“Probably true. But he might listen to you if you showed him what would be lost. He’s stubborn, not stupid.”
“You think a tour would change his mind? After generations of pig-wolf animosity?”
I turn to face her fully. “I think nothing else has worked. You’ve tried legal channels, protests, even seducing Percy—”
“I did not seduce him! That was… my heat.”
“And the stairwell with Hamilton?”
Her cheeks flush. “That was… complicated.”
“I bet.” I try to keep the judgment out of my voice. It’s not my place. “Look, I’m not criticizing. I’m saying you’ve tried everything else. What’s the harm in showing him what he’s about to destroy?”
Ruby considers this, chewing her lower lip. “He’d need to agree first. And I find it hard to believe Hamilton Porkwell would follow me into the woods without an ulterior motive.”
“Leave that to me,” I say with more confidence than I feel. “I can convince him it’s a market research opportunity. ‘Know your enemy’s territory’ and all that corporate warfare nonsense he loves.”
“You’d do that? Help me stop your family’s development?” She looks genuinely puzzled.
I push my glasses up. “I’d help find a solution that doesn’t involve destroying something irreplaceable. Contrary to popular belief, not all tech nerds want to pave paradise and put up a parking lot.”
“Joni Mitchell. Nice reference.” She smiles, and it transforms her face entirely. The wild panic from earlier is gone, replaced by something warmer. “I appreciate this, Prescott. Genuinely.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Hamilton is still Hamilton. But… I’ll try.”
Ruby steps closer. I catch her scent—wild and earthy, with undertones of something I can’t quite define. My system could analyze it in seconds, break it down to chemical compounds and pheromone signatures. But sometimes technology misses the point entirely.
“Why?” she asks softly. “Why help me against your own brothers?”
It’s a fair question. One I’ve been asking myself since I left my comfortable server room to find her.
“Because Wolfstone matters to you,” I say finally. “And you’re the only person who’s ever remembered my birthday without a calendar notification.”
It was six months ago, at a city planning meeting. She wished me a happy birthday. Everyone else had forgotten, including Percy and Hamilton.
It wasn’t a big moment for her, but it meant something to me. More than I expected.
I’m not used to being seen. Not really.
But she saw me.
Ruby laughs softly. “That’s a pretty low bar.”
“I’m a simple pig with simple needs.”
She studies me for a long moment, head tilted slightly. Then, without warning, she leans forward and presses her lips to mine.
The kiss is brief, gentle—nothing like the heated encounters my surveillance system has captured between her and my brothers. But it sends an electric current through me that no amount of technical knowledge can explain.
When she pulls back, she looks as surprised as I feel. Her eyes widen with confusion. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s happening to me. First Percy, then Hamilton, and now…” She shakes her head. “I’m not usually this…”
“Unexpected,” I stammer, my brain struggling to process what just happened. I push my glasses up nervously. “But, um, quite welcome. Very welcome. If we were quantifying welcomeness on a scale of one to ten, that would register as a solid nine-point-seven. The missing point-three is just my surprise factor.”
I’m rambling like an idiot, but I can’t seem to stop. Ruby’s lips were soft and warm, and my brain has short-circuited completely.
“Thank you. For being decent.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly awkward. “And maybe a little more.”
I adjust my glasses again, buying time while my brain reboots. “I should warn you—I’m the defective Porkwell model. Limited social skills, excessive technical knowledge, and a concerningcollection of vintage video games. Hamilton and Percy got all the smooth genes.”
