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Since he noas sitting across from one of the prime candidates, that didn’t work
"I’m not really sure how you win over a wouard was up i for information on the direction of Lyra’s affections, he wanted no part of it Sihter did little to ease his tension
"You and me both But even if I knew, trust me, it would never have worked anyway Lyra and I… it’s just never been like that I ers I’m not blind, and I’ood as friends More than that, not so h the words sounded so rehearsed that he wondered howto become convinced they were true Of Lyra’s disinterest Jaden had no doubt But Simon struck him as a little too protective, and a little too interested, for a guy anted to be a platonic friend Still, Jaden didn’t plan to argue Simon out of his stated position It worked just fine for him
"At least you’ve stayed friends," Jaden said He had no idea how Sied all these years He would never have been able to spend soher He hadn’t even two nights here without his hands on her More would probably have driven him permanently insane
Simon considered while he ate another fry "I would haveDorien’s ainst hio way back Friendship isn’t such a bad place to start, you know? But ouldn’t haverun"
"How so?" Jaden asked, genuinely curious On the surface, if he put his own feelings aside, Siood fit
"She wants all of this," Si around him with a small half smile "Lyra was born to lead the Thorn She loves it She loves the people, the place, everything about being a olf except for soender-specific issues" He eyed Jaden "She ht have mentioned those Or not"
Jaden shifted uncomfortably "I heard about that Elsewhere" Sio into thee a few things here and there, but she loves it for what it is--a scrubby wolf pack in the middle of nowhere"
"You don’t like it here?" Jaden asked It seemed a rather harsh assessment Most of the wolves seemed perfectly content in their little forest oasis They ca here or in other surrounding towns, then returning to be a their own There was a rhyth after so many years of upheaval But he knew very well that so wolf like this who had never been out in the world
"I don’t know," Sih his hair "Yes… and no When you’re born into this, you don’t get a lot of choices, you know? Most of us just grew up here We’re expected to stay here And it’s great if you want it! But it’s always the saes And I just--"
Jaden found hi a sympathetic smile "Believe it or not, I know exactly how you feel" Sily just described Jaden’s mortal life He could look back on those erowing pains of a young man anted to s the way they had always been done
Jaden certainly had h even in that, he’d never really had a choice He’d just been jerked fro And there had been no going back
Siht youlook about you How’d it turn out for you?"
"What, wandering?" Jaden asked Simon nodded, and Jaden searched for an appropriate answer It wasn’t a question he got much Or ever
"I suppose I’d have to let you knohen I’," he finally said, and Sih" His face fell a little "The only wandering I’ll be doing is vicarious I’et a scar or two I’ll find a woman Could be worse"
It surprised Jaden to see his ht from a olf He understood,, himself But most people didn’t have an eternity in which to do it
"Maybe you can coo I can convene a varinned "It’s not a bad idea If you’re serious, I’ll see We don’t usually get too far outside the territory, but Dorien seeued by the possibility, at least, and that was so Jaden found it nice to be in a position to offer help to soh, he wanted to get on with this Sih he doubted she would appreciate it, he wanted to get back and check on Lyra The look of her this evening nagged at hiht What’s this really about, Sied to dance around for an hour now, in the way the wolf dropped his eyes Jaden’s instincts had been right: this was not purely a social exercise