Swiftcurrent Creek The truth is

There was a grim satisfaction that at least he still had his stealth, if nothing else—Arric’s eyes opening only at the sound of his voice and widening in surprise as he was popped across the face with a flurry of fluff and mayhem. Catttail seeds were inhaled by the Beta—snorted up his nose, and a full fledged cackle escaped the Alpha as he made to bound away unscathed—

—but two thick arms managed to grab him around the neck and pull him back.

He was pulled into the fray of fluff and bullshittery—which was not the plan. If he had been smart, he would have kept his lips tightly pressed together so he didn’t meet the same fate as Arric—but he just couldn’t help himself. “I’ll look after Arlette for you,” he jeered—and with the opening of his own mouth, accidentally sucked in some of the cattail seeds—his own coughing initiating.

“Dammit,” he ground out, back paws pressing to the ground as he made to push Arric back into a tackle.