Sally tilted her head to one side, "I am? I mean... Yes! Yes, I am." She blushed a little bit, trying her best to feel and sound confident despite the growing doubt and confusion that welled up within her. Could what she'd done really be counted as a defeat? She hadn't been the one to end him. In fact... despite the scars that proved her part... she felt woefully under-involved in her so-called 'defeat'. Did it matter that she hadn't physically put him down? He was technically no longer 'alpha' at the time. So was her simple survival decisive on that front? At no point had relinquished her will to him. However, she was kind of mincemeat for most of the final confrontation... and she had screamed like a little bitch. So... there was a lot of room for interpretation. And questions. Many, many questions.  There were a lot of moving parts to all of this. But, if she was confident about anything it was that 'now and here' was not the time or place to discuss it. 

As Sully spoke his revelations, Sally bristled and seethed with anger; Mikasi outright whimpering as she stood and stretched. Doing her best to contain the roiling outrage that flared behind her eyes, Sally met Elyan's gaze with a stern look. No words were necessary... at all. 

With a forced smile, she kissed Sullivan's cheek and sent him off with a gentle pat. Turning to Meko, her voice was even and measured... a dangerous edge thinly veiled by sheer willpower, "For the time being, I have only three questions. 1. Would it be acceptable for me to take a morning run?" As she met Meko's gaze, the Alpha-female would easily understand why, nodding as Salena continued. "2. Is there anything at all to be done to lessen the... um..." Sally paused and bit her lip, her nose wrinkling in that 'I don't want to say it but there's no other way TO say it' kind of way.  "The 'wet dog' smell," she chuckled gesturing to herself, "And 3. Can we do a crash course 20 questions thing once the dust settles?" 

Meko chuckled and nodded, "A run will be just fine. Honestly, it will probably do your soul and your body good. Just stay close to the lake... just in case. As for your scent... unfortunately, there's not much. Hygiene, mostly. Tar has a few tricks up her sleeve but they're fairly labour intensive for the amount of time that they work." Meko sighed softly, "I'm sure your boys will find a way... one way or the other. Don't fret. And, of course. I will always be happy to address any questions you have as they arise. But we can certainly make time for a longer conversation once the men have settled up. For what it's worth, though, I believe your adjustment will be surprisingly effortless, given what I've seen from you so far.  You're a natural, darling." Meko winked as she stood to help Tar begin collecting plates. 

Sally, grabbing hers moved to join the clean-up crew. But was dismissed with a simple nod of Meko's head. "Go. Run off that bubbling anger. You can settle into the chores tomorrow." With a soft sigh of relief, Sally retreated outside and took to the woods. It felt oddly natural. Liberating. Impossibly familiar. More 'right' than she ever remembered feeling in her human body. Well... except when she was with Sully. 

At first, as she ran she was angry, pushing herself harder and faster for each time she pushed Carlisle to the back of her mind. But slowly, that anger morphed to acceptance, and then eventually to peace. Whatever part she had to play in this... she was stronger now. She could help, contribute, truly make a difference. And, barring external interference, she was free to be with Sully forever. No more fear... no more dying all the time. She was free to live her life without worrying about how long her body could hold out. That, in itself, was a blessing. No matter where it came from. 

Trotting back up to the house, Sally found that she shifted easily... a single step, and her bare feet found their footing on the wooden steps of the porch. With a smile, she nodded to the others, peeking her head into the kitchen to let Meko know she was headed for the shower. The other females nodded knowingly. And with a wink, Sally was off again. The boys would be 'home' in a couple of hours. And she intended to be well washed, and freshly clean when they arrived.

Sullivan exited their lodging just as Sally trotted up. Buttoning his cuff links, he smiled at her. "So, how do I look my love?" He smiled nervously, still not certain how he was supposed to explain this to his brothers. Black shirt, black shoes, black suit, black tie, new Swiss Rolex on his left wrist, silver chain bracelet on his right, silver rings on right hand (thumb, index, middle), one on his left thumb, cuff links, stick pin through his tie, hair brushed back and falling forward on the left side of his face; Sullivan was dressed like he was going to his own funeral.

He twirled playfully, trying to lessen his discomfort at the conversations he now had to have...

"I saw you take off after breakfast. Was your run good? I hope it was good... How are you feeling?" He chuckled, still nervous. "I do notice your heart seems to be beating much stronger. Do you feel stronger and more... alive?" he tilted his head to the side as if that wasn't the word he wanted to use but, the most fitting he could think of in the moment.

Chuckling, Sally leaned into caress him but pulled away at the last second. What if the smelled her? Certainly, Ely's presence could easily explain that away... but what if it couldn't? She'd wanted to assuage his nerves. But as she shot him a pained, apologetic smirk, it seemed his anxiety was wearing off on her. 

"You look positively smashing, my love. So spiffy that I don't want to rub off on you," she smiled, hoping through the joke he would understand her concern. "A fine representative for the Black family," she winked. 

Pushing the gravel with her toes, she lowered her gaze for a moment. "I'm sorry, Sully. I know... this isn't easy. Just... whatever happens, I love you. Okay?" She smiled as she looked back up, "In fact, I think I love you more than I ever have." A light chuckled danced between them. Honestly, that wasn't saying much considering how short their relationship had been. And yet, it meant the world. 

"My run was lovely. And I'll explain everything to you when you come home... for science. But right now, I want to get in the shower and scrub... well, myself... off... myself before you all get back," she blushed, clearly concerned. 

Giving his hand the lightest brush she could manage, she dipped around him and into the doorway. "Be safe. Okay?" She smiled as he nodded and blew him a kiss before heading upstairs to scrub herself raw. At the very least, Hiram would know that she'd given her best effort... even if she DID still smell like wet dog.

Sullivan shook his head as he turned and walked into the main house, drawing whistles from Tar and Shomecosse...

"You clean up nice, Black," Demitri added with a chuckle. "Nervous, eh?"

The resounding *POP* heard echo off Demitri's head as Elyan walked up behind him made every other wolf laugh.

"Please don't wrack his nerves more than they already are. I still have to ride in a vehicle with him," Elyan smirked as he spun his fedora and set it atop his head. A simple suit for a simple day. "Come... We should get going."

With an almost hop in his step, Elyan took toward the front door as Audolf drew the car around to pick the men up. "We'll be back soon, ladies. Do take great care of our little wolf." Elyan's chuckle resonated in the house as the door shut behind them. Moments later the family would see the car driving off down the secluded path that led to the main road.