*Lupo*
Inwardly, I curse, realizing a flaw in the plan that I hadn't considered. I never reveal my back to anyone, not because I'm ashamed of it, but because the wolf is personal and private… it belongs to me, it's a part of me.
"Will it wash off?" she softly asks, filled with awe. "If I scrub it, will it disappear?"
I gaze at the far wall and notice a reflection of her in the oval mirror hanging there. Has she ever looked so innocent, so disarming? I don't like her appearing like that. It makes her approachable and appealing. I don't want her to be appealing. I want her to see me across the ballroom floor and remember that she once washed my back. I want her to blush when I sit across from her at a dining table. I want her to stutter the next time she tries to remind me of my nonexiste
