It was a truly rare thing indeed to see the woman pull herself upright, Tobias hardly oblivious to those subtle changes within his mate, the man entirely capable of feeling the shift in his companion's demeanour as she remained standing, her eye contact unbroken with those aggressors as a purr of satisfaction rose within his own throat. He liked that shift within her. He liked that change, that energy, the feeling of power that turned within her. He knew it existed on some level, the boy aware of it as he was aware of so much more than any truly seemed to realise his own form shifting with that furthered confidence and yet he remained as silent as always, golden eyes merely flicking from one being to another, that energy and adrenaline so entirely...addictive to him, those animalistic instincts pressing upon him and driving his fractured mind even further from whatever shreds of humanity he clung too. He hardly needed to understand those words to understand that challenge being placed. Those jerking motions and taught muscles and too those harsh tones informed him of all he needed to understand. It was rare that any sought to issue any fight challenge to himself or Tetradore save those whom had worked their way up that hierarchy and earned that battle. That delicate balance of dominance a dance Tobias had learned to play despite his inabilities, perhaps, to understand those more complex human situations he so lacked to ability to fathom. The Leopard distinctly sure he was above this other man, the feline becoming all the more protective of tat woman beside him.

He was a possessive creature by nature, dangerously so, the boy taking distinctly displeasure to another man so close to what he deemed his own. That the other man already had his own mate was so seemingly irrelevant, instinct alone only increasing his desire to press back against the man whom had dared to touch him and whose voice irritated him even now. Birdie's hands reaching back to rub beneath his chin so seemed to soothe the feline- if only momentarily. His rumbling growl lessening, those muscles losing their tense hold and seeing his aggression fade into something more...manageable. Raven, perhaps, having diffused that situation entirely with her touch and that subtle return of connection between them. The fractured boy relishing in her touch and scent and those possessive gesture from her in turn that so clearly displayed just where she belonged. The other man however, was far less inclined to lessen his aggression, that chant rising a moment later until all efforts by the curly-haired woman to sooth the Leopard were lost entirely, his fur bristling all over again, his mind seizing onto that sound and energy that he so delighted in and yet was so rarely allowed to act upon. That desire to fight seeming to afflict him from all angles until he could taste it within the air once more. The boy becoming distinctly irate all over again before leaping from that bat, a summoning sound within his throat for Raven alone as he loped towards that ring, the crowd parting in his wake.

That jungle cat leapt effortlessly from the ground and into that ring, tail lashing in agitation. The boy content to take on both assailants. He understood, on some level, that...fear that seemed to afflict his mate in those moments she stood within the ring. The feel of her discomfort so disdainful to him in turn, the boy desiring to.....lessen that sensation in most instances. It was only natural, after all, that he might desire to remove from her the very thing she feared. His instinct to protect her so seeming to dominate all else and as such, here and now, he merely believed she would remain outside that ring. His understanding of her true fears limited. His mind incapable of those deductions. The boy merely doing as he had learned to do to prevent those emotions afflicting her and so keep her outside that ring altogether. Tobias, after all, was a creature of habit. His mind learning to piece together those fractured ideas, understanding what worked and what did not, understanding what action would gain each reaction until he could achieve some level of function that might seem him blend even but slightly with those beings whom surrounded him. Those beings he so desperately desired to be like even if he could not understand just how he was different. The boy doing as nature demanded- shielding his mate. His golden eyes drawn from the woman and towards those changing Were before him.

The moose was unrecognizable to him, Tobias so believing it to be some sort of deer, surely, the boy incapable of understanding 'moose' when such a word did not exist in his vocabulary. The other wolf however, was an animal he knew well. A small target and the one his own attention focused on as she lunged suddenly forward. His own form braced readily, so many years of practice so readying him for that assault before the form of his own companion tore in front of him- colliding with force with that other wolf, a rumble of confusion so falling from his lips before those words echoed within his mind. That resounding conviction and violent assurance only seeming to rile the Leopard all the more- that violent intent rising within him. The joy of the hunt seeing those pupils dilate as the scent of fear and blood permeated the air and pushed the boy forward and towards his mate. Any animal, after all, was surely effected by that which happened around them. Raven's power emanating to him in turn, increasing his own aggression and boldness as he suddenly lunged to join that assault upon the other wolf whom had finally pulled herself for her feet, head lowered, lunging for Ravens chest as Tobias came from behind- jaws parted to seize her back leg and drag the wolfess backwards as she howled and raged, teeth snapping and failing as Tobias near toyed with that victim Raven had drawn blood from. Tobias hardly inclined to mercy or compassion when within such a state, such human traits incapable of permeating that fractured mind and feline bloodlust.

The moose, however, had clearly seen enough of his mate being damaged, the Bull charging a second later to swing its huge, wide horns as it did, aiming to send Raven off her feet entirely, to slice her with those points and force her to back away from his own injured mate before charging at Tobias. The Leopard forced to release his old before dodging to the side, those horns bashing into his shoulder and yet his claws gripped the surface, keeping him upright as he lunged suddenly onto the arena ropes- using them as a lift, catapulting himself upward and onto the moose's back before bringing her teeth down into its shoulders as it bellowed and the other wolfess limped forward, snapping at Tobias' dangling tail

madness, as you know, is like gravity: all it takes is a little push