Lost Creek Hollow lions in winter

"I can," he countered quickly, cutting in after her first question. The tone of her voice set his teeth on edge - he wanted to break the tension with jokes and light-heartedness, but that'd never worked with Adeline before. So he waited for her to finish before responding, wishing there was some way to change the facts just so that he could have a better, more satisfactory answer for her.

"I can see you - you're just... blurry. You're a wolf-shape with a muzzle, and this close, I can still see those pretty green eyes. But if I step back - " he shuffled away from her until those apple-green eyes blended into the tan blur of her face. It was only a half-dozen yards away. "They kind of blend in with the rest of you," he finished lamely, trotting back toward her. "It's not a big deal, greeneyes. Not right now," he assured her. "Some of the details are getting pretty fuzzy, but I'm not going to walk into a bear or off a cliff or anything. I'm okay."

He bumped his nose against her shoulder, trying to comfort her.