I sat and talked with Fi'lo a bit more then I knew I had to shift back to meet with De'rax. I had Fi'lo turn around again so I could take off the tunic and not rip it. Seeing my wolf side in my mind I shifted back. Nudging the tunic with my nose I motioned him to take it back. He smiled nodded and left me alone with my thoughts.
I was still puzzling over how to let De'rax know about my life when I heard a loud roar rumble and echo through the ship. I popped my head up off my paws.
"De'rax! What is it?"
I waited but received no answer. I stood and went out trying to find him. I was supposed to meet him in the room so I wandered that way. I found him there. Sitting on the bed sniffing something. As I came closer I noticed it was the tunic I had worn while talking to Fi'lo. I froze.
De'rax looked up at me as I stopped in front of him. His eyes were almost black. The blue having faded out as his pupils expanded.
"De'rax?" I tried again to reach him.
He stared at me then slowly his pupils went back to normal and he shook his head.
"Kyra, when did you come in?"
"A couple of minutes ago. I heard you roar thought something was wrong. Is it?"
He looked at me then down at the tunic. Looking back up at me he spoke. "I went to change my tunic after my shower. When I reached for this one a scent I have smelled once before hit me. It is a scent that triggered my urge. Although I do not know where it came from."
I glanced at the tunic held tight in his hand clenched till his knuckles faded color. I nudged his had with my nose causing him to release the tunic. It fluttered to the floor and we both stared at it.
" What urge are you talking about. "
" It was my mating urge. It only happens once to my people."
"Is it always triggered by a scent?"
He shrugged. A very human thing to do I resisted the urge to giggle it was not the time.
"No not always. It can be triggered by a face, a sound, a touch. The most comman is the touch. I have never seen nor touched the owner of this smell."
"But you said you have smelled it before?"
"Yes out in the woods by my home. It was faint, barely there as the wind blew by. I do not know where it came from."
My mind lurched. That was the day I shifted outside. Caylee and I were having fun playing in the stream neither of us noticed him. I don't how I was going to tell him it was me he smelled. But I knew now I had to. I gathered up my courage. Took a deep breath. Okay here it goes just come out and say it.
"The scent you smell is me. It's mine I wore the tunic. I'm not a wolf I'm a human shifter."
There I said it, I released my breath and waited. Then waited some more. All he did was stare at me. Then started laughing.
"That is a good one. I like this joke. Tell me another one."
I was shocked. I just told him my biggest secret and he laughed at it like a joke.
"I'm not joking."
He laughed harder. Tears coming from his eyes. He stood up. The tunic on the floor all but forgotten.
"You must come up with more jokes. Thank you. I needed cheering up. I will find the owner of that scent. But we have other things to do."
With that he left the room. I sat there after he left. Pondering how that went awry. I was still sitting there when Fi'lo walked in. He picked up the tunic motioned to me then turned around. I shifted slipping the tunic over my head. I barely got it on before I started crying.
Fi'lo turned and sat in front of me. Patting my shoulder he murmured comforting words. As my tears slowed and my cries turned to hiccups I looked at him.
"I told him. I just came out and said it. I didn't know any other way. But do you know his reaction."
"Laughter?"
"Exactly that, laughter. He thought it was a joke. He thanked me for cheering him up then asked me to tell him another one."
Fi'lo looked as shocked as I was. "I am glad you told him. However I expected something other than laughter as a response. Anger maybe or even pain but never laughter."
I nodded my head. He stood and turned. I removed the tunic and shifted back. Leaving the tunic lie we both left the room.