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"Is Tally going to be okay?" Laurell asked softly. Ever since Geoff, Lou, Elisa, and Blysse left with that Agent Traxler person, her disposition had gotten more and more nervous. Mystery didn't really know what to do for her. She glanced at Naomi, who offered a small, helpless shrug.
Mystery had been bugging Geoff to give her more responsibilities within the pack. Now, she was starting to regret that. She didn't think lying to Laurell was a good idea, but the truth seemed too grim. She patted the young wolf on the shoulder gently. "Tally is one tough chick, you know she is. And Geoff and Lou aren't going to rest until they get her back." All of that was objectively true, but also didn't directly answer Laurell's question.
Laurell seemed mollified enough to give a small nod, pulling the blankets up to her chin. The act made her look even younger than she was. Mystery felt the overpowering urge to hug her – so she did. She'd been sitting cross-legged on the end of the bed, but now she crawled toward Laurell, the other woman's eyes widening slightly at her approach. However, Laurell relaxed noticeably the second Mystery threw her arm around her.
"Mark?" Mystery called over her shoulder. "Do you want in on this?" The young man was sleeping on an inflatable mattress that had been wedged firmly between the side of the bed and the wall. When Geoff and Lou departed, he ordered that everyone was to bunk in his and Lou's room. They had a king size bed, but that was a tight fit for four. Mystery – heck, most werewolves – loved that, as the closeness of physical contact was a bonding experience, not to mention immensely comforting. Mark, on the other hand, had hangups about it, even though Mystery knew that when he let himself enjoy it, he reveled in the closeness. Even though it could be entirely platonic, he seemed to view such contact as too intimate, something to be embarrassed about. She never pushed it on him, but always made an effort to include him.
Mark peered at her from his spot on the air mattress, his eyes flicking to Laurell. Though they were both Alltidungrs and consequently had something to bond over, the two of them were not particularly close. Laurell seemed happiest being in Geoff's presence, whereas that was where Mark was at his lowest. It made for some awkward situations.
Like now.
He seemed to be seriously considering the invitation, but ultimately he gave a small shake of his head. "Thank you, no. I'm... I'm fine here." As if to emphasize that, he fluffed his pillow a bit and settled back down, drawing his knees up to his chest under the blankets.
"Okay. Well... the offer's always open. Right, Laurell?" She turned to Laurell for confirmation, and the other wolf nodded silently. Mystery didn't think she was being too pushy about it; Laurell seemed to embrace all the aspects of being a wolf, including and especially intra-pack cuddling.
She looked over her other shoulder, toward Naomi. She wasn't in the bed, but instead was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed tightly over her stomach. She was doing an admirable job of keeping her expression neutral, but Mystery could see the tightness around her eyes. Doubtless, she was worried about Tally and Blysse, though for different reasons. None of them really knew just how dangerous this rescue mission was going to be, but the general consensus was "very."
"Naomi, why don't you come and join us?" She was on the right side of the bed, curled up against Laurell with her back to Mark. There was plenty of room on the other side of Laurell's form if Naomi had wanted to join.
"Not right now, thanks hon." Naomi gave her a strained smile. "I'm going to go take a look around downstairs, make sure all the doors and windows are locked."
Mystery frowned. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Geoff said we were all supposed to sleep here..."
"Yeah but I'm not feeling very sleepy right now." She held up a hand to forestall Mystery's next words. "I promise, I won't set foot outside. I might go down and have a snack or something. I just need to take my mind off... everything. You know?"
"Yeah. I know." Mystery nuzzled against Laurell, eliciting a small sound of comfort from the other wolf. "Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find us." Until a few moments ago, Mystery was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to sleep either. However, she couldn’t deny the fact that just the warmth of Laurell's form had a soothing effect, lulling her to repose. Maybe she'd be able to get a wink or two in after all.