"You smell like brine," Zarek grumbled into her neck, inhaling deeply. His nose wrinkled. "Like a wet dog and salt."
"Hey!" Kaelen called out from the fire pit where he was sharpening a cleaver. "I heard that."
"It's true though," Iris chirped from where she was sitting on Zarek's boot, hugging Roxy's ankle. The little wolf-girl sniffed the air dramatically. "Mama smells like fish! Like the river, but... stronger."
Roxy laughed, leaning back into Zarek's solid warmth. "That's because I was a fish, Iris. For a long time."
Zarek stiffened slightly. He pulled back just enough to look at her profile, his dark brows knitting together in a frown of confusion and concern. "A fish? You shifted?"
"It's a long story," Roxy promised, patting his cheek. "A story for later. Tonight is for food. Look at them go!"
She pointed toward the makeshift outdoor kitchen.
The cooking competition had begun, and it was nothing short of a spectacle.
