Three coyotes was pushing Vaken’s comfort level. Backing up slowly, the young wolf offered the female an apologetic grin. Sure, he cared about eating. If they could have kept the meal without confrontation, he would’ve eaten his heart out. He was just tired of fighting the vermin, especially on a hot day, he didn’t have the energy.   “Not really my style,” he admitted, refusing to break eye-contact from the coyotes.

He had been picking fights lately, and getting attacked by coyotes wasn’t a smart move. What if he ran into Laurel again? Pouting his lips, the young wolf kept his head down. He wasn’t embarrassed by his cowardice, running away was what was keeping him alive. He kept his head down because he wasn’t completely sure yet if he was gonna sprint off. Part of him did want to fight, wanted to keep the meal and intimidate the coyotes. He growled, but stopped himself.

Fighting wasn’t a good move on his behalf right now. Giving a soft curse under his breath, the young wolf retreated another few feet. “I better get going.” 
With that, the young wolf sprinted off. There was no nice-to-meet-you, or thanks-for-the-help, Vaken was gone in a blink of an eye. He abandoned the female without a second thought. He knew her legs worked fine and trusted she could make her own decision on whether to stay or run away. He cared about himself the most.