Hideaway Strath terrible deductions

Ruenna was definitely more diplomatic than Pippin—and he would admit it to anyone after this brief interlude with her, but it didn’t stop him from participating. His molten gaze skimmed over the frosty woman before them, who seemed affronted by his presence (who wasn’t?), and he blinked at the giggle that suddenly escaped her. She was a bit unnerving.

“Well, Aneira,” he quipped back, his own tone dripping with the sardonic tone she braced him with. “It’s not something I share with the interviewee. Hard to assess another if they manipulate what you’re looking for.”

He gave a shrug of his lean shoulders then, his gaze seeking out Ruenna and quirking a wolfish brow. He found their visitor to be a bit… unhinged. But were they really in a place to turn away potentially capable adults?

It was time to wrap this up—and with his amusement fading, the Ostrega cast his bright gaze upon the potential joiner once more—the pretty ones were usually crazy. “Listen. This pack was built to give the leader’s kids a promising and safe future.  So as fascinating as it might be to you, if you don’t plan to contribute to that in any way, we have no need for you. If you do plan to contribute, princess, then welcome aboard.”

Shifting his weight, the agouti male sidled closer to Ruenna, brushing his shoulder to hers, a silent gesture that he hoped portrayed he did not wish to overstep her. He just wanted to crack this nut and be done with it.