Truth Be Told...{Dom}

A gentle breeze caused the leaves in the trees to rustle, hazel eyes blinking up at them. Ruby's back rested against the base of a large tree, her senses alert for anyone in the Pard. Being on the property of her Raj, the female was fairly certain that no other species would wander over this way, but there was always that chance. She was glad that most of the Pard was off doing something else. It saved her from the strange looks and rude stares that came with being a panwere. She hated some of the guys for it, but she understood why they acted the way they did. At least...she thought she did. Out of everyone, the ones that seemed to truly accept her were Jon and Dom.

A slight smile graced her lips as she thought of the other leopard. He was quite the character. He knew how to have fun and do his job at the same time. That was something she respected. The two of them often messed with each other, but there was nothing more to it. If there was, Ruby knew she wouldn't be complaining. Sure, she liked Dominic, but something kept her at bay. While she could relax around him, she was afraid. Afraid of getting close to him. Her fear was that he would eventually get sick of her and would be like the others who didn't exactly care for her and the tiger within her. It wasn't something she could help, but some didn't seem to understand that.

With a sigh, she stretched out and placed her head against the trunk of the tree once more. She didn't know why she had these feelings. What was worse, was that she didn't know whether to show them or hide them.

It was a nice day, nicer than usual and Dom had found a way to keep himself occupied whilst he waited for his contact to get back in touch. Currently he was outside with some of the younger members of the pard and playing a game of frisbee. Sure it may have seemed childish but it was fun and the teens that had been turned before Jon got there never really had any complaints as it took their minds off their infection. It allowed them to be the stupid teenagers they should have been instead of the pard members they thought they should be. If only they could see that this pard accepted people of all kinds. He was the perfect example of that and he tried to spread the love as much as possible.

Hearing his name the smaller leopard turned in time to see the frisbee fly over his head and over the house. Well, that was a good shot. They would have to play more just so whoever had thrown it could get more used to their strength. Straining his ears he heard it land on the soft grass and whils he would have normally left it, getting another from the huse to replace it, this was their last one until he had time to get some more. Throwing a look at the youths he laughed softly.

"Play tag, i'll go get it."

Seeing the tension ease from the younger pard members at the lack of anger, he waited until they had started their game before making his way around the large house. Coming around the other side he spotted the frisbee soon enough and started making his way over to retrieve it. He was half way there when a familiar scent caught his attention and whilst he had known there was a pard member nearby, he hadn't bothered to check who it was because the feeling was familiar. Turning his head now however he smiled as he spotted their panwere relaxing under a tree. Feeling mischevious he tip-toed his way over, making sure to stay down wind and crouched before pouncing.

"Kitteh attaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!!"

Ruby's eyes were closed as she allowed herself to sink into her memories. She remembered when she first got infected. Gavin had taken her in and treated her like she had always been there. He made everything feel like home. She was sure she wasn't the only one that missed him, but part of her felt like she was the only one that was truly willing to remember. Jon was an excellent Raj, but he was no Gavin. She would always miss the original no matter how much she got used to the new. Gavin always knew what to say and she had yet to determine if Jon would be the same way.

The panwere could sense the members of the Pard on the other side of the house and her ears picked up on their games. She smiled slightly and pulled her senses back. She was glad that they seemed happy. It was important these days. Happiness seemed to be everything. And everything wasn't exactly happy. It may not have been miserable but everything would still take some getting used to. No matter how long Jon was their leader.

She was in her own world when an exclamation pierced the silence. Her eyes snapped open only to see herself getting pounced on. Ruby blinked at him before smiling slightly. "I knew you were trouble," she whispered, her eyes narrowed while the smile on her face seemed to grow. Glancing around she looked back at him, taking notice that he was still on her. "You uh...you mind," she said, her tone somewhat regretable. Of course she wanted him to stay were he was, but she wasn't going to tell him that. After all, she was fairly certain he already knew.

Hearing the whisper Dom allowed himself a small chuckle before moving his head to look up at his victim from his position. She had narrowed her eyes and was looking around warily. Was she afraid that if someone spotted them they would point and laugh? This was a Pard for god sake, touching was a big part of it and right now he wasn't doing anything sexual, neither of them were so there was nothing to be embarrassed about. He was very tempted to stay exactly where he was but being asked to move had actually put a bit of a dampner on his spirits. He wasn't feeling as cheery as usual and there were no pranks popping up in his head to distract him.

Still smiling, a hint of confusion and upset in his eyes, Dom moved off Ruby slowly and took a seat next to her. Placing his hands behind his head he allowed himself to fall back against the grass and relax in the sun for a moment before speaking again. He had waited just to make sure that his voice would sound normal when it came out, hiding the hurt and rejection he was feeling right that moment. The next time he saw Jon, he was getting a hug.

"Sorry, didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. What you doing out here alone anyway? There's plenty of us around the back, why don't you come play frisbee?"

He let the hope fill his eyes and prayed silently that she said yes. The girl needed to integrate more, even if she did have tiger as well as leopard. They were both cats and she was just unlucky that she got the weird tiger strain as well as the awesomeness that was the leopard strain.

Ruby noticed the look and, after Dom moved, an idea popped into her head. She moved over and placed her head on his chest, wrapping an arm around his waist, nuzzling his neck. Breathing in deeply, she inhaled his scent and purred quietly. Until she had met the male, she hadn't exactly been comfortable with all of the other members. She knew that he wouldn't let anyone give her crap and that made her more happy than she even cared to admit.

"Just thinking about the past. I know it's not the best to dwell there, but I can't seem to pull my mind away." She heard his apology and decided to answer things in a backwards order. Smiling up at him, a slight blush covered her cheeks before she even spoke. "Was only uncomfortable because you weren't holding me," she said quietly. Her words were to quiet for a human to hear, but she knew that he could. Her feelings for the clouded leopard ran deeper than friendship and she was scared because she wasn't for sure on how he felt.

Sure, the panwere had suspicions that he liked her, but she didn't know for sure. That hint of doubt was what kept her at bay around him. However, she saw the look in his eyes and a little more of that doubt faded away. She knew it wouldn't completely disappear until she heard the words from him. Until then, that thread of doubt would remain within her mind, making her question every move and each word she said when they were alone.

To say Dom was shocked when Ruby wrapped herself around him and nuzzled his neck was an understatement. He was beyond shocked, not at all expecting the panwere the be comfortable cuddling with him when she had been uncomfortable with him just laying on her after pouncing. Feeling her scent him he smiled softly, not his normal cheeky grin, just a normal genuine smile. Hearing her first set of words, Dom sighed softly and placed a comforting hand on the leopardesses back.

It wasn't good to dwell on the past at all and would do more damage in the long run. He was supposed to be relaxing but somehow his psychology minor had popped up and was running through his head, looking for a way to fix Ruby's problem. The next set of words he heard however made him stop his thinking and start rubbing a small circle on the womans back.

She liked him? or was it that she felt safe? Would she say the same to Jon? Women were confusing. He knew that he liked her but he had been getting mixed signals from the lovely panwere. Sometimes she would act like he was important to her, she would flirt back and sometimes even initiate the flirting but other times well, she was quiet, closed off, guarded, like she didn't want him to see what she was thinking or what she was feeling. It was for those reasons that Dom hadn't asked the red head out. She was always open with Jon and closed off to most of the other Pard members. It made it hard for him to tell where he stood. Some careful questioning was needed.

"Do i make you feel safe? You more secure now? More comforted?"

Squeezing her gently, Dom continued to speak softly.

"You know you can tell me anything right? Absolutely anything in the world."

Ruby's eyes closed as she felt small soothing circles begin on her back. Her breathing was soft as she allowed her body and beasts to relax around him. She found it odd how the only time her tiger was at rest was when she was around Mei or Dominic. Nowhere else did it rest. Save when she was alone. It made sense to relax around Mei, she was a tiger as well. Relaxing around Dom...she could only put that to the fact that she cared for him. And felt that he himself cared for her. She knew that she flipped more than anyone, but with the two cats inside of her, she was rarely sure which way to go.

At his questions, she smiled against him. She was silent for a moment as she picked out the best way to answer him. She didn't want to seem needy, but she didn't want it to be like she didn't need him. Need...That word hadn't entered her head before when it concerned him. It was all just want. Perhaps she did need him. After another moment, she spoke softly.

"Being in your arms makes me feel like nothing can hurt me," she admitted, shifting slightly to look into his eyes. "When I'm around you...leopard and lion are at peace...They're never at peace at the same time. Unless I'm around you." Ruby didn't know if she was telling him too much, but now that she'd begun to open up, part of her was worried that if she stopped, it would never come out. She nodded slightly at his last question before looking at him with a soft smile and serious eyes.

"Can I tell you that I like you? More than I've ever liked anyone?"

Her first answer was common place. All leopards felt safe when they were held by another leopard so it honestly didn't mean much more than Pard unity and safety to Dom. Apparently it meant more than that to Ruby and as she shifted to look at him better, he increased the circles on her back to try and get her to relax. She had been fine until his questioning but part of his job was looking for people who might hurt Jon, he had to know everyone in the Pard well and he was at a loss with Ruby. It was either ask or risk. He'd rather ask.

The second part of her answer actually made him visibly raise his eyebrows until they almost disappeared in to his hairline. It probably looked strange with his smile still in place but he was finding it hard to believe that her Tiger would calm around a leopard. Maybe her animals liked him then, and that was why she was back and forth? Her own feelings against her animals? It was logical but it was also dissolved as a reason when she sort of confessed.

Letting a little smirk cross his features, Dom leaned forwards slightly to whisper against Ruby's lips. From here he could see the startling colour of her eyes and whilst he thought they were beautiful from far away, up close they were utterly breath taking. Swallowing gently he nodded slowly.

"You can tell me that if you want. Can i tell you the same? Though if i do you know the gay members of this pard will be heartbroken. Loosing all hope that their little Dom was gay himself."

Ruby wasn't sure how the male would take her confession. She was hoping that the look she saw in his eyes earlier had been correct. She had taken a risk. Jumped off of the side of a cliff where sharp rocks waited for her to land. She'd begun the dance and it was up to Dominic if they would continue it. She prayed to whomever was listening that they would let her have this happiness. Let her have him. She was happy with him and she wanted to stay that way.

As he moved to whisper against her lips, she froze, her heart stopping in her chest for a brief moment. She didn't know what was going to happen following this action, but she did want to find out. Hearing the words that left his lips, her heart stopped again, her breath hitched in her throat. She offered him a small smile before pressing her lips to his for a moment.

She pulled back slightly and let her eyes sparkle, shifting between human, leopard and tiger. She smiled softly at him before speaking quietly. "Too bad for them," she said, torn between kissing him again or moving from where she was at his side.

Feeling the soft pressure against his lips, Dom gladly kissed the red head back. When she pulled back he had to resist the urge to pout at her. It hadn't been a kiss, it had been a peck and if they were going to do this then by god they were going to do it right. Nodding in agreement that it was too bad for the gay Pard members, Dom's head darted forwards and he caught Ruby in a harder, more passionate kiss. It was nothing overly passionate and certainly nothing they could get arrested for but it was nice.

Pulling back slowly, the small leopard pulled the panwere closer to himself, wrapping both of his arms around her in a possessive gesture. She was his now and although they may not have consumated anything, Ruby needed to know that she was Dom's, no questions asked. Nuzzling her neck he rolled her scent around him before rubbing her cheek in greeting and marking. If they smelled of each other then the rest of the Pard would know the conditions and steer clear of the red head. They wouldn't make trouble for her eaither, knowing Dom would have a lot to say about it.

"I got called back by Tubs....he says Tuesday at four. Can you make that or do we need to re-arrange?"

A small smile came to her lips as he pulled her back for a better kiss. She couldn't say how long she'd been waiting for that moment. She'd dreamt of it time and time again, but not once had she said anything to him. The female was sure that the entire Pard knew the attraction she had towards him. As he pulled back, the smile on her face remained, her eyes opening slowly to look at him.

As she was pulled closer to him, both leopard and lion purred happily. His actions spoke louder than words ever could. They were saying that she now belonged to someone. The female nuzzled into his neck as well, her eyes closing again at the feeling of his cheek against hers. She knew that with him, she was safe. Whether she had been his or not, he made sure of it. The fact that it was now official meant that the Pard members that had been screwing around with her would now leave her alone. Her tiger growled happily at that thought.

She moved slightly to place her head beneath his chin, listening as he spoke. For a few moments she'd forgotten that she had agreed to help get information on the leopard that had shown up. "I'm sure that'll be fine," she said quietly, her eyes closing once more. She remained like that for another moment before an eye peered open, seeing someone look their way before running off again. Smiling again, she closed her eye once more. Whoever it had been could run along and tell everyone what was seen. She didn't care. Human, leopard and tiger were all happy. Happy in the arms of her leopard.

Re-adjusting so that Ruby could fit in his arms and under his chin better, Dom closed his eyes but made sure to keep alert for danger. It was present in the slight tensing of his muscles and the slightly smaller smile on his face but this way he could use his other senses better. He had to face it, sight wasn't very reliable when you were a shifter in a house full of shifters. Someone could be there one minute and then gone the next, besides, hearing was the way most animals first knew they were in danger and Dom figured that he basically shouldn't be any different.

He knew who it was spying on them as soon as they hit the wind. He had heard their less than stealthy approach and bad choice of direction. Adam never would have made that mistake and neither would most of the alpha's in the Pard. It was one of the youngsters, one of the newer members that went by the name of Ace. The kid seriously had a superiority complex and mouthed off at anyone who was lower in the Pard than Jon. In other words, everyone got it in the neck from that kid and that kid had a big mouth.

Sighing softly, Dom pulled the panwere closer to himself and nuzzled the top of her head. Let Ace go and tell everyone, the sooner word got around the better and the less trouble Ruby would have.

"He needs work, a lot of work. Maybe you can teach him how to hunt properly if it's alright with Jon of course. Of course, it would help your confidence too."

Soft sounds of content escaped the female as her body seemed to form to fit Dominic's. She fit beside him perfectly. While she'd lain beside males before, she'd never really 'fit' so-to-speak. She wasn't too fond of the male that had spotted them, then again, she wasn't fond of many of the shifters outside of Dom and Jon. She didn't know why, but that was just how she was. The female knew there were whispers about her. No matter how long she was part of this Pard, she felt like the members would never truly accept her. All because of the tiger in her.

Her body tensed slightly before relaxing as Dom nuzzled her. Once more, her body melted and molded into his. Hearing his words, she bit her lower lip lightly. Her confidence wasn't the highest when she was around the Pard. She'd been insulted for too long. It had destroyed part of her spirit and she didn't know how long she was going to have to deal with it. Sure Jon and Dominic would kick anyone's ass who gave her shit, but for some reason, it wasn't enough. She wanted them to stop. She wanted them to apologize. Whether or not it would happen remained to be seen.

"Yeah...I think fixing his mouth is almost as important as hunting," she said. Hell, if Ace wasn't careful, he would have his ass handed to him by the Alphas if Jon didn't get to him first. Sighing softly, the panwere decided it was time to change the topic. She spoke softly against him. "So...how long have you liked me," she asked, her fingers tracing patterns along his abdomen.

He had to agree with Ruby there. Ace did need to get his mouth sorted out before someone shut it for him permanently. Chances were though that he would realise too late what a loose lip could do and Jon would be on him faster than a bolt of lightning. Sighing softly, Dom sighed in to Ruby's mass of red hair making the smell of her shampoo drift up his nose. Sniffing again he tried to commit the smell to memory, it was so sweet, just like his kitty. It suited her perfectly.

Shivering he felt the light touch on his abdominal muscles that made him twitch inside out. It was amazing what a simple touch from the right person, at the right time, in the right place could do to a person. It was going to be difficult ot have a totally neutral kitten pile now but he was sure they'd work something out. Hearing her question he re-directed his train of thought for a moment to find the answer. How long had it been? Since she got here? That sounded aout right. At first it had just been a lust thing, thinking she was pretty and everything but it had slowly developed over time and he found he liked everything about her.

"That's a tough one, let's see....since you got here i think. I already thought you were pretty and then i got to know you. You know the same question applies to you right?"

Determined to get an answer, he prodded her gently in the side for fun and the squeak he would no doubt here before her answer.

She waited in silence to hear his reply. She'd never been certain on his feelings. It was always guesswork and she was almost positive it was the same way with him. She left a lot of people guessing. Humans, shifters and vampires alike. It wasn't something the panwere tried to do. It just happened and she didn't do anything to stop it. The girl noticed his shiver and smiled once again.

His answer made her eyes sparkle while every part of her had that warm and fuzzy feeling. It was the best. She hadn't thought that this would happen to her. Least of all with Dominic. It was one of of the best things that life had thrown at her so far. Perhaps things were going to start looking up now. That was her hope. If they did, she would be happier than she had been in a long while.

Having the question redirected at her made her motions pause. At that same moment, she felt his fingers at her sides causing her to jump a little while a squeak escaped her lips. Glancing up at Dom, she gave him a mock scowl that turned into a smile within seconds. She had trouble even pretending to be mad at him. "Well...I would say once I realized you weren't all prankster. After I saw that there was more to you than that. I'd say that's when," she said softly. Yes, Ruby remembered all the pranks that Dom pulled. She didn't care for him much at that time, finding his acts immature. However, as she got to know him she realized they weren't done out of immaturity. They were done to give everyone a break from being so serious all the time.

Dom laughed softly at the squeak that was drawn from Ruby's lips. He knew she was ticklish and had made her squeak in surprise before now but this time was different. Where usually she would scowl at him for days afterwards, now her scowl turned in to a smile within seconds. It was good to know she wasn't mad and he traced her face with his chocolate eyes as she answered softly.

He supposed that it had taken her a while to see past the pranks, just like everyone else. The only person that had seen through his mischevious side so far was the Raj himself. If he hadn't had good reason for the pranks, Dominic was sure that his leader would have punished him in some way or another by now. It was just logic. He briefly wondered how long it had actually taken Ruby to see the pranks for what they really were and he bumped his forehead against the womans in an affectionate gesture.

"That must have taken you a while. What? Two? Three years? An awful long time to leave a guy hanging. I knew at first though you thought i was annoying."

A rather evil grin crossed over his face as he decided to let her in on a secret that he hadn't told anyone.

"I overheard you talking to Jon about me. You saw me as, and i quote, an immature, pig headed, short male that couldn't be a body guard if his life depended on it."

She smiled again as his forehead bumped against her own. Ruby moved a little bit so she could see him better. His eyes drew her in as she found she could get lost in them. She always could have. That was the main reason why she avoided looking at him unless he wasn't paying attention. She didn't want to get lost when she wasn't sure he was going to find her. Now however, she knew. She knew that as soon as she got lost, he would come for her. He would find her and bring her back.

"I'd say it took maybe a year and a half." His next words caused her to narrow her eyes. She thought about denying it, but decided that doing such a thing would be pointless. Instead, she sighed slightly and shrugged a little. "I did say that. And at the time I thought it was true. Whenever I saw you it seemed like all you did was pull pranks and goof off. I didn't get how you could possibly have what it took to be a bodyguard."

She paused for a moment before speaking again. "However, I got to know you. And as I did I realized there was a lot more than a prankster within you. I realized that there was a man who has more compassion than many I've witness, who would lay his own life on the line to keep those he loves safe...The immaturity faded away like it had never been there. When we met I did think you were cute...Well, maybe cute isn't quite the right word, but...At the time, I didn't give it much thought. Before I knew it, you were always on my mind. What you were doing, where you were, whether or not you were okay...It never stopped," she admitted quietly.

The panwere may have told Jon a lot, but what she just told Dom was something no one but she had known. It was something she didn't want to share with anyone. Now, however, she believed that he deserved to know.

The confession brought a smirk to Dom's face and he had to hold back his laughter. There was also a serious side to it though. Ruby thought he had compassion and a sacrificial tendency, good of the Pard, life on the line, that kind of thing. Personally Dom couldn't see it but so often you couldn't see what was inside unless you were looking from the outside. Smiling softly at Ruby he placed a kiss on her forehead before pulling away and standing up. Brushing the dirt from his blue jeans he held his hands out for her to take and helped her up.

Dominic was protecting her now. Sure he had protected her before but this was a different kind of protection, this was all relationship instead of Pard and Ruby needed to integrate. Keeping hold of her hand the clouded leopard led Ruby over to the frisbee and picked it up before leading her around the back of the house. They were still playing tag with lots of noise and it was time for Ruby to join in. Pushing her forwards gently, he saw that it was Maddy doing the tagging and he gave Ruby an encouraging nod.

"I'm right here, go have some fun for once. As much as i love to watch you sunbathing, i like watching you run around even more."

With the kiss to her forehead, the red head purred and smiled. She was slightly sad that he'd gotten up but took his hands with a smile. His touch made her feel safe and loved. As they walked, the smile didn't fade in the slightest. Even as she saw certain members of the Pard look at the pair and begin to whisper, the smile didn't vanish. At that moment, she felt like there was nothing in the world that could bring her down.

As Dom told her she had to go have fun, she paused and turned to him, a grin on her face. "If I have to have fun you're coming with. It's only fair," she said, tugging him with her. She wasn't going to let him miss the fun. Especially if she was involved in it. The action stopped for a brief moment and Ruby allowed her eyes to wander over everyone, the smile still in place. "We're in," she said, motioning to she and Dom.

Tugging him into the clearing she gave a slight nod for the game to continue. If she had to have fun, Dom had to go with. After all, it was the only way she felt safe with some of the members out here. If Dominic was with her, she wouldn't think about it as much.

Dom grinned and cracked his neck as he wandered in to the field of play. If they wanted to play tag, they could play tag but he seriously doubted he'd get tagged. After all Jon and Adam weren't here and the rest just weren't at their level. Of course they could have gotten better since last time but they wouldn't be good enough. Would be interesting to see how Ruby did though.

"You shift, lose control you're out. One touch the tag transfers and the one tagged becomes the chaser, use all your knowledge Ruby. Let's see how well you do."

With a nod from Dom the game was on. It was Ace that was the chaser and Dom immediately headed for cover. With lightning speed he ducked down a hillock and began his circle of the area. He was heading for high ground, the trees on one of the farther hills were ideal for both him and his leopard. Scaling a tree like it was nothing he turned and kept a track on Ace. So far Ruby had stayed out of reach, good.

Ruby waited in silence to hear the rules. She remembered tag from her childhood. Only thing that had changed was the shifter aspect. Yeah...that definitely hadn't been a factor when she was growing up. The female rolled her shoulders and closed her eyes for a moment, letting her animals become one with her human. Opening her eyes, the three colors, hazel, gold, and blue were melded together. She hadn't broken any rules.

As the game started, she summoned the speed she knew she had and ran, she went the opposite direction of Dom. For a few moments Ace was close on her tail but she pulled up some of her strategies and darted off to the side before running at a diaganal, far away from the chaser. Soon she was crouched behind a bush, looked around, and made her way up a tree. She wasn't in sight. For now.

Dom smiled as he saw Ruby scale a tree and waited until he caught her eye. Once he'd got it he pointed down silently. Ace was at the botom of her tree, she had forgotten to stay down wind from the male and as such he'd picked up her scent. The musky scent of leopard mixed with the strong scent of tiger and apple shampoo. He wanted to see what she would do as he kept an eye on the wind changes. Ace was already starting to climb the tree and the kid may have been arrogant and pig headed but he was fast.

Knowing that he would be seen when the male leopard reached Ruby's branch, he started planning escape routes. Flip front, flip back, swing, tree jump. They were all possibilities but until Ace made a move towards him, he wouldn't decide which one to take. There was no point reacting immaturely after all, it usually ended in defeat. Once this was over and done with though, in roughly two hours when Jon got back, they would eat and then Dom would take Ruby for some strategy lessons. She wasn't bad but she could be better.

Ruby noticed that Ace had been following her. She smirked slightly down at him and, as he neared her, she flipped off of the tree, landing in a crouch upon the ground. She glanced up towards where Ace was in the tree, looking down at her. Giving him a slight wave she took off again, moving at a speed that only a panwere could have. She was gone in a flash, already gone past the tree Dom was perched in.

Her eyes rose to the sky, picking up the subtle shift of the wind. She leapt up and landed on another branch, watching as Ace followed for a bit before turning to a closer target. A triumphant glint was in her eyes. She knew why she was the target. She didn't play often and she wasn't like the rest. Too bad for them, she wasn't just a leopard. However, her speed couldn't stay that fast for too long. It took work to use both beasts at once.

Her eyes looked around to see if the chaser had changed before she smirked to Dom.

Nodding softly, the clouded leopard let Ruby know that he had been proud of her escape but now he had his own problems to deal with. Ace was heading for him and had started to climb the tree. If he flipped forwards to the ground then Ace would just jump on him, if he flipped back then he would still have to pass Ace so he was only left with two options. Moving with speed that only a clouded leopard could posses through the trees, he jumped from one tree to another, digging in to the tree bark with just his fingers. Ace was following but he had no chance in the trees with Dom.

Smiling to himself he flipped on to the ground and ran for open field. He hadn't said anywhere that you couldn't fight back, you just couldn't touch with body parts. Backflipping in to the center of the field he picked up two rather sturdy looking sticks and took a stance, waiting.

Tri-colored eyes had been keeping a close eye on Ace's movements. It was a moment before she actually noticed that he was getting towards Dom. Her eyes rose to watch what the clouded leopard was going to do. As he leapt through the trees, Ruby just barely managed to keep Dom in her sights. As he moved and disappeared, she frowned a little and made a leap to a nearby tree, her eyes seeking her leopard once more. As he came into her view, she watched him, noticing Ace get closer.

As Dominic picked up two sticks, her head cocked a bit, unsure as to what he was planning to do. She watched closely, alert for others on the ground. A small smile came to her lips, waiting to see her leopard in action.