Just because their family all but prohibited displays of emotion, didn't mean that they were also barred from mocking it. Her nephew had always been particularly sarcastic about it all, and he certainly was now. His words caused her taught lips to slacken just a bit into an irritated frown; creases still wrinkling the russet bridge of her nose. Pathetic. That familiar insult made Raela flinch slightly, though she tried to hide it. Of course he wouldn't have made this easy and just tramped off; that would have surprised her a great deal. Still, she had hoped. 

His showmanship began to melt away and he pinned himself to her gaze between the pine needles. His orange eyes were so fierce, but they were nothing compared to the roaring fire the orbs would become when he found out her little secret. The standard Asurn monologue was cut short by a sudden breeze. The traitorous air betrayed everything, and as the shock painted itself across the man's face, Raela faltered. She knew what was coming, it shone in her stare. The mother-to-be bared her teeth again, although this time there was fear in her growl and wide yellow eyes. She shrunk back from his infuriated roar, feeling the hard stone at her back. 

There was a terrible deja vu to the whole display. If she had been out in the open, Raela was certain he would have attacked without a single syllable more. He did come forward, lunging and snapping his strong jaws at the boughs of the sheltering pine where she cowered. An instinctive, habitual whine bubbled in her throat like a rock but she held it down. She was not his subordinate now, they were equals, at least in status, whether he saw it or not. Eirian hurled the insult at her with a voice that might as well have been a bite. Her jaws parted in a louder defensive growl as he fumed and took a step closer, her mind swimming with fright and anger. 

You're the only abomination here, her mind snarled. She wouldn't voice it, partly out of fear that it would make him test the small bit of protection she did have. Branches wouldn't stop any wolf, let alone this one, from attacking if they really really wanted to. The main thing was the fact that there was no way around her jaws as long as she remained here, and she could tell that Eirian was weighing that risk behind his flaming glare. Her stomach twisted and sank at the thought of what he'd do given the chance. Her and Gent's puppies were in true and real danger now. 

"I'm no slut," she yelled back indignantly, though more quietly than he had. "My mate is an Alpha, and so am I!" While it would do little to soothe his disgust, at the very least perhaps the best would be interested in the latter statement. After the words had fled her throat she paused, suddenly recognizing the fact. Her eyes were pinned to his face for a reaction, and the tiniest most shriveled speck of hope that there would be any kind of acknowledgment of that feat appeared in her chest. It was all a wash to him now that she had bred with a mutt, but still. Raela Asurn was a leader, and maybe, at the very least he would laugh instead of ripping her face off and eating her children.