A shiv for me a shiv for you

Rhyme had managed to at least shower Shaye with the water he shook from himself. He waded back to dry land as Shaye offered an acceptance to his idea. He perked an ear and lifted an eyebrow as he walked past her to where the rib bones and set of antlers lingered. He flicked his tail towards her, feeling a rather large drop form there. As he squinted at her when she mentioned watching herself carefully. Was that her throwing her training back in his face? She was lucky he was feeling forgiving this morning. He looked back down to his fragments and plopped down next to them. She wouldn’t be able to shove him as easily in this pose, plus he’d get a lot better weight leverage. The rock he’d laid them all on actually looked perfect.

He was caught a little off guard at Shaye’s final question. Was she talking about Tana? Rhyme wasn’t sure how to feel about the statement. To be completely honest with himself the last thing he’d thought about Tana was to “warm himself against” her. She was fragile for one, mentally and physically. The last time she’d tried to touch him he was pretty sure he’d scared her out of her wits. He hadn’t noticed but even as he thought about that night his mood would darken.

Rhyme tried to keep himself upbeat for Shaye, after sleeping on it he hadn’t been sure he was ready to tell Shaye. He didn’t want to lose control of his emotions in front of the other alpha. Though it seemed more like the longer he waited the more passionately he felt. None of those feelings were able to be shared with Tana though. The rage ate at all of him and he hadn’t even considered the tiny she wolf in that way. He tried not to show she had effected him with her teasing.

"I want to sharpen these bones and antlers." He told her as he flipped some of the ribs around and over as he contemplated their angles. "There could be multiple uses in healing, cutting herbs or dead skin away. Also fighting, like these antlers might be useful against coyotes or other small predators."

He looked back towards her, clearing his head of the tumult Shaye had placed here. "And you’re not talking about Tana, are you?" Shaye didn’t know about his other chance encounters did she? "Shaye, she’s half my age." Not that he would have really given that excuse much weight in his more intimate interactions, but it was easier than trying to explain everything else at that moment.