"There's no rest for the wicked, Sheriff." "Please. I'm a Don if anything." The words came out with a soft chuckle in response.

The boys were at it again, it seemed. It was the price he paid, of course, for picking out the lush, bountiful woodlands of Tall Trees to plant the seeds of his blossoming pack, and one that was worth the investment. Should they keep this territory secure, they had easy access to water, shelter, and all sorts of game that wandered the forest. But others bore no respect for this ambition and were set on intervening in any way they could. In came dusk, and with it the glorious night, coating the land in a veil of shadow that Maximilian favored to the blinding light and blistering heat that came with it. But with the promise of night came more entities to disturb the pack, more intruders that were not so willing to respect the borders of Burning Creek. He anticipated it wholeheartedly, and he felt his powerful comrade did the same.

His gaze, truly brown now in the place of the light honey-like color they would appear as in the sunlight, fell upon the warrior beside him who was quick to detect the possibility of intrusion. A scent flooded his nostrils, then another. Fang was right - they were not alone, but he couldn't tell just yet if they were outnumbered. "Shit, and I thought the neighborhood was friendly," he mused sarcastically with a huff. He had about as much experience with being in a pack as the melanistic male before him did; he was used to the nomadic lifestyle of a loner, handling all his issues solo. At least here he had help. At least he could say that. "Like moths to a damn flame, they are." He detected a hint of sadism in the eyes of the warrior, but bore it no second thoughts - not just yet, at least. If it gave him an extra edge in fighting off these pests, so be it.

The Alpha's nicked ears twitched at the crinkling of leaves and the swishing of tall grasses not too far from the pair, and his head snapped in the noise's direction. The scent that he had noticed before only grew more powerful towards the grass, and he felt his muscles tense. As much as he wanted to rest for one full night in his own domain, that was a luxury he couldn't afford just yet. His eyes flicked back to the dark male once more, who seemed intent on striking at any moment. Maximilian took another moment to take in the scents again. There wasn't a swarm of loners coming at once, but there were at least one or two in the area, perhaps three. Nothing we ever had problems with, he thought. Even two to three, the pair's combined strength and tactical prowess were enough to take down their foes, or rather drive them off, as most tended to retreat upon the verge of their demise.

His paws were now firmly planted on the forest floor beneath him, but he made no push onward. That was reserved for Fang, he decided. Perhaps the warrior craved bloodshed a bit more than he did. "Take your shot, Hennigan."

First blood was not his to take, and the male stood back, his light brown gaze flickering between the tall grasses that shimmied with the arrival of more company and the warrior that clashed with their first opponent of the night. He had no doubt in his mind that Fang could handle another round on his own, so he focused entirely now on the snarling beast that made its way through the grasses. Wordlessly the two expressed their desires, leading Max to leap forward, his rippling muscles preparing to be put to good use once more. This challenger, admittedly, seemed powerful enough, but aimless, giving way for the chestnut-colored male to secure a position that permitted him to slam his opponent to the ground. The loner swatted back, eventually lunging forward from the forest floor to sink their fangs into Max's forearm. Gritting his teeth and forcing the shock of pain to disperse as quick as possible, he pushed down again, maneuvering his paws to pin the opponent down.

Beneath him scrambled the loner, who was urgent but not all too accurate in their attacks. A powerful, quick-moving paw came up to the Alpha's face to stun him temporarily, causing the power in his grip to waver for a moment, enough time to receive another blow in his chest upon the loner's escape. Once more did the male push back the sharp sensation to sink his teeth into the enemy's flank, confusing them long enough for him to return the pair back into their former position - forceful, now-unwavering paws on the enemy's chest, his back claws scratching at the loner's stomach.

In this tangle of bloodshed, Maximilian had failed to notice a third trespasser creep into the action until he briefly lifted his head in Fang's direction. This entity came in silence and with much stealth, enough to come close enough to the scene that they could now approach the warrior from behind with ease. He knew that he would be unable to abandon his current opponent - his options were limited until the enemy gave in. "On your six!" he yelled to the melanistic warrior, hoping the direction was enough to guide whatever actions he would next take.