Their eyes followed the fish's trajectory as if time itself had slowed.
Then...
Slap!
The fish smacked squarely into Maxwell's face.
Instinctively, Maxwell swiped back. His paw sent the unfortunate fish flying out of the river and straight toward Alpha Hue's feet, where it landed with a frantic flop.
Silence fell over the riverbank.
Everyone stared at the fish flailing on the ground… then slowly looked back at the two massive wolves.
Zion and Maxwell locked eyes with each other.
For the first time since the fight began, neither of them moved.
The sudden, awkward silence lingered in the air.
Just moments ago, both Maxwell and Zion had been drowning in aggression, their emotions stretched taut to the breaking point, but the fish's untimely appearance shattered that tension completely. The rage that had fueled them faltered, leaving neither of them quite sure how to continue.
They stared at each other for a heartbeat longer.
Then Zion looked away.
