Which made Ayla suck in a breath. "Oh!" And she shoved a hand into her pocket. "I got whistles for all of us. I was going to train Holly in a few new commands too. Disarm being one, and something for us."
"For us?" I asked.
She shifted a bit, curling up against my inner thigh so she was facing Rymar and Zasen more than the fire. "Well, if someone is left behind in the woods, he could blow the whistle in a pattern and Holly would know she shouldn't let me leave."
"I like that," Rymar said. "Teach her that, Ayla. Please?"
"I just have to see all the other whistle patterns first," she explained. "I don't want to use something else and undo her training."
"No, makes sense," Zasen agreed. "Do you have a list?"
Once more, she dug in her pocket, but this time she pulled out a piece of paper from the other side. "This is what Lansin gave me." And then she smiled. "And he has so many puppies! I didn't know dogs came in all those colors. I mean, Shadow's black, and Holly's brindle, but he has a red and white one, and she hasbigspots. Like someone dipped her in color, you know? And there are silver-grey ones." She caught her lower lip, struggling not to smile. "And blue merle."
"He's got a merle?" I asked.
She nodded. "His name is Storm. Lansin let me name him, but he's only four days old. And one of his litters is all red or black. Solid colors, like Shadow. They're eight weeks old, he said, and they're so cute!"
"I missed puppy time?" I gasped, pretending to be horrified.
She just leaned in, resting her shoulder against my chest. "I can take you tomorrow, but only if you're feeling okay. Promise?"
"I promise to rest up and heal as well as I can," I swore. "I just want to see all the colors. I don't actually know my favorite, and at this rate, I might have to get a dog too."
"You should get Storm!" she said. "He likes to cuddle like Holly, and he's so pretty, Kanik. And soft! Oh, and he smells funny, but I think I like it."
"And she's just learned about puppy breath," Zasen teased.
Ayla huffed, reached back, then tossed a piece of cheese at Zasen's head. "You knew about it?"
"Everyone knows about puppy breath," I told her. "They smell sort of musky, almost like a skunk to protect themselves, but most of us like it."
"Nope," Rymar said. "Not a fan. I mean, I'll tolerate it for puppy kisses, but I prefer how they smell when they grow up, like Holly."
"Holly doesn't smell," Ayla insisted.
"She does," I told her. "More to us than you, I bet, but she smells like a dog. It's nice, though. Well, when she's not gross and muddy."
"I wish I could smell it," she said with a little pout.
I caught Zasen flick his eyes over to her before shoving a hand across his mouth. Yeah, he was trying not to laugh, but it made me realize I was right. The three of us were definitely stupid over this woman. I liked it, though.
I hadn't expected to end up in a family with them. I didn't mind atall, but I'd always assumed someone would pick them and not me. Lessa, for example. She'd made it clear she had no interest in some boring brown guy like me. She also wasn't the only one.
But Ayla liked my brown. She was adamant that my purple counted as a bright color, since Zasen's blue did. I wasn't sure I agreed, but the way she was curled up against me was nice enough to convince me she believed it.
Gently, making sure I didn't startle her, I shifted to wrap my arms around her shoulders. "Hey?" I asked softly. "What do you think the chances are I can borrow half that bed of yours tonight?"
"Let him," Rymar said. "Climbing up to the loft is probably more than he should be doing."
"I'll take the loft," Zasen offered. "Rymar can sleep up there with me."
"I was going to let Rymar have the other bed," I said. "Well, if Holly won't mind me cuddling with her."
"Holly can have the other bed," Ayla said, glancing at me then away. "She likes to stretch out, and I bet you don't kick."
"I don't kick," I assured her.
But I could see Rymar nodding in approval. Okay, I liked this. Not only that my friends - no, partners now - were cheeringme on subtly, but the way Ayla had just made that decision? It was the biggest sign of trust she'd given so far.
