Theo leaned back against his desk, arms folded, eyes still on Eliot.
"So," he said again, quieter this time. "What exactly did Mira tell you?"
Eliot swallowed. Everyone was watching now—Theo trying to stay calm, Rex tense, Leon unreadable.
Cassian had paused mid-chip, clearly invested.
"She said her father caught fourteen wolves," Eliot began. "Recently. Three of them… weren't random. Important. She wouldn't say where they are, just that they're still alive. And that he's looking for one more. Someone specific."
Lunara's shoulders stiffened.
Rex muttered, "That's messed up."
Leon's jaw tightened. "And she wants you involved."
"She said she needs proof," Eliot nodded. "Something solid enough to stop him. She said I understand what's being taken."
Theo let out a slow breath. "That's… a lot to put on you."
Before anyone could say more, the door swung open.
"Okay, wow," Elara said, stepping in with a bag of snacks. She looked around the room, unimpressed. "This room is depressing. Wires, tension, boys silently judging each other."
Her eyes landed on Lunara.
She stopped.
"…Girl," Elara said, grinning instantly. "Are you seriously going to sit here with them all night?"
Lunara blinked. "I was not informed of better options."
"I'm taking you out," Elara declared. "To see the world. Or at least stores. Possibly food. Definitely snacks."
Lunara considered this for exactly two seconds. Then nodded. "Yes."
Cassian suddenly stood up. "I'll go too."
Everyone looked at him.
"What?" he said, shrugging. "I need to grocery shop anyway. And I have a car."
Elara narrowed her eyes. "You're not making this weird, right?"
Cassian held up his hands. "I throw wolves into bathrooms, not malls."
Lunara took the chip bag from his hand again. "You are forgiven. Slightly."
Elara laughed, looping her arm through Lunara's. "Come on. We're fixing your wardrobe."
"I like my coat," Lunara said, pulling her beanie back on.
"That's phase one," Elara replied.
They headed for the door, Cassian following with his keys, already listing groceries out loud.
When the door closed, the room felt quieter.
Leon shifted, then stepped closer to Eliot. He hesitated—then placed a firm hand on Eliot's shoulder.
"You didn't fold," he said gruffly. "That matters."
Eliot smiled softly. "Thanks."
Leon scoffed and stepped back. "Don't read into it."
Theo watched the exchange, smiling faintly. "Alright," he said, turning back to the desk. "We've got work to do."
Rex nodded. "Together."
Eliot adjusted his glasses, heart lighter than it had been all day.
For once, everything felt… steady.
--
The mall was loud.
Too loud.
Lights everywhere. Music echoing off shiny floors. People moving in clusters, laughing, staring—staring.
Lunara stood stiffly outside a dressing room, tail visible, ears upright despite the beanie she'd abandoned somewhere along the way.
"This is a bad idea," she muttered.
"Nonsense," Elara said, arms crossed, eyes sharp like a judge on a fashion battlefield. "You need options."
The curtain swished open.
Lunara stepped out in a soft, flowing dress—light fabric, simple cut. It didn't hide her ears or tail at all. In fact, it framed them.
Her golden eyes looked uncertain, but the dress moved beautifully when she shifted.
Cassian froze mid-sigh.
"…Wow," he said before he could stop himself.
Lunara blinked. "Is that good or bad."
"It's—" Cassian searched for the word. "—very good."
Elara stared at Lunara for a long second.
Then she clicked her tongue. "No."
Both of them turned to her.
"No?" Cassian echoed.
Elara waved a hand. "She looks beautiful, yes. Obviously. But this is daytime mall beautiful. It lacks attitude. Presence. Fear."
"I am plenty frightening," Lunara said flatly, tail flicking.
"Not in pastels," Elara replied.
Cassian rubbed his face. "I'm so tired."
They tried another dress.
Then another.
One with sharp lines.
One too sparkly.
One that made Lunara look like she was attending a royal ceremony she did not approve of.
Cassian sank onto a bench, head tipped back. "I just wanted food," he groaned. "I knew I couldn't handle this."
Elara shot him a look. "Then why did you come along?"
He opened his mouth, paused. "I was hungry. And I said I'd drive."
"Well," Elara said smugly, "if you survive this, you can take us out to eat."
Cassian perked up slightly. "Finally."
Elara tilted her head, grin turning sharp. "Sounds like a date."
Cassian choked on air.
"What—no— I mean—" He straightened quickly, cheeks warming a faint pink. "I said food. Not— a date."
Elara laughed. "Relax. I'm teasing."
Lunara watched the exchange silently, then looked down at the dress she was wearing now—simple, dark, comfortable.
"I like this one," she said.
Elara studied her again. Then nodded. "Fine. This one stays."
Cassian stood up immediately. "Great. Done. Victory. Food?"
Lunara's tail swayed slightly. "Humans are strange," she said. "But this… is not terrible."
Elara smiled.
-
The small restaurant hummed with the quiet clatter of cutlery and low chatter.
Steam curled from bowls of rice and soup, carrying a comforting scent through the warm, dimly lit space.
Elara leaned back in the booth.
"By the way, I tested you," she said, tapping her chopsticks against the table. "You passed. You didn't run when I told you we'd be eating out."
Lunara's ears twitched beneath her beanie.
" Is… predictable," she muttered, tail flicking beneath her coat.
Cassian returned then, carefully balancing three trays. He set down steaming bowls and drinks.
"Eat up," he said flatly. "Before I collapse from hunger."
Lunara picked up a fork, stared at it, then at a spoon, then at the rice.
"I—this is inefficient," she muttered. "We eat with our hands. Our food does not look like this."
Cassian groaned, dropping his head onto his hand. "Why did I even come along?"
Elara rolled her eyes.
"Because you're hungry, obviously. Now eat." She pushed some rice toward him. "Go on."
Under Lunara's coat, a faint glow pulsed from her amulet. Elara noticed immediately.
"Uh… Luna?" she said, pointing. "You're glowing."
"This is my amulet," Lunara said flatly. "It's powerful. Gives me my abilities. Been in my family for generations. It's… conscious."
Cassian sighed. "Are we here to eat, or talk wolf stuff?"
"Both," Elara said, shoving a spoonful of rice toward him. "You look starving."
Lunara finally picked at her food with her fingers, tasting it carefully. A faint smile appeared, almost against her will.