It was hard for them to believe that Noah was calling them to reward them when they had done nothing so far to deserve it.
Was this about deciding whether they deserved to stay, whether they would be changed, punished, or removed before they became a liability?
Her breathing almost stuttered.
Noah noticed the difference in their reactions right away.
"What exactly are the two of you thinking about?" he asked flatly.
Then his gaze shifted more directly toward Alexandria.
"Listen to me first before thinking about things you don't need to."
Her stiffened fur slowly softened as embarrassment and relief mixed inside her. Her gaze instinctively drifted toward Ailetta, who stood nearby with that same amused fascination she always seemed to carry when looking at Alexandria.
That gaze used to terrify her. Now, somehow, it helped.
Ailetta's smile made the situation feel less like judgment and more like something she was simply waiting to see transpire.
