For several heartbeats, I watched that half smile of hers in my periphery. Like she isn’t bothered at all that I’ve suddenly lost my voice after she sounded so sure with hers. Luckily, my body is a great ally, with very... impeccable timing.
"Was that your stomach?"
"Yes, I-"
Another whimpering wl joined the chorus of hungry wolves. Not even letting speak the excuse, she actually rolls off of first. And her hand weakly steadied my hip as I twisted and pushed myself up to deal with this.
> Stop looking pleased and just help transform. There is no way I’m letting her see nurse in human form. <
In seconds, my hybrid form scoops up the blind, deaf, perfect lump of needy fur and settles it where it can begin. Then I stalk over to grab the MRE and scarf it down before I have to... clean.
> No, we are not doing that in front of her either. <
Wiping slightly gelatinous stew base from my wolven lips, I move over to the chair from this building that I’ve slept in a few tis and drag it closer with one hand. Arranging so of the blankets, I help her into it as she stares.
I know this is, logically, clearly unusual from her view. But after doing it for two weeks? I kind of want to flick her in the forehead and point to my face. To tell her my eyes are up here.
"May I hold him? When you are done, of course."
The question and follow up made freeze. Half of wanting to fight against the idea, the other half wanting to abdicate those maternal instincts for the look on her face.
Like she is embarrassed she asked - but also doesn’t want to take it back. The woman who just told she loved with much less hesitation!
Either way, I simply walk off to handle other business.
> Sure, I still have a head to shake or nod in answer. But I’m not *ready* to answer. <
The mont I dive into my mindscape, Vrika is rolled on its stomach with its tail wagging. Pawing and kicking at the air with an equally sized white wolf plush on top of it.
Honestly, this was not sothing I wanted to see, so I left imdiately. Who knew one’s own soul could be such a hostile environnt? Well, I suppose I already did know that, but that’s beside the point.
Part of expected she would call out, asking for to return. Or to apologize for making uncomfortable. But she’s almost so quiet that it bothers , and her little waves when I pop my head around the corner of stacked furniture to make sure she is doing okay...
Are infuriating.
It makes mix the oatal in hot water extra quickly. Stir in a *copious* amount of peanut butter and honey. And stomp over and put it in her lap with a spoon before retreating again because my son is almost done and squirming to go.
> Yes, I’ll be glad when he can do it himself. No, I won’t know if I’ll be sad and miss it until it’s at that point. Look, just nibble on your *toy* and stop making feel like a mother of three! <
⧖ ☾ ❄ ☽ ⧖
Strolling back through later to find she had eaten every bit of it, a small pit in my heart fills itself in. I had no idea what I would do if she couldn’t eat anything I had on hand. Or if my behavior was worsening her situation.
"For the record, I think you are insane."
My imdiate response to what she told is ant to hide the new holes perforating my chest. The reason she knew where to find , the reason she knew what the others were up to...
Kyrie just described to a piece of technology Lunarizon had been working on but had yet to test in the field. A subdermal, ’bone conduction’ transceiver placed on a tiny section of the skull that did not particularly *move* when werewolves transforming.
"I’ve heard worse from those I respect. Besides, I’m not the one who faced down our Lunar Goddess to protect this one."
I want to take exception to that deity being called *ours* - but considering she blessed and this body stemd from her creations, I have a feeling I am stuck with that very connection.
When Mira returned, she apparently rembered fragnts despite what had been promised. Along with my ability to harm the avatar, which I thought might just be because of the blessing... I think the Solar God was not the only one weakening.
Regardless, Claire has been feeding information to her when the connection is stable. As much as I like her, I don’t think I would let that assistant live right ’in my brain’ in this way.
> Hm. She’s already been all through my phone and basically right there all along? No, but there’s a difference sowhere there. I just can’t put my finger on it. <
"I’m not leaving without you. Either of you."
The quiet certainty in her voice made turn back to her. I’d handed her my sleeping son in ’exchange’ for her telling more about what happened. How she got here.
And then I hovered around them, prepared to take it back and slam my arm down her throat if necessary. But now, she isn’t even looking at .
She’s just stared and gently pet around every inch of velvet fur in her arm with her index and thumb. I’m almost not even wary any longer, just... kind of jealous?
"Kyrie, I don’t know. If I should go back or not."
"I’ve prepared for this, Citra. For the apocalypse, for you, for the child. The tower has supplies, defenses, and I remodeled the guest room into a nursery after-"
"After I left? Because it was sure still normal when I was there. That’s... did I already tell you you were insane? Because I wish I had a better word for it!"
She had the grace to look up at , slightly embarrassed. Yet the words she speaks tell she isn’t learning anything from my cobacks! Just staying in her own bits of delusion.
"Admittedly most of it is no good for a... beast. I know you said that’s the right term, but I can’t help but feel like I’m insulting your perfect son."
"You’re unbelievable."
"Thank you. You’re complinting a lot today. I’m kind of worried that I never woke up in the snow out there, now. That this has all been a nice dream."
Despite the fatal twist of humor, a small laugh escaped . Kyrie’s face softened at the sound, looking directly at for the first ti in many minutes.
That steadfast refusal to give up broke for a small mont... and I saw the vulnerability I’ve seen a few tis in her before.
"When you disappeared from the city that morning, I felt like I’d done sothing wrong. Part of thought I deserved it. That I hadn’t held on tight enough. Or that everything I thought I understood about you were just fabrications of my own desires."
Those words shake the thin, trap hiding cloth over much older holes in my heart. The one at fault, the one deserving, the one who didn’t try hard enough. And finally, the one who always misunderstood in the first place.
Steps so similar to what I went through because of Ravi. But when those coverings of dark and depressive nature tear away, I’m not given ti to spiral into them.
"Citra, look..."
My son’s eyes were slowly, tentatively opening. Before I knew it I kneeled and pressed my face close. Watching the deep, slate blue of a newborn canid’s unpignted and undeveloped eyes crack open.
> Traitor, why is it looking away from my scent and up towards her! <
Flopping onto my rear and crossing my arms, I refuse to push Kyrie even more out of the way just to be the ’first’ one the little bastard looks at. I’m sure it has nothing to do with that tender look on her face.
"He’s beautiful. I wonder if they’ll be as gray as yours? Here, I think he just woke up because it wasn’t you holding him... take him back."
As carefully as a fragile glass object, she hands him off. I looked down at my son... still unnad because I’d found it hard to decide on my own.
He quickly shut those eyes and began sleeping peacefully in my arms. Proving the woman who had nearly died to find us was right about that. Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing.
To let her think she can be right about other things.
"One week."
"Hm?"
"We’ll co to the tower with you for one week. After you can travel."
> Then, I’ll decide again. Staying, going, or maybe just what I want people to think of when they hear this child’s na in the future.
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