The bird cried out at her comment, and Vesper was startled into a broad, amused smirk as she looked at him. She nodded at Niro’s comment about the hawk being a good hunter. She’d meant no real disrespect toward the creature; there just existed a rivalry in her mind—a beast of tooth and claw and one of wing and talon. It would probably be interesting to work together with one, but she could not imagine a bird like that perched on her back, as she had no luperci arms.
The coywolf blinked and scrambled backwards as the man transformed, his shape condensing and lowering to the ground. Soon a more or less normal white wolf stood in front of her—though he still had that distinct, dark ridge of fur on his head that lent some character to him.
Vesper stared at him for a moment, trying to take in what she’d just seen. It did make her a little more relaxed, but she had never seen a luperci actually shift shape in front of her before. Did it hurt, she wondered? Did he go to such lengths to make her feel comfortable? She could feel her respect rising for this male, even if their meeting had been accidental.
The white wolf explained that Cour des Miracles was open to anyone, and she nodded slightly. “It’s always interesting to see different types of canines working together, though in this day and age, hybrids seem less strange.” She hadn’t been discriminated against for her coyote or wolf blood before—at least, not more than a quick snap and a brief, derogatory word, but those were from older brutes who were looking for an excuse to shoulder her to the side. She’d been a yearling then, scampering around on her own, her ego as inflated as Tobias’.
Niro asked if she’d been in the area long, and she shook her head. “I came from north of these lands. I’ve been here for a month or two, but I’m still trying to get used to it all…especially knowing which packs to watch out for.” She still wasn’t sure if she would join one, but if she did, they’d have to be very worthy of her respect. Cour des Miracles sounded open-minded and diverse, but she still knew nothing else about it.
“Were you born in your pack?” Vesper asked, ears tilted curiously forward. At least in the wilderness, many young wolves left their families to form new family groups. She had been born to a loner and had joined a band of young coyotes who’d come together for security. She wondered if that was the case with Niro, or if he’d grown up in Cour des Miracles.
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