Jemma curtsied. “I have no fears on that count. Please bring him back if he’s too much trouble.”
The pup hadn’t budged an inch.
“I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
I raised a piece of bacon to my mouth, watching as Axel’s blue eyes followed the action. Considering his gut rested on the floor, I assumed the pup had eaten well.
Making quick work of my food, I fed the little Luther my last piece of bacon. He was just too cute to resist. “Alright. Let’s go.”
The pup fell into step behind me, and I couldn’t blame the other pack members for watching him pass. I was already half-obsessed with Axel too.
I grabbed my saxophone from the bungalow, and we walked to the bench by the stream.
Opening the case, I let the pup study the instrument.
He looked at me expectantly.
“What? This is the saxophone.”
I inhaled his sunshine scent. It was muted. The pup was disappointed. Shoving back my misgivings, I rested my hands on the saxophone and freed it from the case. “I’ll show you the parts. This is the bell.”
The brass was cold.
I worked around the instrument, showing Axel how the keys moved and explaining how it made a sound.
Shuffling forward, he sniffed the brass.
“Do you like music?” I placed the saxophone in the case.
He nodded.
“What music?”
Axel refused to shift back to two-legged form. To me, it made sense to frustrate him. There were things a Luther simply couldn’t do as a wolf. One of them, barring mated couples, was talking to anyone with two legs.
The pup stared at me.
I frowned. “I wish I could hear you. Your mother said that you like The Wiggles. Which song is your favourite?”
He stared again.
“Sorry. I can’t understand you.” I gestured to the instrument. “Is that all you wanted to see?”
When the pup didn’t answer, I shut the lid.
He whined.
“I’m not sure what you’re saying. Could you tell me another way?”
Axel rested a paw on the case.
“You want to see the instrument again?”
A shake of the head.
“Then let’s put this away and play a game. How about that?”
A deep voice interrupted us. “May I sit?”
