"Not to long ago, a little she-devil showed up, telling me that my son was growing soft." A little she-devil? His eyes narrowed. She-devil. Why that word? Why not bitch or any other commonplace demeaning word? Little she-devil. He only knew of one little "devil". Dione.
His expression cool, he said curtly, "If by 'soft' you mean a strong appreciation for pretty beings, then yes, I'm soft." But come on, who didn't love pretty people? "You're right. Rumors are a dangerous thing." So, Dione felt like slandering him, eh? What had she been hoping for? To weaken his alliance? To cause trouble for him? Probably. She was slimy enough not to face him herself, but spreading lies was right up her alley.
He met her gaze unflinchingly. "Which is why I intend to fix it. That being said, my slanderer is of the lowest quality. I know exactly who you're talking about. Her time in Imperium was short because she is respectless and shifty. She skulked around the packlands and never once contributed to its betterment." Her leaving had spared him the task of kicking her out, something he had been mulling over long before she'd flounced out of the meeting. It was entirely his fault for not realizing it sooner, but Dione's world revolved around her. She was incapable of being a valued member of society. "If she somehow manages to slink back here before I deal with her, call me. We have much to discuss."
"Talk"Think"You"
NOTE: Valentine has a female striped skunk companion named Lefty. Unless stated otherwise assume she's present.
