>>148973926
>His eyes lost focus, his ears flattened, and his tail lashed behind him. Growling low in his throat, he sunk deeper into a primal mindset—less Ronnie the sarcastic student, more Dalmatian instinct, more feral protector dealing with an invader.
>“RONNIE!” Coach Roma’s voice thundered across the field. “LET GO! THAT’S ENOUGH—BOTH OF YOU!”
>But Ronnie didn’t move. His whole body shook with tension.
>And then… it came.
>The faint, coppery taste of blood hit his tongue.
>It wasn’t a lot. But it was enough.
>His eyes widened. His jaw released.
>He pulled back, suddenly aware of himself again—panting, shaking, horrified. Norm stumbled back, clutching his arm, blood oozing through his sleeve.
>The whole field had gone silent.
>Ronnie stared.
>He couldn’t speak. Couldn’t think. Just stared at the red streak across Norm’s arm—and the small smear of it still on his own teeth.
>The others watched in stunned silence. Willow looked pale. Gwendolyn covered her mouth. Aya sat bolt upright now, fully awake, blinking in disbelief.
>The teachers rushed in. Coach Roma and Coach Alan went to Norm immediately, unrolling a med kit and assessing the damage.
>Mrs. Mavis walked straight to Ronnie, her eyes narrow and unreadable.
>He stood frozen, breath shallow, staring at his own shaking hands.
>“I—I didn’t mean to—” he started.
>But before he could finish, Mrs. Mavis placed a hand under his chin and tilted his face up. She looked straight at his mouth, at the bloodied teeth.
>And froze.
>Something in her expression cracked. Her eyes widened slightly. Her lips parted just a bit, and her pupils narrowed—not in anger, but in memory. Her breathing picked up, sharp and shallow. Her paw gripped Ronnie’s chin a little too tightly, then pulled back.
>She stepped away. One step. Then another.
>Willow saw her hands tremble. Sweat beaded at her forehead.