STILL AT THE LIZARD ALPHA'S SWAMP
The party was still in full swing when Kayden found her.
Mira stood at the edge of the clearing, half-hidden by a hanging vine, watching the celebration with hollow eyes. She couldn't join because humans weren't allowed to join except it was an orgy.
Lizard folk danced around bonfires, singing and chanting happily.
Kayden approached slowly. He stopped a few feet away and simply looked at her.
"You are not dancing," he said.
Mira did not meet his eyes. "I am not in the mood."
He was still in his Lizard form when he became quiet for a long moment. Then his bones cracked, his scales receded and his snout shortened.
The shift was slower this time—deliberate, controlled. When it finished, a man stood before her.
He stepped closer.
"I owe you an apology," he said.
Mira's head snapped up. "For what?"
