless. She hadn't bothered to make any friends in this new land, even in her own pack. Dalryx just happened to be an incident she couldn't avoid. Her stomach growled, and she looked from the male to the meat, slightly hopeful. Fallon noticed him look up and stare directly into her own eyes, and her ears perked slightly as his words crept through her ears.

Of course she was hungry, but she didn't want to seem like she was too eager. Weak. She padded closer, and gave him a silent nod, musing whether or not he would actually let her take it. She decided she might as well use her words. Yes, a little. Her voice, which would normally hold a harsh tone and be followed with a cold stare down, didn't seem to be present.

She was starving for one thing, and the weather was disagreeing with her terribly. She hated the cold, the snow, the scarcity of food. It just made her more bitter and intolerable than she was when she actually enjoyed the weather. She had looked away for a moment, and when she turned back, had actually realized he'd grinned at her, and wasn't trying to chase her off. Which was a shock, all things considering.

However, she knew the history behind this male. A newcomer from the Dancing Stars, son of their precious alpha Caerwyn, or as his nickname was-and Fallon had an utter kick out of this-Caer Bear. She was curious to know why someone from such high lineage, from the opposing pack of all people, would want to come to Falling Moon and settle for being a Beta. It made no sense to her, and she couldn't help but feel a slight pang of envy. If things hadn't gone so horribly, the Beta position would be hers after all. As Josiah and Almira's eldest pup, and apparently the only surviving one, she felt it was her right to take her parents' spot. But here was Justyn, holding all her power. Funny how she had found this particular wolf while looking for food.

Looking down at the ground for a moment, she decided it would be safe to sit back on her haunches. However, her green eyes never left the male, and she waited for his next move.

[[Midnight]]

The mood was...strange.

He felt no desire to be a bastard towards this female, the burning agression in the pit of his stomach just not nearly powerful enough today. No need to assert his dominance over her, no need to get in a pointless squabble over food that would fill the stomachs of two wolves easily. Maybe it was because of the chillaxed way she replied to him: her face was harder than stone but she was honest and clearly not looking for a challenge. It was a little bit of a different reaction from what he had expected.

Justyn's hazel eyes stared at her for a long moment, impressing the idea that he was sullenly bored. He let out a frustrated sigh before glancing up at a cloudy sky.

"It really is all the same here, isn't it? A few troubled wolves swarm together to form a pack where everybody hates each other... And it's impossible to walk by a familiar face without giving them a dirty look and a raised lip."
A pink tongue dribbled slobber as it ran across Justyn's thick and bloody jaws. He looked completely uninterested in much of anything now as he watched the pretty female sitting before him. But it was also almost like he wanted to make conversation, just by the one fact alone that he wasn't walking away.

Suddenly Justyn's entire body made a soft landing into the snow below, as his warm and hefty flesh made a personal indent in the snow, like a bed.

"Go ahead, toots, have a bite. I want to do something different today."

He was lying next to the dead calf, looking over at her while still sprawled out on the snow like a lazy bum.

[Malo]

Her green eyes stared back at him, and she made no attempt to move. When the eye contact broke, her ears perked at his words, and she listened intently. ||A few troubled wolves swarm together to form a pack where everybody hates each other...|| She realized all too well he was right. She thought about it. Growing up, she and Denzin had pretty much run everything. Sure it was fun, but she hadn't bullied her sister because she hated her; she just simply found her weak. She wouldn't have fit in with the rest of them, if she was still alive...

She looked back at him, her train of thought interrupted as she heard a soft ploosh in the snow. Here was this large male, her Beta, falling into the snow and prostrating like an idiot. He looked relaxed, comfortable and lazy all at the same time. No one in Falling Moon EVER let their guard down like that. She found it out, and tilted her head with a confused expression across her face.

When he said she could eat, she kept her face straight but inside she was grinning with appreciation. Thank you. She stepped over to the carcass and dug her face into it's stomach. The warm blood and delicious flesh made her mouth water and she quickly ate her fill. Satisfied with a full belly for once, she pulled away, her brown jaws bloody and dripping. She began to delicately lick her face, trying to get the red stains off.

Not that she had anyone to impress. She looked down, seeing she wasn't going to be completely clean, and she gave up. She finished by licking her paws clean and sat down again. Her stomach now was bulging with all the meat, so she looked a tad bigger under all her fur. She caught Justyn looking at her again, and raised a brow. It was so strange not to have someone harping down your neck, or cursing you out, or trying to fight you. She found she actually enjoyed this peace and quiet, and laid down in the snow as well. Rolling onto her back, Fallon looked at the gray sky, not knowing what to say or do next.

[[Midnight]]

He could tell that she was surprised to see Justyn so unconcerned with the whole situation. That made him smile. He liked that he was able to catch a Falling Moon off guard like that.
She wasn't much of conversationist, as was easily guessable. But she was appreciated of the meal that he had so willingly given up...especially one that had come upon him so miraculously, still fresh and warm beneath the cold skin. Wolves weren't scavengers, so this was a catch worth remembering.

Justyn sat up a little bit, leaning on his broad shoulders so that he was still mostly lying in the snow. Then he just sat there for a few moments, staring at the female's pelt as she cleaned it up a bit, his expression unreadable.

Rose really was melting his steel heart, giving him the ability to mold it into something new. Perhaps there was a bright light in the future ahead of him; he would admit that he still had a chance for real happiness. It would be hard to find and would challenge his pride, maybe...

But, still... Something in his life was missing, and he wasn't sure what it was or where he should go to begin looking for it. Maybe Rose would have some sort of idea, but he was afraid to ask her.
Justyn's hazel eyes shot up to Fallon's and his ears perked forward.

"You know my name, right?" he asked her calmly, sitting up once more until now he was on his belly.

[Malo]

Turning her head so that her body followed slightly, she looked at him. Her raised brow looked awkward upside down, but she refused to correct her posture. She wasn't going to lie to him-there was enough of that going around. And to be honest, she wasn't in the mood. Liars got nowhere, she saw that from the example her poor excuse of a mother had made for herself. So she simply looked up at the sky again, and shrugged as best she could in her vulnerable position.

Nope. Not really. I swear I've heard it mentioned, somewhere before. But to be honest, the only thing I know about you is that you are our beta, you came from that sorry excuse for a pack Dancing Stars, and you are one of Caerwyn's surviving pups. Correct? But you're name escapes me; I'm sorry for that. Though I'm pretty sure you don't know mine either.

She knew that much was probably true, and rolled over onto her stomach again. She stood up, shook out some snow from her coat, and then lay back down again, paws crossed and eyes looking at him expectantly for an answer. She had never in her life been this calm with anyone-most of the time she gave snide, sarcastic remarks or was fighting just for the hell of it. Or she was being an arrogant bitch, which she loved to do. The truth was she had never really sat down just to talk to someone-and even when she tried it turned out badly. Just take the reuniting conversation she had had with Almira a few months ago.

A slight wind began to pick up, and she looked away from him, noticing the grey skies looking even more grey than usual. ||Ugh, please God don't let it snow again.|| The last thing she wanted was to be caught in another storm and rushing to try and find a den. How she hated winter.

[[Midnight]]

This almost-stranger knew an awful lot about him - even his family history - and he didn't expect that. Justyn flashed her a look of impression while suddenly wishing he knew her name. It made him look foolish, since she knew basically everything about him 'cept his own name.

"All good calls. Except I have to say I don't much like being associated with Caerwyn's tainted bloodline. But it's sadly true," he growled under his husky breath. He could feel the snow that had stuck to the side of his face was starting to melt into his fur. At he had his winter coat.

"I don't know who are but I feel as if I've been stalked," he said to Fallon with a crooked smile. Despite it being winter and the food was harder to find, Justyn's jowels were still giving the impression of power and his coat was healthy. Perhaps it was his youth that kept this winter easy for him.

Noticing that she had turned her attention to the sky, he frowned and tossed his head up. He saw nothing but gray.
"What's so interesting with the sky? You've looked up there a couple of times now."

[Malo]

Fallon listened as he replied. So she had been right; as always. She was shocked to hear he wasn't too proud of his lineage however-most wolves would have strutted around like they owned the place, if they had come from alpha lines. She thought about it, wondering what status her grandparents had held, but decided it wasn't important. She'd make a legacy for herself, whatever means necessary.

Listening to his joke, she couldn't help but chuckle, and even managed to smirk back at him. Stalked? By me? Why, sweetie no, whatever gave you that idea? She paused to laugh before continuing. But word does get around. Besides, the tone of your coat resembles his. How unfortunate for you, she finished, with a look that seemed as if she almost felt sorry for him. Almost. After all, she did have her own problems, and forever a Falling Moon, she had to put herself first.

Ears perked, she looked at him. This male had been very attentive, noticing her upward glances. her face scrunched up as if she had smelled something rotten, and her eyes narrowed into a glare at the clouds before looking back at him. I hate winter, and snow. It happens to look like it's going to come down again, and I would rather not be in the middle of it. It drives me insane. She snorted, and averted her gaze to the ground. How cold and disgustingly wet. She shook her head, turning to face him with quisitive eyes.

[[Midnight]]

He visibly cringed as she blurted the word 'sweetie' so casually. Ew, gross. It was something he was definately not used to, not even with Rose, currently the only important female in his life. But it was good to be able to relax his tense muscles with such a unique conversation, whether or not he was letting his guard down or he was being called casual petnames.

Justyn smiled in response to her banter but his eyes still spoke louder than words; Me, 'sweetie', and Caerwyn don't mix!

He tried to ignore her hint of apology. It was too mushy of a social emotion for him. If he needed someone to be sorry for him that made him weak. That's how prideful Justyn saw it, anyhow.

"You know what drives me insane? This strange mood I have today."
A gust of wind blasted a ball of snow into his face, and he squinted against it, licking his chops and flattening his ears a bit. "Normally I would have bitten your nose for calling me sweetie! Consider yourself fortunate."

He kept his tone and facial features neutral, so as to let her decide whether or not he was just being a tomfool.

[Malo]

She saw that she had gotten to him, and in a way it was bitter sweet. She normally loved to get under another's skin, but today she wasn't in the mood. How odd. She had noticed the cringe, his body shrinking away and his eyes showed distaste. However, she didn't let it faze her much, and just chuckled heartily as he retorted back. If you had snapped, you would have soon found out you'd bitten off far more than you could chew. However, if you gave me a name we could avoid that little incident again.

Her tone was teasing, lacking the sarcasm and bite that would have normally gone into her words, giving them a threatening, dangerous sound. She sat up now, wrapping her bushy tail around her. Even though it looked like it was going to snow yet again, she could sense something on the way. A new season, meaning new beings and probably more trouble. Spring was on the way, this much she knew. And sadly, that meant pups.

She wasn't much of babysitter, and she would be damned if she had to watch over and take care of Duke and Myu's pups. Now don't get her wrong, she adored her alpha, was inspired by him even. But who he had chosen as a mate? How unbelievably disgusting. She didn't much care for Myu, that much was obvious. Come to think of it, she couldn't think of anyone who did.

Turning her attention back to him, she shook off her coat again, almost instinctively even though the snow hadn't come yet. It had been a strange day so far, with strange wolves and strange circumstances. She was finding it hard to believe.

[[Midnight]]

"Do I seriously have to give you a name?" he asked, watching her with a desbelieving frown. He was lying flat on his belly now, legs stretched out in a straight line before him, but his tail was beginning to curl with the humor bubbling up in his belly.

Justyn stopped talking and pretended to examine Fallon with a critical eye of an Alpha male, perhaps maybe more flirtatiously than he realized - but it did sort of remind him of that first conversation with Rose, where he was trying his best to make her uncomfortable only to fail miserably.
Well, what didn't remind Justyn of Rose these days? Pitiful.

After a few moments of speculative pondering - meanwhile, in the back of his mind, laughing at how she was so confident in her own strength compared to his - his tongue flopped out of his mouth and he smiled a big, sloppy, open-mouthed grin.

"You look like a 'Fawny' to me. Fawnycakes."

[Malo]

ooc: She was talking about him telling her his name. xDD

ic: Fallon looked at him, watching him examine her. She had really wanted him to tell her his name, but obviously he wasn't too bright. She rolled her eyes; this male was something else. She caught the flirtatious look, but remained silent and let him finish. When he did reply, her green eyes widened in disgust, and her mouth and nose were scrunched up as if she'd been sucking on lemons. Fawnycakes?!

She stood, looking at this male who prostrated across the ground in front of her. Fawny? Of all the sick..you couldn't possibly think of anything else? Anything remotely decent? She was tempted to swat him in the back of his head, but figured that would just be instigating a fight. Or for the mood to take a horrid turn down Miserable Lane.

She sat, a dignified yet pouty look on her face. My name is Fallon, not Fawny or Fawnycakes. Call me that again and you'll get a little reminder not to. Anyway, I was referring to you giving me your name. So. Who are you, Mr. Beta?

[[Midnight]]

He looked utterly disappointed and yet pleased at the same time. He didn't realize "give me a name" meant, well, give her HIS name. Embarassing. Well, it wasn't all so bad... At least he got to see her reaction to a petname like "Fawnycakes." Sure did beat "sweetie" by a long shot.

"I'm your Beta and that's all you need to know," he growled, showing a tiny bit of the tips of his fangs in a small lip-curl. But then his tongue drizzled its way out of his mouth again and he smiled good-naturedly. "But if I were to tell you my name, I would say, 'Hi, my name is Justyn, your superior.'"

The he looked away, peering through the trees at nothing in particular.

Suddenly he was getting some more downer thoughts. Maybe he was a little too comfortable with this female. Did he really want to widen out? Did he really want anything more than himself, Rose, and the power of free will? Maybe a little Fawnycakes couldn't hurt...
He turned his head back to his new aqquiantance, face relatively blanker than before but still into the convo.