Chapter 31: Tempers
Pan followed Joseph out of the med bay, simmering over how aggravated Atrox’s words had gotten her. Insults to her were nothing new; it was merely a fact of life until she met Joseph. Although her pack that had joined him had been mostly accepting, it was due to circumstances rather than a lack of distaste for her. Jax was the only one who seemed to mind to any notable degree despite the situation but he was a male at his peak, she could understand his dismissal of her since she was functionally untenable as a mate and even he has since apologized for his behaviour.
No, the irritation that melted through her core stemmed from his utter dismissal of her bond. Joseph had willingly saved him and yet he spat in the face of his generosity. She had seen the look of fear when her Grand Hunter had merely glanced in his direction. That primal shock and the failure of cognitive function when faced with the Human’s determined execution of threats. Yet Atrox seemed to only reign in his snide remarks once Sahari threatened him with further violence, otherwise blind to the fact that he was mere moments from death without them.
Pan could almost taste the bile that threatened to crawl up her throat in disgust with herself. She was never one to allow anger to take root. Her den-mother had taught her from a young age that she must remain strong in the face of opposition. Never let them get to her, even if it meant denying them any aspect of herself. She had spent much of her life suppressing everything so that the slights and slanderous rumours would fail to find traction within her. Even when the disdain turned to violence, she never gave them the satisfaction of knowing how deeply they had hurt her. She had managed to learn her craft and even open a small shop in her home town despite the hostility levied against her.
She hugged herself, the concern Joseph had displayed when Atrox confirmed that there were possibly many other communities and the implications of more than just the forty first-years being on the planet had sent him into a whirlwind internally. Her likely diluted experience was all that kept her from reacting visibly, but Joseph simply abandoned his friendly approach and adopted a focused demeanour.
It was slightly unsettling for her, like someone had turned the water off and her fur had instantly dried during her bathing. She could almost feel him grinding out possibilities as she relayed the responses. He was scared, yet optimistic. Hopeful, yet cautious. All under a hardened exterior that refused to show weakness the same way she had learned but utilized for an advantage in negotiations rather than to quietly protect himself. It was an application of a skill she doubted she could ever hope to emulate.
Her ruminations were halted abruptly by her body bringing up in something solid. She blinked for a moment, her mind slow to pull itself away from the emotions she had unintentionally allowed to display and her disappointment with herself for it. Joseph stood in the dorm wing hallway, Pan having absentmindedly followed him despite her being the only one of the two able to inform Tel of what task Joseph had for her. Her body had attached itself to his scent and unconsciously refused to part from it.
The Grand Hunter looked at her with a slight concern. “You okay?”
She stepped away into a waiting paw, him having been in the process of trying to rest his on her back. She flinched at the unexpected interruption but quickly allowed herself to lean into it and allow herself his touch. She need not distance herself now. The thought brought a small smile to her face.
“I’m okay.” She tried to make the words convincing, worried about him knowing she had failed to be as impartial as she had claimed and how disappointed in her he would be. “I was lost in thought.”
Joseph pointed a thumb at his door. “Wanna talk about it?”
“I..” She exhaled, the rejection falling flat against her desire to spend more time with him. To feel his warmth again.
Ever since Atrox had been tended to, Joseph had been guarding him in case he needed medical attention or reacted violently to the new environment. She had offered to replace his watch herself or request one of the others to cover for him, but he denied with the reasoning being that he had promised Jax some personal time with Harrow and the rest would tend to the tempering projects over night. When she mentioned that he seemed to be mulling something over and that she could tell through their bond, he simply sighed with a small smile. He claimed he felt it his responsibility to ensure everyone’s safety. She had relented after a while but it would be a lie to say that she hadn’t been looking forward to his embrace again after her prolonged absence.
She nodded her head, following him as he entered the room and closed the door behind her. He laid on his back on the bed, patting the space next to him for her to join him. She eased her way onto it, taking care not to seem overly eager, only to be pulled into his chest with a single motion and a yelp. Her head rested on his shoulder, his arm cradling hers. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth; her paw resting over his stomach as it rose and fell with each breath, the cyclical rhythm soothing her.
“So, what’s up? Is it about me staying up all night?” The bass of his voice tickled her paw as the resonance carried through his chest. She felt his guilt in his words. Pan ineffectually shook her head, the motion being limited by his proximity.
“No, no... It’s...” She hesitated to tell him about her lack of self control, instead opting to discuss the other area of her attention. “Are we safe?”
Joseph tensed, the pressure of his arm around her pulling her lightly. “I don’t know. We have no idea how many people are out there.” He admitted his ignorance with a tinge of fear. “I’ll admit i got lucky with you guys, it could have easily ended for me if i hadn’t been saved by Mama and the pack could have decided that you wanted the pod more than you were curious. It wouldn’t have been hard to take it.”
Pan’s eyes widened at the thought. “No! We wouldn’t have taken your den from you.”
Joseph gave a sorrowful smile. “No, maybe not, but they have a twenty person strong pack. It wouldn’t take much recon to find out when everyone is spread out or hunting.” His grip on her tightened. “What do we do versus a force twice as large as ours if they decide that they want to take over? Fight? Sure, that might work. We could keep our home. At what cost though? What if we lose someone? What if i lose you or Violet?”
“Joseph...”
“We have no way of knowing how strong they are if it comes to that... What if i lose everyone, Pan?” His voice faltered as he asked her, knowing that she held no answer in which he could draw solace. He drew a sharp breath and forced a smile. “On the other hand; we might have some friends only a few days away. If they have better infrastructure than us we might be able to trade for animals or agricultural advice and seeds. Maybe strike an alliance or something. Maybe they have metal processing? We could get our hands on some, see what we can trade out.”
She watched his eyes scan the ceiling in search of a response to an unvoiced query, his flaccid expression at odds with the emotions beneath. He dropped his gaze to her.
“I don’t know, Pan, but i can hope. If we’re lucky, Atrox there will tell them we’re a nice bunch of people who they should enter a collaborative relationship with. Hell, I’ll take a mutual agreement to stay the fuck away from each other if it comes down to it.” He took a breath. “I’m not a fan of the whole ‘diplomatic’ approach but we need to show our best if we don’t want to be hunted down as a threat. Well, assuming the pack and my interactions are something to go off of.” He chewed his cheek as Pan felt a hole open within her. She had been the exact opposite of ‘diplomatic’ by all but telling Atrox to leave the moment he was able. She had let the slights get to her and shown nothing but a restrained aggression towards a force much larger than their own, possibly risking harm to everyone she held dear.
Joseph must have noticed her curl in on herself, rolling to wrap his other arm around her and rub between her shoulders. She pressed herself into his chest, her paws gripping at his bulk as she tried not to cry in frustration.
“We’ll figure something out, don’t worry. I’m not letting you guys go unless you ask me to.” He spoke softly into her ear with a grim determination. “This is your home. You should feel safe in your home.”
She cursed herself. His kind words soothed the worry but he knew not of her insolence.
She whispered into his shirt. “I’m sorry.”
Joseph paused his stroking for a moment. “Worrying about your friends isn’t something to be sorry about.”
She shook her head. “I was rude to him. I didn’t think about how it would affect everyone.”
Joseph distanced himself to arms length, the removal tore at her heart as he looked at her with a tightened expression. “You? Rude? What did he do?”
She blinked, frozen as the irritation within him wasn’t directed at her actions but, apparently, at Atrox.
His voice firmed. “What did he do to piss you off?”
Pan broke eye contact, confused at the direction of his anger. She answered with quiet and clipped words, embarrassment overriding her frustrations. “He called you a... degenerative... idiot.” She opted not to mention her displeasure of having their moment ruined by his appearance.
The anger abated in an instant and was replaced by confusion. A brief moment passed before Joseph started chuckling, it evolving into a full and passionate laugh as he brought her into a tight embrace that was completed with him rubbing his cheek into her fur, his breath tickling her ear. “I am an idiot, that much is true. Probably a degenerate too, depending on who you ask.”
“Does that not make you angry?”
He huffed, the air making her ear twitch. “Nah. I’ve been called worse by better. If anything, I’m pretty happy you would get annoyed enough to show it for my sake. It... It means a lot to me. It’s been a long time since i felt like someone other than Rob had my back like that, you know?”
True to his statement; he felt warm. Pride and love accentuated his words and thawed the ice inside her. She stayed silent and allowed herself to simply enjoy their intimacy even if she was confused by his admissions. The long nights with the Atmo had been pleasant in their own way, Violet was a surprisingly comfortable pillow, but nothing quite compared to how she felt in her bond’s arms. She followed his breathing, noticing it slow into a deep and full pattern as the lack of sleep caught up to him. She leaned back to see his passive smile, his restfulness drawing a yawn from her before she rested a paw on his cheek.
He loved her. He was worried for her. He accepted her.
She brushed a hair out of his face with a chuckle and rested her head against his lips, allowing herself to nuzzle into him and soak in what she had denied herself. She was just barely still awake, the therapeutic ebb and flow of his chest gently rocking her to sleep, when a soft click at the door could be heard. She raised her groggy head to inspect the noise and found Violet at the foot of the bed, the Atmo having been searching for her until she wandered into Joseph’s room.
With little hesitation, she climbed onto the bed and forcibly inserted herself between them. Joseph grunted, taking a second to evaluate the disturbance in his half-awake daze before facing Pan. The two shared a look before laughing and including their surrogate kit into their cuddling. The insect’s purrs guided Pan the rest of the way into a deep sleep, her paw in Joseph’s and both on Violet’s back.
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She awoke to a loud crash nearby, the sound jolting her awake. Her eyes flickered around the room to find that both Joseph and Violet had since left her to rest longer than themselves. The cold bed indicated that she had slept far more than either of them, but the sun outside suggested that they hadn’t slept very much in total. She fixed her top and exited the room, a heated argument could be heard from Jax and Harrow’s room.
Tentatively, she knocked on the door. The break in hushed yelling was followed by a slow opening of the entrance and a worried orange-furred Lilhun peeking through the crack. Upon seeing who was seeking them, she opened the door the rest of the way and ushered her inside with a hurried closing after.
Pan looked around the room and noticed a recently added desk had a hole through it with Jax seemingly fuming by the window. She adopted the confidence she felt required to deal with a potentially precarious situation. “May i have an explanation for the noise?”
Harrow spoke up as she passed by Pan to sit on the bed. “Jax is just a little worked up about the visitors.”
“Visitors?” She maintained the authoritative tone, somewhat softened by the realization that there was no serious discord between the other mated pair in the den. Jax snarled from where he stood.
“Atrox’s mates. Tel and Nalah brought them back not long ago. They had a... less than positive... opinion of the Atmo.” Harrow explained, rubbing a shoulder with her paw.
“They called Violet a freak!” Jax barked, spittle following the forceful aspiration. “They treated her like some plague!”
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Pan felt conflicted in that moment. On the one paw; Their guests have continued to spit in the face of Joseph’s kindness. On the other; She felt proud that Jax had become so attached to the den-kit that he felt compelled to become so incensed by an insult in her direction.
His mate winced at an unexpected claw digging into her shoulder, Jax’s outrage triggering her own aggression. “Joseph told Jax to go cool off, so he’s in here with me until he winds down a bit while Joseph works with Nalah to exchange information.”
“’Benefit of the doubt’ Is what he said. I wanted to hang them on the walls. I highly ‘doubt’ they would dare insult us further with that ‘benefit’.” Jax’s grumblings had decreased as the rant went on, him having worked out the worst of the impulses.
“And Joseph would have made sure you woke up in the med bay.” Harrow countered with a pointed stare before turning to Pan. “He told us to just ignore it for now. Apparently he had a similarly intense impression when he first met Mama and wanted to give them time to ‘warm up’ to them.”
Pan furrowed her brow with a pinched grimace. “Why didn’t he wake me up to translate?”
“Because he did not want you to have to hear what they might have to say.” Jax offered quietly, his steam having run out. “Pan, he is an alien. His companions are aliens. We are the weird ones for joining him. It is his responsibility to assure our kind that we are worth allying with and we cannot allow you to get so hostile whenever they slight him. Though, that being said, i personally enjoyed watching you put him in his place.”
“And that gives you free reign to punch a hole in our table?” Harrow commented rhetorically.
Jax flopped onto a chair. “She is just a kit...” He protested, the rest of his opinion muttered to himself as he gazed out the window with his jaw in his paw.
Pan stared at the floor in shame, Harrow’s ear wilting in response. “Pan, look at me.” Pan give her an upwards glance. “We both know that he was rather annoyed at the way they reacted. Do you think he would be able to keep his temper controlled if they started going off on you the way Atrox did? The only thing keeping him in check right now is his desire to make sure we all come out of this better than we went into it.”
Pan nodded, understanding her point but not feeling better about the circumstances. She straightened up and opened the door to leave. “I’ll go check on Violet, hopefully she isn’t too upset about the whole thing.” The two in the room sighed in unison but allowed her to leave without complaint.
She didn’t even need to knock on Violet’s door, the insect having left it open and was in the process of sculpting with Mama on the recently gifted tablets that Joseph had given them. She was given a purred greeting but both returned to their work while chatting amongst themselves, seemingly unperturbed by the outburst described to have happened not long ago. She waved in return and decided to join Joseph in his diplomatic ventures with a soft promise to herself that she wouldn’t allow any insults of her to get under her skin. She would be strong like her bond. Her mate. She would be a mate he could be proud to have by his side through anything this world could throw at them.
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Nalah followed Joseph into the hub, the two escorting the trio of rescues as they had decided it best to leave towards their den to pass along their offer of cooperation to their Grand Huntress. Atrox hadn’t injured more than his shoulder in the altercation with the moss-wolves and was able to leave with two packets of pain relief power and instructions to take them only when needed.
The terms they had reached a consensus on were that they would accept the treatment and food as payment for their delivery of Joseph’s offer, as well as a promise to request Mi’low herself come to negotiate further when she was able. Atrox agreed to return with samples of the produce they had managed to cultivate before the winter and instructions on how to care for them for the spring, a result that Joseph seemed thrilled with but outwardly displayed a mild satisfaction. Her time around the human had made it much easier to determine his emotions through his more subtle cues, though the firm thumbs-up behind his back was hardly subdued.
Atrox’s mates had made a scene of falling to their rears in fear when Violet had gotten excited to meet new people and approached them silently for hugs, the two females having some choice words that Jax had taken offence to. Sahari herself seemed rather chilled by the outburst but her experience with high-stress missions had allowed her to remain calm until Joseph was given a loose translation of what was happening. He had acted quickly to console the den-kit and even managed to cheerily ask her to make him some art for the med bay, a task the young Atmo happily accepted and had even roped Mama into assisting her with.
Joseph quickly defused the remaining situation with humour regarding his own initial reactions and sent Jax and Harrow away to calm down while apologizing to their guests for the scare. Nalah almost believed that he was completely fine with the display until she noticed Sahari crushing her cup at a table, the ‘hidden’ bond betraying just how well he was able to control himself.
Luckily, the rest of the interactions had proceeded much smoother once he had explained that the Atmo were very much friendly and the guests had a higher chance of being harmed by the lesser wildlife than either of his companions. The two mates even apologized once Joseph expressed that Violet had been accepted by the pack as a den-kit and his own fondness for his ‘adopted daughter’.
“Thank you for saving him.” The light grey female offered a small bow towards Joseph as they stood in the centre of the hub.
“Thank you.” Added the other mate, her fur a dirty blond.
Nalah maintained her rigid posture as she translated for him. “They thank you for saving their mate.”
“No big deal, just happy we could help.” Joseph replied casually, his short nap proving to have been insufficient rest as a yawn struggled to escape him as he answered.
“He says that you are welcome and that you should not allow it to burden you. We accepted the task for our safety as well as his. We look forward to a favourable response to our requests and a mutually beneficial relationship moving forward.” Nalah rephrased the flippant response with a greater respect for Pan than she held previously. Joseph was a very friendly person when it came to new relations but he often ignored rules of respect and other procedures.
Their pack was happy with the arrangement and his relaxed temperament, but he would need to act his title should he expect any respect from others. Even telling someone that your act of kindness was but a consequence of your nature could be misconstrued as incompetence to be taken advantage of.
Atrox was about to speak when Pan entered the hub from the doors, the Huntress quickly taking a stern but polite posture and joining the interaction. Atrox was quick to address the newly involved. “Ah, Huntress Pan. A word?” He used his uninjured arm to gesture to the side, the other having been put in a sling. She hesitated but a hidden thumbs-up from Joseph and an encouraging smile allowed her to accommodate the request with a little more confidence.
“Hey, Nalah,” Joseph spoke to her in a hushed tone. “I’m going to get something for me and Pan to eat since we slept through supper. Could you make sure nothing goes tits up while I’m gone?” She assented with a subtle nod and a flick of her tail. “Cool. You want anything?”
“I’m fine, Joseph. Thank you.”
“No problem, thought I’d ask.” He patted her on the shoulder. “Thanks for your help today, i really appreciate it.” She gave a sharp exhale and a smirk as the Grand Hunter left to procure food. She was still somewhat upset that Sahari had yet to return her bond in favour of forming one with him, but she couldn’t bring herself to dislike the male’s character. He never questioned her past nor had any comments about her origins or experiences and accepted her for who she was. She made a note for herself to take the time to get to know him better. The female she loved was fond of him, so she should make an effort to understand him. Even if it meant accepting her loss.
Although the conversation between Pan and Atrox was hushed, Nalah was close enough to discern the contents. It consisted of Atrox sheepishly apologizing for his behaviour and admitting that her bond was a competent male. The compliment changed the Human’s mate as she practically beamed approval at the praise. Having said his piece, he wished her well and left the building. His two mates stopped to converse with Pan after assuring Atrox they would be out with him in a moment. The two were much better at keeping themselves quiet but not quite good enough to escape Nalah’s attention.
“... Strong male like that picked a weak defect like you?”
“... Even bed him? Would he even want to?...took pity on the tiny...”
“... Such a shame...failure like you was given the title.”
“... Good enough for him?”
With each insult Pan’s ears fell, her tail discretely wrapping around her thigh. Her expression remained fairly composed, but Nalah could tell that they had found a foothold and were in the process of ripping her down as ruthlessly as possible. Probably after overhearing Atrox admit he had a less than positive opinion of her during his apology and they had just ignored everything else.
She was tempted to stop them but remembered Joseph explicitly telling them to remain as friendly as possible to better their chances at a successful relationship since they couldn’t afford a new enemy while they were still developing. There was a worry that this would be exploited in future but the two held no power in the hierarchy, so even their misgivings would fall short if voiced. She silently sat at her chair and tried to ignore the words coated with venom.
The two mates finished their spree just as Joseph returned, the pair leaving with Atrox just before the Grand Hunter entered with two trays of quickly cooked meat. He smiled at the pack before looking confused as he scanned the room. “They left already? Aw, i even made extras so they could try the wolves that tried to kill him. Figured they’d enjoy that bit of irony. They seemed like nice girls.”
“I’m sorry, Joseph, but I’m finding myself rather tired. I will leave to rest first.” Pan informed him quietly with a forced smile that matched her exhausted expression.
“You sure? I made us a lot. I thought we’d be having them around a bit longer so i went the extra mile on spices.” He explained with a tilted head. Pan nodded and gave him a weak hug before heading off to the dorms. Joseph stared at the door, obviously debating if he should follow for a while until he exhaled deeply, gesturing for Nalah to join Sahari at the table and laid down the food in the middle. “Is she okay? Did i miss anything? Here, eat up.”
Sahari leaned back in her chair, enjoying the lack of translation required for her to speak. Her translator had been submerged between the Atmo clicks and Human speech and only ‘picked’ one to focus on earlier in the sun. Her lightly accented English, according to Joseph, sounded ‘French’. “Simply female politics, Joseph.”
He chewed a chunk of meat while he gave her a doubtful look, his tongue tracing his teeth as he considered the response. “Am i going to have to do something about it?”
Nalah felt the temperature of the room drop. Sahari mirrored the gaze, a smirk mixed into the display. “Not yet. One can not make a statement without an audience, can you?”
Joseph laughed, tossing a chunk high in the air and catching it in his mouth. “An audience, huh? Well, lucky for us, we happened to have just sent a messenger off with a request for one.”
Nalah could feel the amusement building within Sahari and a deepening respect. She took a small comfort in knowing that Sahari had not grown to love him, but was a little jealous with how close the two were getting.
“Then we give them a show?” Sahari skewered a cut of wolf with her claw while giving him a devilish grin.
“I say we show them why they don’t fuck with our family.” Joseph reciprocated the smile with a flippantly waved hand. “Politely, of course.”
“Hunt Mother, what have i done to deserve your ire.” Nalah rested her jaw on a paw while giving them both an amused glare. The two had a habit of enjoying dangerous situations and it was a little worrying when they got on the same page. Joseph rustled the fur on her head.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be a... diplomatic message.”
She snorted a laugh and pushed his hand off of her. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
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Joseph blocked the fist that Sahari had sent towards his temple, the force fairly light as it was mostly a touch spar. She had asked to fight since the conversation of what they intended to do had her worked up and he was inclined to agree. The act of actually swinging at someone without the excess threat of injury was one he sorely missed. Sure, he practised with the groups, but Sahari had years of combat experience outside of training and was able to hold back enough for them to get into things without an observer to be there in case of a stray shot landing too hard.
Sahari threw a jab short and tried to bait him into counterattacking. He closed the distance as she retracted her arm and ducked the surprised hook by rolling his torso to her side. He was tempted to throw her into a standing kimura lock for a take-down but she wasn’t ready to learn standing submissions yet and he knew that she would hound him all night if he showed off any. He fired off three punches with alternating hands to the liver and called the last right hook to the snout. She laughed after processing the unexpected barrage and allowed them to reset with a soft fist bump to signify the start of the next round, a content smile on her face.
She wasted no time adopting his aggressive approach but failed to account for the use of elbows, her attempt at suffocation earning her a light tap to the throat and her arm pinned behind her back. “This would be so much easier with claws.” She barked a laugh when he released her. Her voice flowed nicely with the human words. Joseph found it soothing to listen to, in a way.
“Yeah, but killing everything only works if that thing isn’t able to be calmed down.” He reminded her. She had shown that she was more than able to convert his teachings into their lethal variations but he was adamant that she know how to take someone down with as little harm as possible. The Lilhun combat doctrine was purely focused on killing your opponent with only a single paragraph on subduing someone, apparently. Joseph couldn’t comment on how effective a military could be without lesser force but decided to put some faith in his furry companions. Or at least ignore that which does not concern him.
“They only die if they’re weak.” Sahari countered with a grin.
“If your training before this is any indication, they are.”
Sahari nodded to herself, rolling her shoulder to work off the effects of the joint-lock. “Certainly the first-years. Second and onward have more intensive training, though I’m not privy to how it compares.”
Joseph tilted his head. “They have better CQC?”
She grabbed some water while she explained. “First-years are mostly equipment focused. Get them used to what they will be using. Second-years are to learn a lot more about close quarters and their lesser used weapons. Third-years begin specializing into various combat roles. Gunners, pilots, command, logistics...”
“Assassination?” Joseph asked with a single raised brow. Sahari paused as she tipped her cup before continuing the action.
“Off the record, yes.” She confirmed without looking at him.
“What year is Tel? You said only first-years were abandoned here but she’s way beyond any of you.”
She looked over her shoulder at him for a moment. “She seemed around our skill with the wolves.”
“She killed three more in the woods.”
Sahari flinched.
“All three were taken down with a needle through the muzzle to stop them from barking and a slit throat to finish the job. She kept it quiet.” Joseph stepped within Sahari’s personal space, his nose almost touching hers. “When was i supposed to know that there was an assassin in my den, Sahari?”
She backed away from him until she brought up into a wall, him following a half step behind. “Nobody else knows, Joseph. I only know because we have worked together before.”
“So why didn’t you tell me.” He kept his tone flat and stare unwavering.
“She is not a threat to you.” Sahari offered, refusing to make eye contact. He placed a hand on the wall next to her head.
“I’m not asking if she’s a threat. I’m asking why i wasn’t informed.”
Sahari slowly met his gaze, hesitating to speak. “She asked me not to. She wished for you to learn on your own.”
He took a deep breath before backing off. The Lilhun, though a fair bit taller than him, had shrunk under the pressure. She slowly regained her height as he scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, that tracks. She loves giving me a headache and i guess that’s not something someone would be overly proud of. Sorry, it’s been on my mind. Ended up watching Atrox all night while i thought it over.”
Sahari left the wall, placing her arm across his shoulders. “If it makes you feel better, she is much happier here than she ever was in the military.”
Joseph tried not to notice her chest on his arm and separated. “I’m sweaty, it’ll soak into your fur... And, yeah. It helps. Thanks.”
She smirked, grabbing him and hauling him off his feet into her chest while aggressively rubbing his hair. “I care not about needing to bathe, Joseph.” She laughed at his disgruntled wiggling in the hold until he managed to make his way out. “Thank you...”
He tried to tame his ruffled hair to distract from the slight blush. “For what?”
“For caring about them. All of them. For accepting them.”
Joseph paused his grooming to give her a confused glance. “Why wouldn’t i?”
Sahari crossed her arms. “You could have been fearful of Tel. You could have discarded Pan. You could have insisted Jax be executed. You could have left us to die.”
He straightened up, his expression annoyed. “Fuck that.”
She blinked before bursting into raucous laughter.
“What? You’re my friends,” He tried to suppress the smirk at her reaction. “The more dangerous you are, the easier it is for me to trust you guys to be safe. Why do you think I’ve been splitting the classes? You’re more effective when i work with your natural skills.”
She nodded, wiping a tear from her eye. “It is as you say, Grand Hunter, but still, thank you.”
Joseph sighed, giving her a defeated smile. “You’re welcome. Now, are we going to keep going or have you worked out your energy?”
“Well, we could both use a bath now.” Sahari casually flicked some of the sweat from her paw she acquired from her noogie. “I don’t suppose you would want to join me?” She questioned with a grin.
“Why must you all learn to speak? I was so much happier pretending you were all so innocent.” Joseph groaned, more than happy to joke around with her. Sahari chuckled to herself until her ears perked.
“I believe your brother is calling.”
Joseph gave her a frown as he strained his ears. She was right, there was a quiet chime from the terminal. “Sounds like I’ll have to pass on the show. You go get some rest, Nalah is taking over the bed tempering for the barracks for the first shift and the mated two will take over after. You go enjoy your night off.” She smiled at him and removed her wraps before heading off to wash off whatever moisture he ended up putting onto her.
He hurried down the hallway to the terminal, straightening his hair out of his face before answering. With a frown he noticed he had forgotten to remove his own wraps and was still wearing his loose training clothes but decided that Robert wouldn’t really care about his dishevelled appearance. He took a breath to level his heart rate and answered the call.
His eyes opened in surprise as a feminine voice emitted from the speakers, occasional chirps accenting words of English.
“Ah, finally, I was wondering when you would answer. I am speaking to a Mr. Joseph Wright, Correct? My name is Silva Herrin. Your brother tells me that you believe to have encountered a black-listed species and has requested i reach out to... you... Why are you sweaty?”