Hushed Willows as spring opens (touching, skillfully, mysteriously) her first rose

Kincaid, although he was not short of guile of his own, missed it enitrely when Eleuthera directed her own at him. He shared in her chuckle, but did not realize she was fishing for heartfelt declarations when he replied, "Well, I know I don't show it, but I'm gettin' older. Ain't quite cuttin' it on my own, these days," he admitted. "My choices were replace Nine, or find someplace t'take me in. So I'm seein' how this goes. 'haps I've found a place t'hang my hat. Otherwise — there's no shortage of packs in the area."

He'd wondered if he shouldn't ditch Easthollow and join the wolves of the willows, but already, he felt some small loyalty to Valette... and far more respect for her than he felt for Orlaith, who he took to be the leader in these parts. Still, he thought it was an idea worth looking into, if not yet one worth mentioning to Eleuthera.

And — despite her hopes, he was not at all proud of her for spying. He'd done his fair share of roving over the years, and had lain in wait at the edges of packlands for pretty girls to come by — but that had been all in good fun, and he hadn't been in much danger as long as he kept himself ready to run.

It was, of course, none of his business if Eleuthera wanted to run around playing the hero. It was right here, really, where Kincaid considered for the first time that he should run far, far away from this woman. She was very different from his Nine Lives — softer and sweeter, more patient, more restful. But here she was trying to kill herself just as surely as he always had — he didn't know if he could take the strain of that again.

It had been hard enough loving Nine, and look how well he'd fucked that up.

"Spyin', huh?" he asked her, his voice low and without inflection. She was a brave girl, he'd grant her. A brave, foolish, reckless girl. "Find out anything interestin'?"