Stella:

Tarb was staring them down for minutes. It would be way more intimidating if it wasn't for the tacky pink buttoned shirt he wore.

...

......

Should she say something? Would anyone? Why does she get stuck in the most awkward of situations every damn time?!

Although the old Wolf's physique was not as tall and imponent as the rest of the Lycan Squad, he still towered over them enough to be a little intimidating. The waterfall of drool that dripped down his jaw and floppy cheeks gave him the slight impression of a hungry, rabid predator. She supposed the bear had a scarier exterior, but the veteran would most definitely kick their asses if he wanted.

Shit. The bear...

"W-We brought a whole bear for your stash...?" Stella took the first step.

Tarb's eyes shifted towards her. "Where is it now?"

"On the road," Lien pointed in the general direction. After opening her eyes in realization, her voice gradually lost strength, and she hung her head in shame. "Now that you mentioned, leaving the meat alone doesn't sound like a good idea."

"You don't say." Tarb furrowed his eyebrows. "You two dropped our agreement to spy on me?!" He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. "You thought I couldn't smell you from far away? You must think I'm named Hōkō to be this old?!"

A familiar voice wormed in Stella's mind. "Rude."

Wait, what? How?! And judging by everyone else's reaction, they heard him also.

"Sorry, Hōkō." Tarb rolled his eyes. "My point is, what is wrong with you?! Can't you leave a sad sack of drool to live his life uninterrupted?!" He snarled at his nephew.

Lien lowered her head and ears, fidgeting her fingers. "I-I was... I was-"

"What? Hm?" The guard pressured her. "Spit it out."

"I was worried about you, uncle. You sounded so sad."

His eyebrows unwrinkled, and his jaw slackened. "Oh."

Even Stella was at a loss for words. At the same time, she wanted to hug the pup and hoped to step out of this personal, familiar discussion right now.

"W-Why do you think that?" He forced a laughter that couldn't fool a baby.

To his surprise, Lien wrapped her arms around his back for a tight embrace. "Mom doesn't blame you for Weth, you know."

Stella raised her eyebrows at what she said. Who or what was Weth?

Tarb stuttered, alternating glances at his nephew and the Human. Why did he look so afraid?

"Ca-Can we go back to my hut? Hopefully, we can salvage whatever you hunted."

Their game was, indeed, intact by a stroke of luck. Tarb assisted Stella by carrying one deer while she insisted on carrying one by herself, which brought a subtle smirk of respect to the veteran's lips. The Human decided to not comment on it.

As expected, the bear was large enough to fit in the gigantic hole. Seriously, that thing could harbor another hut. After filling the entire crater as promised, the veteran asked the Human to wait outside for a private talk with his nephew. She had no grounds for refusal.

Her mind ran with questions from their conversation at that weird poker game. "Where were the chips?" Another question arose.

But more importantly, who was Weth? Assuming they were a Monoke, why was Tash blaming her own brother for them? Stella's head ached with worry more with each passing minute.

I could show you the conversation, but where's the fun in that? I'm here to give you a narrative, not to spoon-feed you every answer.

Thirty minutes had passed. Lien opened the door without almost bashing it open. Her body language was composed, which was uncanny to see.

"I did it. Uncle Tarb will attend the party." Even her voice lacked the radiance it usually carries, replaced by a tint of... fatigue?

No, that felt wrong. What did these two talk about? Why was Lien so... collected?

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

She grabbed the pup's shoulder, staring her straight in the eye. "Lien. Did your uncle hurt you? Tell me, and I will knock his teeth out."

The party was secondary at the moment. Suddenly, Stella's priority was to help her friend regain her shining attitude and reclaim that beautiful smile that had become the target of her obsession.

However, it did not come.

"No, he didn't. It's just family stuff." Her tail was weirdly stationary.

"Oh, Lien..."

She forgot that Lien was, at the end of the day, a sweet, vulnerable child inside her tough exterior. But this time... she never looked so vulnerable...

For the first time, Stella didn't let her mind hold her back. Before she realized it, she embraced the pup with all the strength she could muster.

She reveled in the Wolf's scraggly fur prickling her nose, the warmth only the Monoke could deliver her. Lien's cold nuzzle brushed her neck as she pulled her closer, patting her mane with a tenderness she hadn't expressed for anyone in years.

"You did good, Lien." The Human whispered, her heart clenching for her friend's wellbeing. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

The two girls were locked in each other's arms for a few minutes. Stella was convinced the Wolf fell asleep until she slowly pulled away.

"No. I only need some time in my hut." Finally, a soft grin formed on her lips. "Mom's gonna be pretty happy, huh?"

"I guess." Stella smiled back. "You want me to go with you, or..."

It took a short time for Lien to understand her proposal. "Yes! Of course! Lead the way!"

The Human escorted the pup through the sand streets of Pantsti. The Monoke was understandably accustomed enough to avoid every passing citizen. This place had traffic comparable to the center of Namadi, with a hundredth of the population. Some mysteries were too otherwordly for the girl's brain to grasp.

Throughout the short journey, the temptation to hold Lien's paw tickled Stella's mind. The hug had made her bold. Too bold.

What would the Wolves think if they saw her like this? She needed to think about Lien's purity!

...

Wait. Wolves didn't care for physical touch, did they? In fact, now that she paid attention to her surroundings, she finally realized how the furry Monoke took physical touch to a whole new level. Paw-holding, wrapping arms, hugging, licking, playfully wrestling... Hell, she saw the two most manly Wolves she had ever seen, other than Locci, kissing each other on the cheek like a regular greeting.

Stella turned her head so quick that the whole world started spinning. But maybe that was the nerves. "Want to hold hands?"

Lien repeated the same gesture. "Sure!"

Bah! Look at those shameful youths! Decency has perished, indeed!

Stella and Lien held hands at the last stretch, so it took only a few minutes. Thank goodness! I couldn't bear any more deviancy for a day!

Standing at the hut's door, Stella made an exaggerated, overly dramatic bow and voice. "We have arrived at your destination, m'lady."

The pup chuckled, covering her muzzle with her paw. "Are you bowing? I can't tell."

She smirked. "Can't do one without the other." Then she straightened her voice. "I hope the rest will be easier to convince than Tarb. Are you still up for it, or should I handle this myself? I won't judge you if-"

Lien scoffed, playfully slapping her shoulder. "And disappoint The Silver Knight?! What kind of sidekick would I be?!" She crossed her arms. "I just need a power nap, that's all."

Stella nodded, rubbing her hand on the slapped area. "If you say so..."

"Trust me! I'll be better tomorrow!" Her thumbs-up almost reassured the Human. A glimpse of Lien's regular self was enough to quell most of her anxiety, nonetheless.

The pup waved goodbye as she closed the door, and Stella returned the gesture. She wanted to ask some questions about the deal with her family. However, it felt a little hypocritical to be poking around her personal life when she never told her about hers in Namadi. Although the way Tarb kept nervously glancing at her was so suspicious...

...

Maybe at a later date.

Now, what could she do? The fact she had few friends have finally come to bite her in the arse.

.....

Darn it. The Human would have to settle for him...

A horde of young pups tore through the exit of the elder's chamber, including the ones who appeared at her and Lien's playdate. Yeesh, she wouldn't want to dare teach a bunch of rascals like these any day of her life. How someone could attain such patience was a question beyond her limited perspective to understand.

After the furry stampede had passed, Stella stepped inside the clearing. Hot damn, this place never lost its beauty. She could stay lost in the enchanting flower colors for hours.

The problem was... their warden...

"Look who it is! The missing student! Overslept without the Knight to wake you up, I assume?"

Stella closed her eyes, twitching with frustration. "Why don't you read my mind and find out? Besides, what was that when we were talking to Tarb? We were miles away from you!"

Hōkō's laugh painfully jolted through her neurons. She wondered if it was an intentional way to wind her up.

"Long story short, I'm connected to every plant in Pantsti's territory. Every. Single. One."

That was... a terrifying thought. That meant the elder had eyes on every corner for miles! Did that mean he was peeking every time Stella relieved herself in the bushes?

"No. See, I can choose which plants to expand my vision and whatnot."

The girl sighed. "Snooping around as usual, I see. You know what, coming here was a mis-"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" The elder cooed. "There's someone you want to talk about your celebration in Asra's honor."

Of course, he knew about that...

"Who are you-"

"Just open your damn eyes and look at the tree."

She huffed while complying. Focusing on the towering pego tree, she saw a tall figure near it. The only feature the Human could catch at such a distance was their black fur, skin, or feathers.

Why was that old coot referring to the party, then? She wasn't looking- Oh!

Ooooooohhhhh...

She was so caught up in Lien's business that her mind was not fully committed to her true objective.

Tash was out. Tarb was in. The mages might be left for tomorrow.

Today, Stella shall recruit another guard for her surprise celebration of camaraderie! And it will be none other than-

.........

Fuck, what was his name?

The tall, quiet guard! Yeah!