The silence on the other end stretched as I argue with my wolf. Long enough that I wonder if the call dropped and make sure the timer is still counting.
She eventually answers in a much more confident tone, though it had an apologeticness to it that I’m not fully sure it needed.
"I’m sorry. I should have thought about that. Especially because Luca reminded me about how much I smelled like you, before I was to meet with others."
"...Oh."
Squeezing the phone, I feel a primal moment of satisfaction at that. One I’ve never really felt... over something I never really thought about before. There was never a particular moment as a fox shifter where I considered myself especially glad over how others smelled.
Well, that’s not true, I did quite love mint. Rolling in wild patches. But I was never really happy if the merchant’s daughter’s I spent time with smelled like mint. It always felt like they were attempting to curry favor.
And while pheromones were still a thing... there is something a bit more pleasant or unpleasant about them in this world compared to mine. I’ve just assumed it has to do with werewolf biology so far?
Especially with how this body is reacting to the thought of her smelling like me. It was almost as good as the sandwich.
"Were you alright? Was it someone who might cause problems for you?"
> And what about you? Damnit, why does she just worry about me immediately... you shut up. I wasn’t asking you, I’m just thinking in my soul! Can she be convinced not to do something? How did he do that? Well, it was definitely not offended. Right? What an interruption... And maybe also buy and trade some other things from the hunter’s app if things are going to continue to be so dangerous for me, even in her territory. <
"The Duskpaw pack has been... making inquiries. About your situation and about what happened with your former mate Jace."
"What kind of inquiries?"
My stomach drops right along with the volume of my voice. It also might have quivered a bit, fearing that she is going to bring what I’ve avoided telling her up. Her tone even hardens when she starts speaking.
"The kind that involved making a demand of me that I’d rather stand my ground on, no matter what."
And she says something like that. Which makes me realize I hadn’t thrown up this morning, actually. Because I kind of what to, just a little bit, right now.