Cedarwood Forest curiosity killed the cat and satisfaction brought him back

Ophelia could not say it was relief that she felt. Rather, the pale princess felt an overwhelming satisfaction. While she had done little in terms of bringing down the animal that hard dared attack her brother, she still felt the success of her kin and the rightness that it was dead. It deserved to die. Because it had tried to take her brother from her, and only she was allowed to bully him in such a way.

Her tail wagged pleasantly just over her back and she beamed at her father and @Yvly. It was obvious her father's interference had been the turning point; it was his weight which allowed the moose to be slowed in the first place which then allowed his current partner to take him down. While Ophelia had quite a few feelings of the tawny wolf taking her mother's place in the pack, she tended to like the scout-turned-leader.

As for the other... The pup lifted her chin out of the sniveling female's path. She neither needed nor wanted the comfort of someone so willing to grovel at the paws of others. If she herself felt she was beneath others, then Ophelia would make sure she treated her as such. Instead of allowing Pip to check on her kindly, Ophelia turned to Lily, clearly favoring her over the mute wolf and instantly began to babble in her elder's ear.

"Daddy and Auntie Yvly are pretty cool, huh?" she asked as she trotted towards the massive kill with a pep in her step. While the pup knew to wait for her leaders, she was determined to eat before that quiet girl. Despite her disdain, an ear was tipped back as she listened to her brother praise Pip. Having heard the girl's nickname, Ophelia found she preferred to think of the mute as Squeaks. Maybe Mouse would be a better name. It was a fluke - not bravery - that sent the wolf after their prey. Of that, Ophelia felt certain. But if asked, she would admit to a fair bit of jealousy. Daddy always had kind things to say to Mouse.

Amaryllis was already shaking her head at Veho when he thanked her. "It's my duty to protect the pups and even if it wasn't, I'd feel horrible if I stood by and did nothing." She told him as she stepped out from the trees, as Pip came over to check on them. As she drew near, the greyscaled wolf greeted the small wolf with an affectionate nudge to her muzzle.

"Thank you for your help, you were very brave." The submissive nature hadn't been missed by Amaryllis and she figured the young wolf needed a small pick me up, after all of that. Pip had been the first one to attack after all and that took quite a bit of bravery. Turning back towards the pups, she smiled goodheartedly at Ophelia as the pup turned to her and proclaimed that "Daddy and Auntie Yvly are pretty cool, huh?", which made her chuckle at the girl's excitement as the pup trotted towards the now dead moose.

"Yes, they were pretty cool, and very brave. So was Pip." She agreed, glancing over to Veho and Yvly as she stepped closer to the leaders, her posture lower than the two and now somewhat relaxed instead of on edge. "Thank you, both of you, for coming. I panicked at first and was more worried about getting its attention away from the pups than calling for help." She spoke softly to the two, hoping the others would't overhear and that her leaders would understand. "But looks like we'll have enough food for a feast and to fill the caches somewhat."

The combined weight of her, Veho and Pip was too much for the moose and with an anguished horse bellow it stumbled, knees buckling as it fell to the ground with a loud thump. The tawny female kept her jaw locked on the neck of the moose as it bellowed out its final cry, waiting just a few moments to make sure it would stay down before letting go, flexing her jaw as she did. It had been a while since she had grabbed hold of anything with such a strong jaw grip, but the rush from the hunt was enough to distract her from it. Before she would even think about it it would be gone, and so she turned happily to her co-leader and Pip, tail wagging lethargically as he let out a huff of laughter. "Definitely," she responded with a grin, feeling a rumble of hunger strike at the mention of food. Her dark amber gaze shifted to Pip who seemed to reject Veho's proposal of her taking the first bite with the same quivering fear she had seen in the russet female when they first met. Of course Pip did not have to take the first bite, but her resolve to let them go first was evident when she turned and made her way over to the pups. She glanced briefly at Veho but did not say anything about it, the choice was Pip's, after all.

Yvly looked at Lily as she trotted closer, submission apparent in her posture, and greeted her with a wag of her tail and dip of her slightly blood stained muzzle. "Don't worry about it Lily, we would have done the same in your position. Making sure the pups are safe were the top priority, taking down the moose was just a bonus." Tawny ears flicked forward as she spoke, hoping to ease her companion's doubts and worries. It would have all been for nought if Ophelia or Felix had been injured. Turning back to the moose she stared at it for a few moments before realising that now she was leader she was allowed to have the first bite. She glanced once more at Pip to make sure the russet female had not changed her mind before digging in, letting her worries ease at the pups being safe and the pack having enough food for all of them to have their fill, and then some.

405 words

Had you been there tonight, you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone!

Some things will never change.

Veho watched people away with a small smile, mouth twisted by some degree as the arguable hero of the day opted to join the children instead of take the first bite of the kill, even when offered to her. When Yvly did not take it either, the alpha gave a soft sigh – his duty, then. Best he start to eat, lest the entire prize go to waste because everyone was simply too polite.

Knowing his children were safe seemed to put his mind at ease enough to realize just how much the taste of copper on his tongue had sparked his appetite, stomach growling softly as he hovered near the fallen bull. After a moment, he shifted, tearing into the stomach to select the softest bits, both for himself, and for Felix and Opehlia once they joined. They were the youngest, yes, but there were certain privileges to being the alpha’s children, and the Macieo leader would see that they all benefitted. Even Joan, who had enough sense not to bother rutting moose, would get her fill, even if he had to bring it over to her.

“Come over here,” he rumbled to his children, bobbing his head. “Let us eat as family.”

Exit.