Kavik watched expressionlessly as the brown-eyed girl warily lowered her body, sunken tummy just skimming the leaf-strewn ground. Above them, the birds continued to screech and chatter; wolves outside of Malignant tended to fear the birds, or at the very least revile them—but having grown up listening to their constant avian conversations, Kavik merely accepted their presence and shut them out of his mind. His large puppy ears swiveled forward to catch the lass’s next words. Hi? Really? Even in Kavik’s young mind, the lad knew that there were surely better phrases to guarantee the femme’s safety. Perhaps “please don’t hurt me” or “I surrender.” But oh well. At least this foolish trespassing fae hadn’t attempted to attack Kavik: then he would have had to hurt her.

Silently, the espresso-colored boy watched the stranger—Tsu—for any sign of a trick. She appeared awfully genuine, so vulnerable and scared as his intense gaze bored through her. He decided Tsu was telling him the truth. She seriously had no idea what she was doing in the middle of Malignant, and the ache in her trembling young voice informed Kavik that she honestly believed her own mother had abandoned her here. That Kavik could relate to. Hadn’t his own mother done basically the same thing to him and Kirastasia?

Hackles still at attention, Kavik stalked closer to Tsu, amber-ringed eyes flashing a warning and velvet-soft lip pulled back to reveal a glittering canine. As soon as the sleek prince was close enough, he shoved his nose into the feathery fur at the base of Tsu’s neck and began sniffing deeply. He inhaled her perfume as if his life depended on it. In a way—at least in Kavik’s mind—it did, because memorizing this sheila’s signature would let him know who Tsu had last been in contact with, whether or not she had a family, and if she carried any dangerous diseases. After a few seconds, Kavik sneezed lightly and stepped away, stare critical as he searched the girl’s face. He had smelled a sibling on her pelt, a brother. Where was he? Hiding somewhere else in Malignant?

Another cautious growl rumbled from Kavik’s throat. Without raising his voice, the little warrior began walking back in the direction of his den, waving his tail to signal Tsu to follow him.