I shrugged, keeping my eyes on the pan. “Yeah. Just something quick.”
“It smells really good.” He leaned in slightly to look.
“Thanks,” I said, a little too quickly. “I used to cook it for my brother all the time.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Levi didn’t respond right away. He looked at me for a moment longer than necessary, like he was taking it in, before turning his attention back to the pan.
Something in his expression had softened. He stayed close, and I was suddenly aware of the warmth of him just behind my shoulder. His scent deepened, quieter now, more curious.
His head tilted slightly, like he was catching something in the air.
My coyote stirred, uneasy. Lean back, it urged.
Lean into him.
I stepped away a little too quickly and cleared my throat. “We were just about to have lunch.”
“Yes, and there’s not enough for you.” Nico set the air fryer basket down a little harder than necessary, glancing at Levi. “Or are you only here for food? You were here at breakfast too.”
My stomach dropped. Levi was here this morning?
Had something happened? Had they found something at the campsite?
“Is everything okay?” I asked quickly, turning toward him. “Did you find anything back at the old logging roads?”
Levi raised both hands immediately. “No, no. Everything’s fine. I’m not here because of that.” The tips of his ears were faintly red.
Nico crossed his arms. “Then why do you keep coming by?”
Levi shot him an annoyed look, like he wanted to argue but stopped himself. When he looked back at me, his expression softened.
Something warm settled low in my chest before I could stop it.
Nico muttered under his breath, something that sounded like “unbelievable,” and sat down at the table. Levi hesitated only a second before pulling out a chair as well.
I turned off the stove, transferred the stir-fry onto a large plate, and set it in the center of the table before taking the seat beside Levi.
Levi waited until Nico had started eating before speaking again, quieter this time.
“I know what it’s like,” he said, looking at his plate but not really seeing it. “Living out there. On your own. It’s not easy.”
He thought I’d been alone all this time. The warmth in my chest swelled, then twisted.
“I wasn’t really alone.” The words left my mouth before my brain caught up.
Levi looked at me. “What do you mean?”
I swallowed. “Shifters like me, we keep in touch.”
“We’ve got a network.” My heart started to pound. I didn’t know why I couldn’t stop talking. “It’s nothing official, just ways to check in with others.”
“There’s a network?” Levi asked, mid-bite, his fork hovering in the air.
“I mean,” I backtracked weakly, “it’s not— it’s just word of mouth mostly. Passing messages. Safe spots.”
“That’s huge,” he said. “If there’s already a system in place…”
