Rhea waved them off. "You don't have to thank me for that. It's not like friendship requires divine permission."
The laughter that followed settled the room into a comfortable warmth.
Then, her tone shifted. "So…" she started, tilting her head. "Are there humans in this world?"
The question hung in the air for a moment. Both Tavian and Jason blinked, exchanging looks of confusion. For a second, they wondered if she was joking, but then they remembered. Rhea had barely been allowed beyond the pack borders. To her, even the world outside the pack house might as well have been a different planet.
Tavian was the first to speak. "Uh… yes," he said, nodding slowly.
"Really?" Rhea asked, eyes lighting up in genuine curiosity.
Jason chuckled softly at her reaction. "Yes, really. Humans exist, Rhea."
Tavian added with a grin, "They're not as interesting as you'd think."
