Okay, that would take some doing. Lyc-V exterminated all invaders into its territory with extreme prejudice.

Derek winced. “An STD?”

“Oh, you didn’t hear about that?” Ascanio asked. “They got some kind of magical rabies.”

Derek opened his mouth and closed it. “How did they . . . ? Never mind, I don’t want to know.”

“I don’t either.” It was best to put that out there before they decided to enlighten me.

“We’re broadening your horizons, Consort.” Desandra grinned.

“My horizons are broad enough, thanks.” Now if only they would stop wobbling, I’d be all set. “I get how Robert and Desandra know about Double D. I want to know how the two of you know.”

Derek and Ascanio made valiant attempts to look casual.

“Everybody knows,” Ascanio said.

“Then why didn’t Desandra identify the scent?”

“When Double D showed up in Doolittle’s medward with the STD, he read her the riot act about safe sexual practices,” Robert said. “She didn’t like it, so she avoids him like the plague. Which is ironic, really, because the plague is exactly what she didn’t avoid.”

“I didn’t quite get that,” Desandra said. “Was it supposed to be funny?”

Robert frowned. “Never mind. I was going somewhere clever with that, but I managed to bungle it up. The point is, Double D doesn’t feel exactly welcome at the Keep.”

“She isn’t often at Wolf House either,” Desandra said. “I’ve seen her once, I think. Jennifer hates her guts. The last time her name came up, our illustrious alpha called her a ‘filthy immoral creature.’”

“In front of witnesses?” Robert asked.

“A room full of people,” Desandra said.

Great. There was a hierarchy of insults you could level at a shapeshifter. Telling them they smelled bad was probably one of the worst. But calling one of them “a creature” took it to another level. It implied a shapeshifter wasn’t human. A loup was a creature. Jennifer should never have said that, not about one of her own people.

Robert’s lips rose, wrinkling his muzzle and baring sharp teeth. He made a short angry noise, halfway between a deep growl and a grunt.

“I know, I know . . .” Desandra said.

“We may not approve,” Robert said, his voice precise and cold. “We may find it revolting and we may roar and snarl at our people in private, but we may not single out our people and make them an object of public shaming. It just isn’t done. Jennifer made her a target. Now anyone within the Clan Wolf who shows a drop of kindness to Dorie does so against their alpha’s wishes.”

“I agree,” I told him. “We can deal with it later. We’re short on time. We have to move on.”

“There are no other shapeshifter smells in the room,” Robert said. “Only Double D and humans.”