"Uh, great, except we're not birds, genius."
"Is there anything but a pebble rattling around in that skull of yours?"
I was still in my mouse form, so hiding was easy. All I had to do was stay dead still and keep low to the ground. Their backs were to me so I didn't think they noticed me yet.
But wait… Voices? The coyotes spoke in a language I understood, so that could only mean they were shifters.
Like me.
I hesitated, not sure what to do. My first instinct was to run or hide, or both. Coyotes were dangerous, no matter if they were shifters or not. Why risk being in their presence?
Then again, I'd somehow fallen asleep against the chest of a harpy. So I was apparently notthataverse to risks.
"Maybe like, two pebbles," the coyote named Tai said teasingly. "And anyway, I wouldn't be so cranky if that stupid bird spirit thing didn't interrupt my sleep."
My ears perked up. What did he just say?
Spirit?
The coyote named Ry sat down and scratched himself. "I don't think it's a bird, it's like a man-bird. Isn't there word for that? I don't remember."
"Who cares what it's called, it's annoying as hell," Tai grumbled.
Mistral. They had to be talking about Mistral. He was the only other harpy in the area, and I knew for a fact that it couldn't be Cloud because he was cuddled up with me all night.
Not cuddled. That was the wrong word. I wasnotgoing to think of what we were doing as cuddling. It was… huddling for warmth.
Focus, Meeko.
I forced myself to pay attention to what they were saying instead of waffling on thoughts of Cloud. This was important. Chasing Mistral all day long yesterday led to nothing. If that coward was in hiding, then we needed clues to his whereabouts. This could be the lead we desperately needed.
When did I start thinking of this mission as ours? It was mine, not Cloud's. Wasn't it?
The yawn was contagious among the coyotes. Ry yawned too. "You're right about that. Hopefully it pisses off and goes back to whatever spirit hole it came out of…"
I itched to confront them. I was practically vibrating with impatience, willing them to keep talking.
"Ugh, I'm tired of being in this form. My fur's all dirty," Tai said. A second later he shifted and dipped into the stream.
Ry joined him in shifting. Now two men stood where the coyotes had been seconds ago. "Dude. I was literally drinking water."
"You weren't."
"Was too."
I tensed. Were they about to get into a fight?
But when they lunged at each other, it was obviously playful. They burst into laughter as they dunked each other's heads underwater. There was a tenderness and warmth to it, despite their rowdiness.
It was only when the two men kissed that I realized they were mates.
My heart clenched. The pang of envy snaking between my ribs was unmistakable. They looked so happy together. It reminded me of my Da and Pa.
I huffed. Why was I wasting time being jealous? I had better things to do.
When I glanced back to the coyote shifters, they were back in their animal forms, still roughhousing. It was clear their conversation was over. They probably wouldn't bring up Mistral again unless prompted.
But I could be the one to ask them, couldn't I?
