Dragoncrest Cliffs orchid breathing

The way he looked at her with such loathing really hurt her feelings. She swallowed. Meerkat was aware she didn’t really deserve such dislike, though she could understand how Sobo might feel otherwise. Njord’s love wasn’t finite, though his attention and time were. She was taking those things from the other important persons in his life. It was only natural for some of them—particularly the younger ones—to resent her, a stranger, for that.

Trying to keep that in mind, Meerkat weighed Sobo’s question. There was probably no way to answer it that he would find acceptable, but he’d asked, so she answered, Njord? He’s one of the kindest wolves I’ve ever met. That’s a a super lame word, only half a step above ‘nice,’ but I really mean it. I’ve met a lot of wolves but few are as decent as him. He has a good heart and I can tell he cares a lot about you guys. He was distraught when Mireille went missing, for instance. He wore himself out looking for her. And he still found the bandwidth to comfort me when I needed it, because that’s just the kind of man he is. He and I haven’t used the word ‘love’ yet, but I can tell he feels strongly and loves fiercely.

She paused to breathe and gather her thoughts before continuing, And I know that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I don’t actually know your da that intimately just yet. That’s why I came here: to get to know him better and figure out if we make a good match. And for me, part of making sure we can be happy together is getting to know the wolves who mean the most to him, like you, your brother and sisters.

Partly fearing his inevitably negative reaction, Meerkat tried to head it off a bit by concluding, But I don’t want to force myself on you or anything, Sobo. I genuinely want to get to know you, not just because you’re Njord’s family but because you’re my pack mate. That said, if you want me to leave you be, I can.