“I could've guessed that,” I chuckle. “No one makes that much if they don't love to cook.”
“I hope I'm not imposing on Molly's job. I just—”
I wave off her concern with the hand not holding a large plate. “Don't worry about that. She'd love a break, believe me.”
Leena breathes easily and nods. “Thank goodness. She's been so nice, I don't want to get on her nerves.”
“You'd have to be a giant asshole to make the people here hate you. I don't think you have it in you.”
“Hey!” she protests. “You don't know, maybe I'm just a bitch.”
“It would've started with me,” I tell her. “You definitely wouldn't have made me such a great breakfast.”
“Yeah, well you're supposed to have a proper eating schedule now that I'm here. It's sort of my job.”
“The pancakes are really good,” I compliment, stuffing one inside my mouth. “How'd you get them so fluffy?”
“It's something my mom taught me.”
“I see.” I try not to say more, hoping she'll open up on her own and carry the conversation. Luckily, that's exactly what happens.
“We weren't the closest or anything,” she confesses. “I thought maybe that'd change one day. Fat chance of that happening now, huh?” Leena follows this with an uncomfortable chuckle.
I place the now-empty plate on the ground and look into the woods. “Can you smell anything?”
Leena turns to me. “I'm sorry?”
I point at the trees in front of us. “Do you smell anything there?”
My new assistant squints and sniffs the air. She slowly shakes her head. “Um… nothing but dirt and trees. It smells good though, kinda like how it is after it rains.”
“I can agree with that, but there's so much more to smell. Let's try something. Close your eyes.” She gives me a lingering look before obeying the instruction. “Good, now give the air another good sniff.”
Leena releases a breath before replacing it with a long sniff. I watch her brain work while her eyes are still closed. She frowns, still keeping her eyelids shut. Finally, she opens them.
“There's… I don't know how to explain it. It feels like there's a little something, but it's… it's…”
“Too far for you,” I finish. I turn back to the woods, “There's another pack on the outskirts of our land.”
She gives me a confused look. “Like trespassers?”
I shake my head. “No, they would've been if I didn't know about it, but their alpha came to ask for help.”
“Damn, that must've been embarrassing.”
I adjust my position on the log a little. “Anyone can ask for help, and anyone can need help. I'm glad he was finally able to ask.” I can tell that this makes her feel ashamed about what she said before, so I think of something to make her feel better. “You'll be able to do what I just did soon.”
“Give a good pep talk?”
“No,” I reply, laughing. “I mean you'll be able to pick up different scents once you train your nose. It's like exercising; you get better the more you do it.”
This has the opposite effect I want. Leena frowns so deeply that I'm afraid her sorrow will last forever.
“I don't want to learn anything,” she blankly states. “I don't see why I just can't stay the same. It's nice that you can smell things so far away, but I just want to exist and be normal.”
I sigh softly and pick up the plate again from its spot on the grass. “I understand,” I say, standing up.
I'm just going to head inside before I overstay my welcome. We were having such a good time, too.
