Sunset Valley Mask Off

When Riley caught sight of Masque, the hard lines of concentration melted away. The dark shadow to his eyes lifted as she bound towards him, pressing her snout to his cheek in the trademark gesture of affection that Riley had come to love as their own.

But something was off. He noticed that she was trembling as she pressed against him. Though he could not hear her heart rate, he heard her breathing — which had a shaky element to it filled with the sweet heat of adrenaline.

He almost turned to her to ask what was wrong, but she spoke. He paused, digesting this — but at length he brought his nose to the ruff of her ruddy cheek and pressed against her. Okay. Me too.