Sex: MaleThe moment the question evaporated off his tongue, there was a clear and negative shift in Iopah's demeanor. One ear ticked back while the other remained upright to receive the silence between them, and it did not take much for the beast to realize what had been done. Like a mirror he vividly imagined Kisla before him, her stoic regard of Tokino's death and Kjors' insolance, how unwilling she had been to communicate in any fashion, much less make effort to meet him anywhere along the two-way road. He was in her place now, doling the same unthinking disrespect to Iopah, and a very rare emotion leaked down his spine; regret. That was not the wolf he wanted to be, certainly not the leader that he needed to be, and after Iopah's forthcoming honesty, she had deserved a return equal to the trust she'd extended to him.
The mask fell away, a soft grimace sliding onto his muzzle as he pulled his hind legs under him, reclining on the spot. Where did this leave them? There were both certainties and grey areas, but most importantly of all:
"I'm not looking to avenge what was done to Lugh. It angers me, but just 'cause it was him. If I'd been walking in your pawprints, I would've torn into him too. 'n even when he was around, even when Minka wanted war, he didn't want anyone more getting hurt over it all. Makes no sense for me to hold onto something that even the man who was harmed didn't seek, y'know?"
He couldn't know if the ground loss with Iopah due to his coldness could be regained or not, but he continued on anyways, hoping to mend what he'd so swiftly just broken. Even if it didn't earn back that sincerity she'd just shown him, she deserved answers as well. In the back of his mind was a nagging that perhaps Raela would not approve of what was coming out of his mouth, but he could not heed such thoughts.
"My subordinates, the ones who knew him, I don't see them lookin' kindly at you no matter what your reasoning is. But as far as family to family goes, the bad blood left with Lugh, and I won't let my pack fall to archaic grudges. Far as I'm concerned, you haven't wronged us."