Bella did not respond to Jamie, her attention fixed instead on the two creatures. Presumably abandoned by their mother, they were left alone to fend for themselves—it was an experience she was all too familiar with, and just thinking about it was enough to bring tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She didn't sob, though, nor did she shop any overt display of affection towards the pups; instead, she squeezed Jamie's arm.

"And you shouldn't have been acting all mysterious," she muttered as she rose to her feet. Bella cleared her throat and averted her eyes to the room around her—and it was a mess. "You live like... well, it's not a place for wolf pups to be living," she observed. "You need to clean it up a little. Think about it: what if they ate something they shouldn't be eating? What if they stepped on something and got an infection?" Really, even if her nagging was merely a cover for her emotions, how did Jamie even live here!?

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