<blockquote>As his gaze fell to the form of the wolf beneath the berry patch, he was hard pressed not to turn about in a circle and look for the extra limb that must have been hanging from his body. Clearly he would have seen it as this point in his life, cemented as it was to his forehead.
In truth, Mateo was not used to such looks. Or rather, he was not used to those who made such looks apparant. He had been taught subtlety at a young act. Some called called it manipulation, deceite even; he called it having some tact. If there was an enormously pregnant wolf within your vacinity, you looked subtlely from the corner of your eyes, observing what caught your interest when it was apparant they were not looking. It took their feelings under consideration and didn’t make them the black sheep of the moment. Of course, he’d been taught other things else well, like telling them they were pretty when they were ugly. Or acting like you were hunky dory with someone when you really wanted to stab them in the eye. Mateo had selective learning skills. The bits that he hadn’t taken to were buried somewhere in the dirt alongside some more... unpresentable deposits.
His brow rose and his ears flicked backward in mild irritation, though it lasted no longer than the passing thoughts had. Her jowls were already open in a bark by the time he drew himself to a slow halt and gazed at her in a calculating manner from his chosen place, a good ten feet away. His neck was turned towards her, body turned partially towards her as well though still away, compensating for the distance ahead of here position that he had walked. After a few more moments of what might very well have been uncomfortable silence for the female, he was getting ready to comment when something else grabbed his attention.
Another wolf.
Aksel was heading quickly towards them at this point, gait indicitive of one who was intent on reaching their chosen location and with a tail up. Mateo was miffed. It didn’t look as though this fellow had any inclination of stopping until he met them. His fur bristled instantaneously, tail becoming rigid and legs stiff. He turned himself to meet the other so that they would be head on should they collide. His lips lifted as a growl of warning rumbled through his throat, cresendoing into a snarl the closer the male came without slowing his speed. In his volitale reactions, Teo didn’t hesitated. He simply did what had been engrained. He was a hypocrit that way.
Teo taken a few quick steps forward, gaining a small amount of momentum and bouncing off his front paws in a very low jump that should have brought him to the male’s left shoulder by the time he had finally decided to stop. His teeth flashed, lips peeled back as they snapped the air, shutting on nothing with a click. The warning was out there; if the male decided to be any more abrasive in the company of the unknown, it would likely come to a scuffle.
His ears flicked towards the male, who had apparantly wandered off towards the female, Teo’s body giving a small start towards the two. He held himself in check as Aksel began to speek, however, his presence allowing a solid reminder that there wasn’t just two in the company. Teo would step in if need be, whether it was to silence a fool or to offer protection to the female who seemed to use the wall of branches behind her as a <span class='word'>palladium</span>. Lucky her, she now had two. Mateo stood, watching the two in a cool silence, eyes following the form of the male.</blockquote>
(This post was last modified: Apr 16, 2012, 01:43 AM by Mateo.)