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Illuminated by several small, battery-powered lanterns spaced on the floor, sixteen other humans had circled the opposite side of the listone chamber - to be further away from our entrance.
A few were cooking or perhaps just boiling water to drink, others organizing supplies, and a few simply sitting and talking. All that activity ceased the mont Kyrie lead in front of their line of sight.
I’m even certain so of them stopped breathing, the sharp intakes as good a sign of fear as any.
> I suppose for most, a massive black wolf with lilac eyes would do that. Maybe I really should have changed back. <
"Everyone, this is Kyrie Voss and her... companion. I didn’t get her na, sorry?"
A murmur ran through the group at seeing him just point at ... as Tom seed to realize he’d neglected as only a re beast. Her hand reached back and stroked the boney top of my snout as I held my son.
I’m not exactly offended or going to bite the gesturing hand, so this must be to calm herself down. But why is the cost of leveling off her own mood treating like an emotional support animal?
"I didn’t provide it yet. I’ll leave it to her if she desires to give it."
"R-right."
> Ah. So not upsetting that he didn’t ask before - upset that he is asking now. I’m tempted to shift back just so I could proudly declare my na. I won’t. But I’m very tempted. <
From what I can tell, they’ve adapted it into a campsite well enough. So sort of structure of humanity and routine in the middle of what had been out there. And I’d wager they’ve been here a long ti.
Almost definitely since before the solstice, as I doubt any human made the journey in that terrible weather. I watched as a spry, elderly looking woman moved our way from the group... and her whole figure was familiar at a glance.
"Ms. Voss, were your kind drawn here as well?"
The thrift shop owner who had once sold the round plastic hair ties, which I left behind as a nto. Sarah’s eyes were bright with confidence and vindication while Tom just sighed, exasperated.
"This is my aunt. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think any of us would be here. Claid she was called and dread about this place for weeks before the storm."
"Not just . Ask Mike and the twins. We all felt it."
Her eyes hadn’t particularly found mine, though I doubt she would recognize them with their changes. Let alone assu the woman she t so long ago had been a werewolf all along.
But her reaction to who I am is much less important than what she was suggesting. As far as I know, or have experienced personally... there are only so many influences in this world that could have urged them to co.
The System, perhaps - although it has never given dreams. As soon as I think this, I feel fingernails scratch and I et orange ringed eyes staring at .
"Are you okay?"
It hasn’t given them to , but it certainly has never been quiet about insinuating I have them. With the Tasks that it has kept giving related to her. The kind of ’dreams’ I thought I was over with.
Starting to nudge my son towards her stomach, she catches on quickly and takes him for . Then I focus on the change, feeling all of that mass my new body is made of contract. And I feel hot.
Blazing, searing hot like when I first transford into this large form.
The humidity in the air steams out, as though the link between my Tolerance and myself was forcefully disabled by the minuscule spark of divine energy sohow turning three hundred pounds back into one hundred and...
> Well, I haven’t gotten on a scale since I gave birth. But he wasn’t that big, so probably still... average weight. We’ll say average. <
This shift left on my hands and knees, feeling the emptiness in my mindscape even clearer now. Without Vrika’s aid, things are back to my old normal. No partner in my soul to bounce thoughts against.
Just that old, hollow *normal* of a royal life, without anyone who actually-
Kyrie pulled up quickly with both of her partially transford hands, claws and white fur suddenly under my armpits. She turns and faces the crowd with a hand hovering in front of the pouch and my son, while holding one hand back onto my bare waist.
"A blanket or jacket, please."
A firm order from her mouth while covering from sight. To anyone in the cave who would listen to a request that was *not* one.
Sarah, as energetic as she ever was in her shop, gave an ’okay’ hand signal and flit over back to the group. Soon enough, she ca back with a jacket.
One that made wrinkle my nose from the scent, color, and style. That old, supposedly ugly but very serviceable winter coat that I’d foisted on the holess man. It stands to reason he sold it to her.
Which is what is causing Kyrie to take it from her while looking at it - and - suspiciously. It had been cleaned at least once, it seems, but it wasn’t enough to get rid of my prior usage of it.
"How absurd. Is it a boorang?"
"Hm. That voice. It sounds just a bit familiar... oh, and that dark hair, it is you!"
As I unhurriedly hide my nudity from the group, Sarah - one of the number of humans I liked enough to bother to Annex this last month - gets a bit too excited and closes in too much. My protector growls and pushes back a bit with her hip while waving her claws in front.
"I appreciate the show of force for our sake, but if you’re going to feel so stressed while holding the child, then I will hold him instead."
My hand had reached over and grabbed at that sa slightly aggressive arm by the elbow to stop her from being so rude. But my words and actions only make the two closest to us chatter.
"Child? Tommy did say-"
"Can we please stop calling that? I’m forty seven and asked you when I was fourteen."
"Never. Oh, look! That’s a beautiful little puppy, how old-"
"Wolf-pup, not puppy. It isn’t a dog."
"If you want to complain and be Mr. Always Right, you can go do it in front of the others. They seem to have more of a stomach for you than I do."
Shaking his head, the forr ranger took the opportunity for a tactical retreat. Which is probably the smart move. I have a feeling this woman would have wrestled that bear I shot barehanded if it got on her nerves.
Maybe Kyrie did too, which is why she was so wary...
"Nephews. You show them just a little favor and they get a big ego."
"You brought all of these people here? How exactly did you find this place?"
"Oh, so of them were just camping nearby before the storm. Was already growing a bit chilly and I had a bad feeling. Managed to convince all of them to try a night of sleep in these ever-warm caves. Well, all that are here right now."
With a clear amount of regret in her voice, it seems likely that wild animals were not the only thing made a part of the frozen larder out there. Which of course makes sense... and is the whole reason why my pack roster has remained as closed as possible.
Or why I haven’t tried to ask her what the death toll in the tropolitan area is suspected to be. I’m sure Claire and her computer have ’run the numbers’.
"And I’m plenty old enough to have gone spelunking a ti or five when I was younger and more active. I don’t know all the entrances, but I knew this one - and the trail to get here. Piece of cake."
"...Citra?"
I sigh and turn my face. Because a noise happened the mont that the elderly woman ntioned a kind of food.
"Shut up. I’ve been running for hours. Slled the fresh kill I made but didn’t eat any of it. And have nursed twice since last I ate. Plus there is sothing that slls like ga in here."
"I wasn’t judging. I could also eat. I was asking you what you want to do to solve that problem, Princess."
The way she turned and held my face, looking so serious as she reassures , I can tell she ant it. ant it far too much.
"Oh, we were about to get food going. You’re welco to share the stew. Tommy found an elk outside yesterday and butchered it up before hiding it deep in the snow."
"Does that sound good to you?"
In that tone, I can hear that she would take the charity if offered for my sake. That she would negotiate, if possible, if it weren’t offered for free.
And in her assured eyes, I can even see that she would rob them if those talks broke down and we had no other options. As long as her mate got sothing to eat while they were hungry.
Hugging my son a little, just a *little* tighter, I nod my head affirmatively into her hand while feeling like the blessing is still ssing with my Tolerance. Composure. Just, everything.
> It’s hard to look at her eye to eye now. Human forms blush so easily where wolven ones didn’t.
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