- Things felt a little tense and awkward for a few beats immediately following what Nudge had said, but Jackson didn't know why. He had been told by his ex that morphs didn't shift or really come into themselves until they were sixteen, but he hadn't realized that meant they didn't have stronger senses or anything either. He had always taken that for granted when Nudge would pipe up with that sort of information. By the way everyone had looked for a second though, he realized that had been a mistake, and that Nudge was possibly even more different than he had realized before. He sat Nudge down on her feet when she started to squirm a little, casting an apologetic look to Alex which he coupled with a slight shrug. Nudge had a mind and will of her own, and they both knew it.
Alex said nothing when Jackson sat Nudge down, only offering him a nod. She didn't think anyone was going to harm Nudge, and if they tried anything, they would have to get through her. She soon felt a little hand slipping into her own and held on, offering a small squeeze of support even as she watched Daniel and another man interacting with Nudge. She didn't know if Nudge had seen a wolf before or not, but she had apparently smelt one before. Saying nothing, she kept her eyes on Chance as she crouched down to get at Nudge's eye-level.
Nudge nodded when Daniel and Chance confirmed what she had said, replying with a steady, "I know." When Chance asked her how she knew, she looked at her, not having to look up for once, with a steady gaze. "I could smell him," she answered simply, as though that explained everything. As she asked if she had ever seen a wolf before, she nodded once again. "My mommy was a wolf," she said, using a word a child her age would use for once, "But she died got killed with my daddy."
Nudge said those words in such a simple way that it made Alex freeze for a moment. She had guessed as much of course, but she had never asked and Nudge had never offered the information up on her own. The fact that her mother and father had 'gotten killed' rather than 'had died' made her feel sad for the child, since that was something she understood. Her own parents had been murdered. "That's enough Nudge," she said softly, her features and voice softening as she spoke to her. She knew, unlike Jace, that there was something different about Nudge. "A place to stay would be nice," she said, returning her gaze to Daniel, "At least until we figure things out."




