Scents of prey and wolven kind alike flooded the senses as a hunter prowled deep within the shadowed wood. Little else seeming to fill the mind of an accursed than to simply feed, hunt, satisfy that primal urge which bubbled within as more and more pieces of self lay forgotten. Shreds of civility a distance memory succumbing beneath the urge of hunger. Ferality a whisper one had hardly ignored even when clinging to humanity but now those wild thoughts ran rampant. Kept the false prince focused upon a sole purpose.

Taloned digits carved grooves against the earth beneath him. This was long past due for the servings of haunted staff hardly filled the void which burned within. Flesh had not been torn at in savage fury for what felt to be eons, blood had not slaked that undying thirst for violence, for vegeance; and while this would hardly satisfy such cravings it would be a step in the right direction. Sure it would only aggravate the curse, bring it to fester stronger than before, but in these moments he didn’t care.

What mattered was satisfaction.

So there was little need to bother dwelling on anything else as attentions fixated upon the very next sound heard, the unfortunate soul who’s scent dared to cross his path. And without a moments hesitation the behemoth lurched from the brush with jaws agape, attempting to snare hold of whatever flesh he could gain purchase upon. While exactly what lay before him remained a mystery clouded behind lust - it hardly mattered, it had never truly mattered.

The musk, the cologne upon the wind’s carry was what drew Vali’s attention away from his current task. His eyes widened slightly, human chin elevating so that his nostrils could better whiff the air. It was new, unfamiliar, menacing and yet - intriguing. Even still, it unsettled Vali, and he put a large hand on Codrin’s thick neck and gave two sharp and curt consecutive whistles, signaling to his dear friend to run and hide. And so the horse did, turning away with twisting ears and cantered off into the woodwork, in the opposite direction of the foreign scent.

With Codrin safe, he took to transforming. Athletic build of human sinew morphed into bipedal wolven carapace. From olive skin to earth toned fur, from human to werewolf in a matter of minutes, Vali then began searching for the scent owner. It was masculine in nature, triggering his innate responses to feel threatened yet interested. Friend or foe? Alpha or rival? It piqued his primitive interests in such a way that he couldn’t help but seek the creature out.

It didn’t take long, really. But that was because the male - even larger than Vali’s massive self - was on the hunt. A doe had been snagged between the male’s jaws, the vicious beast acting more feral than even Vali. But he made no attempt to hide or be concealed. He stood upright some yards away, pointed ears forward and his bright eyes locked and watching in fascination and curiosity.

He eagerly awaited to see what would unfold from their encounter.