she was not pleased.
Naltagh whispered. angered. the lanzadoii had come unannounced. loud. verbose.
cloud lash was at his side before the sticks hit the ground.
the snap of her approach was not by mistake. no— she wanted the chieftain to hear her coming. to feel it in the dirt. her ears were high, body stiff with the indignation of a woman who saw. saw how he prowled. how he stared. how his presence bled into the soil like something spoiled.
too close.
her crimson eyes cut toward the lanzadoii’s hulking form, and though she did not bare her teeth, the weight of her silence burned. she said nothing.
she shifted, just enough to place herself slightly in front of elk charm's brother, her hip brushing his. protection, yes— but also warning. they were sharadoii, and their women would not be taken as spoils.
not by blood-drinkers. not by sun-cloaked ghosts.