Chapter 223: Ridiculous Questions

{Third Person}

Alexander rested one arm against the back of the swing, staring at her.

There was no mockery in his expression, only a quiet curiosity about what had prompted the question.

"It is something we learn to control as we grow older," he explained. "Young wolves usually have less control over their shifting. Their emotions can trigger it, especially anger, fear or excitement. With training, shifting becomes voluntary."

"Does it hurt?" she inquired.

"No."

Amara looked relieved. "So you do not feel your bones breaking or anything like that?"

He gave her a brief look, then replied, "No. It is not as painful as you are imagining."

"I was wondering because the first time I saw you, you changed so quickly. I thought it must have been painful."

"It is not."

She nodded thoughtfully before asking another question. "Can every werewolf shift?"

"Yes."

"Even children?"

"They eventually learn to."

"How old are they when they first shift?"

"It varies."

Amara seemed satisfied with that answer, but only for a few seconds. "Do werewolves sleep like wolves?"

Alexander just stared at her, as if to say, ’What sort of question is that?’

On the other hand, Amara was oblivious to his thoughts, so she blinked. "What?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because you have wolf forms."

"That does not mean we sleep like animals."

"Oh." She looked genuinely embarrassed, but then another question came to her. "Do you growl in your sleep?"

The corner of Alexander’s mouth moved. she noticed immediately and asked, "Are you laughing at me?"

"No."

"You are."

"I am not."

His expression was already giving him away.

She narrowed her eyes at him, but she could not stop herself from smiling. "Then answer me."

"No, I do not growl in my sleep."

"How do you know?"

"Because I have never been told that I do," he replied, a little helplessly,

She boldly told him, "Maybe nobody wants to tell you."

He turned his attention to her again. This time, a faint smile appeared.

Amara’s eyes widened. "You really are smiling."

"I am aware." He nodded in agreement.

She laughed softly.

The sound seemed to settle comfortably around them, and Alexander found himself listening to it longer than necessary.

Amara continued with her questions.

She wanted to know whether werewolves could smell food before seeing it, whether they could recognise someone from their scent alone, and whether they could smell fear.

"Yes," Alexander answered.

"Anger?"

"Yes."

"Sadness?"

"Sometimes."

"Lies?"

Alexander paused. "Not exactly."

She leaned slightly toward him. "Then how do you know when someone is lying?"

"You do not know simply because of their scent. Changes in their heartbeat, breathing and scent can tell you that someone is nervous or afraid, but that does not necessarily mean they are lying."

She nodded slowly. "So, if I am frightened around you, you can tell?"

"Yes," he confirmed.

She immediately remembered the first morning when she had screamed after seeing him in his wolf form and talked about it. In the end, she shook her head.

"That is embarrassing."

"You were frightened," Alexander said to her. "You had every reason to be. You were not accustomed to seeing wolves."

She glanced at him. "I am trying to get used to it."

Alexander’s gaze remained on her for a moment. He knew that was true.

She had deliberately gone into the woods that morning because she wanted to see him in his wolf form.

He still did not understand why she had lied about the reason for her walk, but he had chosen not to question her.

Amara soon moved to another subject. "Do werewolves have different names for their wolves?"

"Some do."

"What about you?"

Alexander’s eyes shifted toward the garden. "My wolf and I have the same name."

"Does your wolf have a different personality from you?"

"Yes."

Amara looked interested again. "So you two argue?"

"Frequently," he admitted.

She laughed. "Does he ever win?"

"Sometimes," he answered without hesitation, not even the least bothered about his wolf’s current groans for lying.

"And what happens when he wants to do something you do not want?"

"I control him." Again, Alexander answered without hesitation. At the same time, his wolf scoffed. "As if!"

Amara tilted her head. "Does he listen?"

"Not always." As soon as Alexander said this, he could already see his wolf narrowing his eyes.

"You just want me to look bad in front of our mate, right?" His wolf asked.

Alexander ignored him and focused on Amara, who was laughing at his answer.

He watched her amusement without saying anything. It was strange how easily she had managed to turn an ordinary morning into a conversation he did not want to end.

Her questions became even more unexpected after that.

She asked whether werewolves could swim, become drunk, whether their children were born as wolves or humans, and whether they could eat raw meat.

She also asked whether they could understand the sounds of other animals and whether a wolf could become addicted to something as harmless as ice cream.

By then, Alexander was no longer hiding his amusement.

Amara noticed every time. "You keep laughing at my questions."

"I am not laughing at all of them," he said.

"Most of them," she insisted.

He slowly nodded. "I must say, you ask unusual questions."

"I am human. How am I supposed to know these things?"

"You could have asked someone before now."

Amara shook her head. "I did not feel comfortable asking people at the palace. I was already trying to understand everything around me. I did not want them thinking I was ignorant."

Alexander’s expression softened. "You are not ignorant because you do not know something." He continued, "You are simply unfamiliar with it."

Something about his answer touched her, bringing a smile to her face. "Then I am going to keep asking."

"I have noticed."

She laughed again. After a short silence, she looked toward the trees and then back at him. "One last question."

He raised an eyebrow, and she smiled innocently. "Do you think humans and werewolves are really that different?"

He did not answer immediately, looking at her and taking in the curious expression on her face. "Not as much as you think."

Amara smiled.

That answer stayed with her long after their conversation moved on.