Stone Circle won't hide her under a bushel, no

Day, too, felt the wind go out of his sails at Valette's thoughtful declaration. He should have been glad for her stalwart vow, but more than anything, he felt the same guilt and shame that his mate was feeling. It made him want to lash out at both women, something that was not at all in character for the easy-going male. Too, Amber's demuring response should've fixed this, made him feel better, but it did not.

Feeling a bit out of place, Day was silent for a beat longer than was maybe acceptable.

"No, Val - " he began, but that didn't sound right. A weak wag of his tail was his attempt at fixing this. "Thank you," he said, trying again. "But please, focus on the others - I'm not useless yet."

The joke fell a litte flat, but Day hoped that both women would drop the subject.

"What's been going on since I've been gone?" he asked, trying to change the subject. There was such a strange mish-mosh of scents on the border that Day couldn't even tell who was still around.