Ring of Storms [1]

39.

"I mean why would we gossip about you?" Zena corroborated Lloyd's claim and all I could do was smile, uneasily, at her in support of both Lloyd and Zena's words.

"What did yall say?" Dina gabbled as she, hurriedly, pulled out her earpiece. The repressed musical notes could be heard coming out from within the smartphones' accessory. "Sorry, I didn't catch your words. Grace Vanderwaal gossip girl is a banger, I tell ya," she squealed, carrying the pot of oatmeal, and placing it on a trivet.

Lloyd breathed a visible sigh of relief before slumping further into her chair and I almost guffawed at our shocked expressions.

Just why we were being secretive was beyond me.

"Yeah, the song certainly rocks," Zena agreed, getting up to help with the arrangement of dishes.

"I know! It's so apt in describing the feelings that come with friendship betrayal," Dina nodded, enthusiastically, with wide eyes before going on about her love for the song.

"That was close," Lloyd whispered to me with her eyes still on Dina.

"Doesn't she know she has..." I trailed off, sending Dina a fleeting look but before Lloyd could fill in the missing aspect, I continued. "...whatever you just called it?" I waved off.

"No, she doesn't. Alpha Aryn never told her so that she would never feel odd among other wolves," she explained. "Besides, she'd never even remember that she was a regressing lycanthrope, considering her condition," she sighed, deeply, gazing at Dina who was now engaged in animated conversation with Zena.

What was even a regressing lycanthrope?

"Morning to my beautiful subordinates," Roy sing-songed with false haughtiness as he strolled into the kitchen with an exaggerated catwalk.

"Lord Edward Kingston do watch your step lest your precious toes get caught in the rat traps," Dina replied with a saccharine smile earning a few snickers from Lloyd, Zena, and me.

Roy's stroll faltered, momentarily, as he looked down at the floor, cautiously, for his feet were clad in a pair of faux fur slippers. Noticing that Dina had given into a fit of boisterous laughter and that there were no traps in sight, he finally realised that she had been pulling his legs.

"Very, very funny Dina," he noted, sourly, with a tight pull on his robe's belt before sitting next to Lloyd.

"But quick question," Zena spoke up and Roy smiled, signalling that she could fire away, as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "Did you lose your slippers? Because why else would you wear your mistress' own?"

I looked down at his slippers again and noticed that the colour was quite contrary to what he usually wore.

"My question exactly. Where's your slippers princess?" Dina teased with a wink.

Roy took a quick look at his slippers and noticing that they were pink, a transient look of surprise crossed his features.

"Lloyd," he drawled, unimpressed.

"What?" She shrugged, biting into a toast. "You gave us only two hours at the mall, so I just grabbed whatever was on the rack," she explained, hiding her smile behind a raised coffee mug.

"And it so happened that it was the colour pink," he deadpanned with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't be salty princess. It fits you nicely," Zena praised, before winking at Lloyd and Zena who giggled.

Guess they got him back for halving our shopping trip.

"Did you really just notice it now though?" I chewed on an apple before turning towards him.