Underdogs The First Stories

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There was an al fresco café a few blocks from the address Mrs. Sampson gave them. They both ordered coffee and took a seat close enough to the sidewalk so they could watch the passersby. Dale had her laptop out, and Ari contented herself with people watching. After a few minutes of silence, Dale said, "I noticed you were pretty caught up in the mother's story."

"She just wants to make sure her daughter is safe," Ari said. "I can respect that."

"Is that all it is?"

Ari sighed and straightened in her seat. "Okay, the story struck a nerve. How much detail do you want?"

"As much as you're willing to give. You know me, little miss nosy."

Ari grinned. "Okay. When I first left home, I lived on the street for a few years. I was nineteen when I met this woman named Evangeline. She saw me in a diner, one of the few times I actually had money for food, and told me that she knew what I was, and she could offer me a place to stay until I found a job and got back on my feet. She looked rich... smelled rich, too. I knew there were strings attached, but I didn't really have a lot of options. I agreed, and she took me home. Big mansion. I had a little guest house out back all to myself."

"And it must have worked out wonderfully, because you're still there now?" Dale said. "I assume you found out what the strings were pretty fast. Sex?"

"I was actually hoping for sex. Evangeline was a beautiful woman, and I figured if the worst thing I had to do was make love to a beautiful woman, then I was on easy street. But it wasn't quiet that simple. You know, I've never actually told anyone this whole story before."

Dale said, "We can leave it there if you want."

"No, it's fine." She shifted in her seat and looked down into her coffee. "Like I said, Evangeline knew what I was. She could smell it or something. She was from the old country and had some sort of sense when it came to this." She cleared her throat. "She wanted me to be the wolf. She would take me for walks, pet me, have me curl up on the couch with her when she watched TV... I was basically her pet. I wore a leash and everything. The only time she wanted me human in her presence was when we were having sex."

Dale grimaced. "Oh, God. Did you..." She touched her throat.

"Yeah, I wore the leash and collar when we were having sex. That was part of the kink, I guess."

"Wait, if that's true, then you must have been in wolf form for..."

"About nineteen, twenty hours a day."

Dale's eyes widened. "Holy shit. How did you not go completely insane?"

Ari shrugged. "I did. A little bit. I started to be less than human even when I wasn't the wolf. I didn't particularly like myself at that time, so I was fine with being... nothing. But eventually I realized how sick it was, and I finally got up the courage and told Evangeline I had to go away. She was fine with it. I think she'd been expecting it. So she gave me some money and wished me well. I used the money to get a PI license, trained with Glory, and rented our office with what was leftover."

Dale whistled and shook her head. "Did you ever see Evangeline again?"

"Once. She was out walking her dog. Well, a dog."

Dale shuddered. "That is some messed up shit."

Ari shrugged again. "I don't judge. Evangeline was a nice enough woman. She treated me very well, gave me a warm place to sleep. And when I had enough, she let me go. There are a lot worse things out there than some bizarre fetishes."

"That's why you agreed to find Rebecca Sampson. You really just want to make sure she's being treated well."

"Yeah." She watched Dale and said, "What?"

"Nothing. Just remembering why I work for you, that's all."

Ari smiled and looked down the street. A blonde girl had just stepped out of the building they were watching. She pulled a pair of sunglasses from the collar of her shirt and slipped them on before she stepped from the entryway and started walking.

"That's our girl, right?" Ari said.

"Rebecca Sampson, in the flesh."

Ari took off her sunglasses and sat them on the table. "All right. You follow her on foot. I'll check out the apartment. Did you get the signs?"

Dale tapped the stack of paper next to her laptop and said, "Ready to go. Are you sure you'll be all right?"

Ari gave her a thumbs-up and dropped a few bills on the table as they stood to leave. She went into the alley while Dale went down the street to fall in behind the departing Rebecca Sampson. All the apartment buildings on the street had fire escapes, and it didn't take Ari long to reach the one for Rebecca's building. She pulled down the ladder and scaled the three flights to the apartment number Mrs. Sampson had given them.

She looked inside to make sure Rebecca's lover wasn't home before she jimmied the latch and stepped inside. The area under the window was a library, and Ari took a moment to examine the books lining the walls all around her. A nice mix of fiction and biographies, and quite a few law books. There was a photo on the table of Rebecca Sampson and an older blonde woman, cheeks pressed together. They were on the pier, the water stretching out behind them. They looked happy, but photos could be misleading.

There was a bedroom, but it was full of clothing. Ari could hardly believe the amount of clothes piled on the floor and stuffed into the open closet, and wondered if there was another half dozen residents in the apartment that she didn't know about. The foldout couch in the living room was still in bed-mode, the sheets and blankets tangled together on the mattress. Ari ignored the sex paraphernalia on the floor next to the bed as she continued her search. She wasn't exactly sure what she hoped to find. Even if there were shackles on the wall and a leather dominatrix mask, the items themselves didn't mean the sex wasn't consensual. Maybe Rebecca really liked being tied up and she just didn't bother mentioning that to her mother.

She just wanted to see if there were big, glaring signs of trouble before she took the next, drastic step. The apartment looked like a place where any nineteen year old would call home. The lover looked to be a bit older, but if she was dating a teenager, all bets could be off when it came to maturity.

Ari gave the apartment another once-over before she went back to the window. She took a shopping bag from the floor beside Rebecca's desk and carried it with her as she left. She scaled the fire escape down to the alley and looked around to make sure she was alone. She moved between two dumpsters and began to undress. She folded her clothes neatly and placed them in the shopping bag. When she was naked, she slid the bag behind a drain pipe, hopefully where it would go unnoticed until Dale came and retrieved it for her.

She rolled her shoulders, closed her eyes, and focused. She had tried to explain the process dozens of times, to Dale and to her mother and to partners... it was very hard to compare to any normal situation. The closest comparison she could make was that it was like forcing yourself to fall asleep. Eyes closed, mind quiet, focusing on relaxation. Only in this case, it was more like seeking a signal. That other part of her that she kept hidden so much of the time.

Much like falling asleep, it was hard to tell when the process began. One minute she was standing between the dumpsters, and the next she was curled in pain. God, how she had hoped it would stop hurting with time. When she was a teenager, going through her first transformations, she'd survived by telling herself that eventually her body would get used to it. No such luck. Her bones had to break and reset with every switch, and that never got less painful.

Her back broke. Her shoulders shifted. The bones of her hands spread and expanded. She arched her back as her flesh rippled and was replaced by a thick hide. Hair burst from her, covering her with a flowing pelt of fur that matched her normal hair color. She dropped to her hands as her knees snapped and turned backward. Her feet became paws. Her teeth retracted and fangs took their place.

Her mind worked different when she was the wolf. She knew her job, however, and it was easier to keep focused during the day. She shook her entire body, stretched, and looked around to make sure no one had wandered into the alley during her transformation. Satisfied she had been unseen, she left the alley and trotted down the sidewalk toward the entrance of Rebecca's building.

She found a shady spot behind a potted plant, curled up with her head on her paws, and looked down the street in the direction Rebecca had gone. Now all she could do was wait and hope Dale followed through on her part of the plan.

A few people stopped as they came out of the building to coo at her, rubbing her head and scratching between her shoulder blades. She didn't mind. Being petted was similar to the massages Dale gave her after a rough transformation, and she welcomed it.

It was almost two hours before she saw Rebecca walking toward her. The blonde from the photo was with her, an arm looped around Rebecca's elbow. The girlfriend was leaning in, looking at the iPhone or iPad or i-whatever the newest thing was that Rebecca had in her hands, smiling at something on the screen. She laughed, and Rebecca tucked the phone into her pocket as they approached the building.

Ari emerged from behind the plant with a timid whimper, lowering her ears against her skull and trying for puppy-dog eyes. She could never pull them off as a person, but maybe actually being a dog would help. Rebecca glanced down and then her eyes widened slightly. "Oh, God, Alicia, look. It's that lady's doggie."

Way to go, Dale.

Rebecca crouched in front of her and rubbed Ari's head. "Hello, Princess. Your mommy is looking all over for you. She's very, very worried."

Alicia was looking back the way they had come, her own cell phone in her hand. "Do you remember the number on her poster?"

"Yeah, I put it on my phone." Rebecca pulled her phone out and handed it over her head to Alicia. Alicia dialed and reached down to pet Ari as well, scratching her ear.

"Hello, Ms. Frye? We just met about an hour ago down on Houston? Yeah, the blondes." Rebecca smiled at the reference and kept petting Ari. "We just got home, and your dog is here. Yeah, she seems just fine. We're on Seventh Street, in a building called the Commodore. If-- Oh, no. Damn..."

Rebecca looked up. "What is it?"

"She just got into a cab heading uptown. She has class in fifteen minutes, and it's going to go late. Um... look, we'd have to take the dog upstairs anyway, so why don't we just keep an eye on her for you tonight. You can come pick her up in the morning. No, it's no problem at all. Well, great."

Rebecca was nuzzling Ari's face now, the one thing Ari hated about people/dog relations. What on earth possessed people to put their mouths next to a dog's? "Hear that, girl? You're gonna stay with us tonight. That'll be fun, huh? Yeah, I think you'll like it."

Alicia finished talking to Dale and handed Rebecca's phone back. "You can go ahead and take her upstairs. I'm going to run down to the store and get some food for the poor thing. She's probably starved to death."

Probably not much chance you're going to get me a Big Mac, I bet.

"I'll see you upstairs," Alicia said.

They kissed each other briefly before they parted. Rebecca guided Ari to the door and into the lobby. Ari's nails clicked on the tile, and she obediently followed Rebecca to the stairs.

"Wow, you're a really good puppy, aren't you? Huh?" She chuckled and continued to lead the way.

When they got to the apartment, Rebecca unlocked the door and guided Ari inside. She paused at the threshold and looked around, brow furrowed as she tried to place what was wrong. Ari watched her, but Rebecca shook off whatever inkling she felt and closed the door. "Sorry about the mess, Princess."

So. Dale told them my name was Princess. I'm definitely firing her.

Ari walked across the apartment while Rebecca tidied up as best she could. She gathered the sex toys off the bed and dumped them into a drawer, then tugged the blankets up over the mattress. Ari wandered through the front room, trying to find a comfortable spot where she could observe without being too obvious about it. She climbed onto an armchair between the living room and the kitchen and sat down while Rebecca went into the kitchen and searched the fridge.

"Looks like Alicia got her wish, Princess," Rebecca said. "She's been going on and on about dogs being substitutes for babies and how we have to take care of a dog to see if we can really adopt a little baby." She walked back into the room and sat on the arm of the chair. She petted Ari and said, "Dogs and babies are completely different. But you know that, huh?"

Ari made a noise in her throat and Rebecca chuckled.

"Yeah." She bent down and kissed Ari's head. "Still, it could be nice. Me and her being mommies. We'll just take care of you tonight, and Alicia will see that we can do it."

Ari put her head down on her paws. Probably not what you'd call definitive evidence, but planning for a baby was enough to make Ari worry she had just wasted her entire night.





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Ari looked up with dread when Alicia came back. She'd eaten some hideous things in her canidae form, but fortunately she didn't remember most of them. She only knew that the animal side of her brain had succumbed to hunger by a particularly queasy stomach the following day, and she always tried to avoid looking in the toilet after she threw up. Some things were better left unknown. So she eyed the bag in Alicia's hand and wondered if it was too late to pretend she was already full from eating out of a trash can.

"Hey, babe," Rebecca said. She was sitting on the foldout with her laptop, working on something for school.

"Hey." Alicia bent down and kissed her hello. "I got Chinese for dinner."

Ari's stomach growled. Maybe they'd let the dog have some leftovers.

"And for our lovely houseguest... I thought I'd spoil her a little bit. She's had a rough day, getting lost and spending the night with strangers." She took a package of premium dog food from the sack and held it out for Ari to investigate. Ari had never tried it, but it looked good enough. She was willing to give it a try.

Rebecca said, "Hon, her name is Princess. I think she's used to being spoiled."

"Well, it's a good thing I didn't get the dry dog food, then." She carried the food into the kitchen, making plates for herself and Rebecca before she served up Ari's meal. She sat it on the floor and carried the two bowls of Chinese to the bed. "How's the report?"

Rebecca sighed heavily and took off her glasses.

"That well?" Alicia said. She picked up the laptop and set it aside. "Dinner first. What do you want to watch, 30 Rock or Project Runway?"

"We have an entire season of Project Runway. That's daunting. Cue up Tina Fey."

They settled in and Ari watched as Alicia aimed the remote control at the TV. She scrolled down a menu, and an episode of the sitcom began. She'd heard of that device, thought it was kind of like a VCR, and decided she had to see about getting one. She was still stuck in the first season of Mad Men. She looked down at her dinner, sniffed it warily, and decided that she paid to eat food that smelled worse, so she would be a snob to turn down a free meal.

The three of them ate, Ari keeping on eye on the women. So far they seemed like a normal couple; loving and happy, considerate of each other. They shared their meal and, when Rebecca had a coughing fit, Alicia went into the kitchen and retrieved a bottle of water for her.

They made it through two episodes of the sitcom before Rebecca declared herself full. Alicia carried their cartons into the kitchen and looked down at Ari's plate as she passed. "Do you think we have to take her for a walk or something?"

Ari took that as her cue. She walked to the window and stood on her back legs, pawing at the glass. Rebecca stared at her and said, "What is she doing?"

Alicia went over and pushed the window open. Ari crawled out onto the fire escape.

"Keep an eye on her! If she falls to her death, that girl will kill us both."

Alicia crawled out after her and Ari moved to the stairs. She moved quickly down to the ladder that led to the alley floor. She eased herself onto the rungs, her weight dragging the ladder all the way down to where she could drop easily to the pavement.

"Becca, you gotta come and see this," Alicia said.

Ari moved behind a dumpster and pretended to go about her business. If the girls thought she could take care of herself, hopefully they would leave the window open so she could roam freely once they went to bed. Maybe find a Big Mac to get the taste of dog food out of her mouth. It may have been expensive and fancy, but kibble was kibble. She returned to the ladder, jumped, and scaled the rungs with relative ease.

Rebecca and Alicia were both at the window when she returned. They applauded her, scratched her neck and expressed their amazement at her ability to climb a ladder, and then guided her back into the apartment. "Looks like you're quite the little acrobat. No wonder you got away from your mommy."

Ari let herself be led back to the armchair she'd claimed as her own. Rebecca went back to her laptop, and Alicia busied herself in the kitchen with the dishes from dinner. The whole situation was heartwarmingly domestic. She pretended to sleep while Alicia finished with the dishes and went to take a shower.

In the morning, she would be handed over to Dale. Then they would surreptitiously follow Rebecca and Alicia just to make sure everything was on the up and up. But she doubted they would find anything nefarious to report. Rebecca seemed happy with Alicia. Alicia seemed to truly love Rebecca. Not only would the case be easy, she had the bonus of getting to tell Mrs. Sampson that her daughter really was happy.

Ari didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she realized the apartment had suddenly gotten dark. She lifted her head and looked around, finding the only source of light was coming from the bathroom. Alicia and Rebecca were both in bed, moving underneath the blankets and giggling quietly.

"Not in front of the dog."

"You think we'll traumatize the pup?"

Rebecca laughed. "It's a stranger's dog! It feels weird."

Alicia shifted and pulled the blankets up over their heads. "I just hope she doesn't start howling along with you. We get enough complaints from the neighbors as it is."

More giggling, and then Rebecca began to moan.

Exit, stage right, Ari thought. She looked over her shoulder and saw the window was open just enough for her to slip out. Ari left the chair and crossed the kitchen, climbing outside just as Rebecca started to get very vocal.

Ari climbed down the fire escape to the alley and crouched behind the dumpster. She stifled a cry of pain as she transformed back to her normal state, clutching a drain pipe as she panted and tried to catch her breath. She was dripping with sweat and her eyes refused to focus. She'd pushed it. Hours as a canidae took their toll. She closed her eyes and recited poems in her head, slowly forcing her mental tracks back into human. She liked Emily Dickinson and Percy Bysshe Shelley.

She checked for the bag of her clothes and saw Dale hadn't retrieved it yet. She took it down and put on her blouse and pants, not bothering with underwear. She carried the bag out of the alley and headed to an all-night diner down the street. She spotted Dale's car outside and quickened her pace, nearly running when she got to the door.

Dale was sitting in the booth farthest from the door, sipping coffee and reading a novel. Ari motioned at the woman behind the counter for a cup of coffee and slipped into the booth across from her assistant.

"I figured you might find a way to sneak out, so I left the clothes."

"Thank you," Ari said. She reached across the table and Dale took her hand. She squeezed and suppressed a shudder, but she still grunted.

Dale said, "I knew it." She rubbed the back of Ari's hand. "You pushed it too far. What are the symptoms?"

"Fine, I'm fine," Ari said. The waitress dropped off Ari's coffee. "Could I also get a burger, medium rare, and fries? Thank you." She waited until the woman shuffled off before she turned back to Dale. "I'm fine. It's just been a while since I had one of these marathons."

Dale was always concerned there was a tipping point, a time when Ari would spend too much time as a canidae and be unable to get back. Ari always ridiculed her concerns, unwilling to admit that she feared the exact same thing. She stroked the back of Dale's hand and closed her eyes. The knowledge that she was human, that she was observed and acknowledged as human, calmed her nerves and she soon stopped trembling.

"Have you found anything for Mrs. Sampson?"

"They're boring," Ari said. "They're a boring, in-love couple. Alicia, the girlfriend, wants to get a dog as a test to get a baby."

"That's a good idea," Dale said.

Ari frowned. "No, it's not. A dog isn't a baby."

"Well, the responsibility..."

"Is totally different."

Dale said, "Regardless. So your first blush?"

"I don't think Mrs. Sampson has anything to worry about." She sipped her coffee. "Tomorrow after they give me back to you, we'll split up and follow them. I'll go with Alicia to see how she spends her day. You keep an eye on Rebecca."

"All right. Are you sure you can manage this? I can call the girls and tell them you left their apartment and showed up at my place."

Ari shook her head. "I can manage. I just need an hour or so as myself, a good meal, and I'll be ready to head back."

"If you say so," Dale said.

"And you," Ari added. "You'll stay with me, right?"

Dale smiled. "Yeah, as long as you need me here."





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Ari hated sleeping in the wolf form. She was always unsure exactly who she was when she woke up, confused about where she was. She stretched and looked around the apartment, her mind wavering between human and canidae before settling on the correct side. She yawned loudly and clambered off the armchair, moving toward the foldout couch. Rebecca and Alicia were spooning and Ari realized that Rebecca was awake and watching Alicia sleep. Ari started to back away, but Rebecca clicked her tongue and motioned her up onto the mattress.

Ugh, just a normal thing dog owners do, she said. It would only be weird if you were human.

She climbed onto the bed and Rebecca scratched her head. "Hey. Look at my beautiful girlfriend. Isn't she lovely?"

Ari chuffed her response and Rebecca chuckled.

"What do you know, pup? Come here."

Ari reluctantly lay down across Alicia's lower body, resting her paws on the older woman's hip. It's not kinky, she reminded herself. Not kinky at all.

"Hey," Alicia muttered as she woke up. "I said I wasn't into threesomes."

If she could have, Ari would have rolled her eyes.

"That's okay. I don't think she's too impressed with you."

Alicia rolled onto her back and scratched Ari's side. "Snob."

Rebecca looked at the clock. "Babe, I have to get to class. Can you set up the meeting with Dale?"

"Sure. I kind of hate to give the girl up."

Rebecca pushed herself up against the headboard and chewed her bottom lip as she looked at Ari. "You know, I was thinking about it last night. Your idea that we should get a puppy or something. I think... it would be a good thing."

Alicia turned to her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Rebecca said. "I know you thought that my hesitation was because I didn't want to be tied down to you, or whatever. The whole age difference. But I just really wanted to be sure we were both ready. And I think we are."

Alicia pulled Rebecca to her for a kiss.

"We'll go check out shelters after you get off work." Rebecca said. "Say five?"

"Yeah. Then we can get dinner while we're out, too."

Rebecca nodded. "Okay. I have to go shower before class." She kissed Alicia again before she slipped out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom.

Alicia waited until she heard the water start before she wrapped her arms around Ari's neck and hugged her in an almost violent manner. Ari resisted the urge to yelp and squirm away, willing to submit to the woman's happiness. Alicia chuckled and kissed the side of Ari's head. "Looks like you're my lucky charm, Princess. Thank you."





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Ari was grateful that Alicia didn't have a leash, and she obediently followed her down the street to the same diner where she'd met with Dale the night before. Dale was waiting outside and smiled brightly when she spotted Alicia coming toward her. "Hi! Oh, my God, you're such a life safer. I was so worried about her."

"I don't know why," Alicia said. "She is an amazing dog. Quiet and no trouble whatsoever."

Dale crouched in front of Ari and petted her. "Hey, girl. Did you miss me?"

Ari licked Dale's face, and Dale narrowed her eyes at her.

"You have to let me reimburse you," Dale said. "You must have bought food, or taken the time to walk her or... let me give you something."

"No, please. It was a pleasure. And she kind of helped me win a stand-off with my girlfriend or something. I feel like I should pay you for letting me borrow her for the night." She reached down and stroked Ari's back. "Thanks for coming to see us for a little while, Princess. You're a good pup."

"She's definitely one in a million. Thank you again."

Alicia finally let Ari go, possibly only because she was due at work, and Ari followed Dale away from the diner. They went down an alley and Dale waited until the foot traffic died down before she nodded for Ari to go ahead and change. Thirty seconds later, Ari was slumped against the brick wall and Dale had a jacket wrapped around her shoulders.

"It's all right. Just breathe."

"Phew... God."

Dale pushed Ari's hair out of her face and watched her eyes. "You really spent twenty hours at a time as a canidae when you were with Evangeline?"

"Yeah," Ari said. "I was much younger then."

Dale smirked. "Not that much younger. What was that lick about?"

"Princess?"

"Sorry," Dale said. "I couldn't help myself. It was either Princess or Miss Snuggles."

When Ari could stand on her own, Dale opened her backpack and handed out the clean clothes she'd gathered from Ari's apartment. Ari dressed quickly and pushed her hair out of her face. She led Dale out of the alley and looked in the direction Alicia had gone. "Mrs. Sampson paid us for three days, but I really don't think it'll be necessary to follow them that whole time. There's a miniscule chance I caught them on the most loving day of their lives, but... I really don't think you can fake that."

"What do you want to do instead?"

Ari sighed. "Let's try the truth."





#





The dogs paraded to the front of their cages and peered up at Ari, trying to figure out her scent. She bared her teeth at a few of them, but they were too cute for her to get too angry. She was crouched in front of one cage, letting a Maltese sniff her fingers, when Alicia and Rebecca showed up. They were holding hands, whispering to each other as they scanned the dogs in the cages. Ari stood up and brushed her hands on her jeans as she casually moved toward them.

"...none of the breeds really look like Princess did, though. She was such an unusual dog. Maybe a mixed breed." Rebecca realized Ari was standing nearby and offered a friendly smile. "Hello."

"Hi. My problem is not just taking them all home."

"Tell me about it. I'm Rebecca Sampson, and this is my partner. Alicia."

Alicia and Ari shook hands, and Alicia furrowed her brow. "You look so familiar."

"I just have one of those faces," Ari said. She turned to face the row of cages, a few feet to Rebecca's right. They scanned the puppies for a moment in silence before Ari said, "Rebecca, your mother hired me."

Both women froze before Rebecca slowly turned to face her. "What did you say?"

"My name is Ariadne Willow. I'm a private investigator. Your mother hired me to observe how you and Alicia acted in public because she was concerned about you. She was worried that you hadn't told her anything about your new relationship, and she was afraid you might be in trouble. I only watched you for a day before I decided it wasn't really necessary to prolong the surveillance. It's obvious that the two of you are in love."

Alicia put her hand on Rebecca's shoulder, a move of support rather than control. Rebecca covered Alicia's hand with her own and ducked her chin.

"You're obviously in a consensual relationship... and to be honest, I wish I had someone who cared for me as much as Alicia seems to care for you. I'm going to tell your mother that you're happy, and you're safe. But that will only go so far."

Rebecca shook her head. "Mom... doesn't like the idea that I'm with a woman. Let alone a woman fifteen years older than me."

"Then change Alicia from 'the older woman' to a real person. You can only do that by introducing her. Let your mom get used to the idea of you being in love with Alicia by showing her that it's not just some fling."

Rebecca swallowed and looked over her shoulder at Alicia. Alicia shrugged. "I've been telling you that I really want to meet your mother. Maybe it's time, Bec."

"Yeah, I guess so." She wiped her eyes and looked at Ari again. "Thank you for telling me."

Ari smiled. "I don't like padding my bill. Good luck picking a dog." She stepped past them, but she stopped at the door and turned around. "Could you just do me one favor? Whichever one you pick, don't name it Princess."

Rebecca and Alicia frowned at each other as Ari left the shelter.