‘What is he then?’

‘A wolf!’

Alpha stayed at Franck’s side, sitting on his hind legs, waiting; he obviously knew they were talking about him, but, more importantly, he had obviously sensed that there was meat on the table for once. This made things much more interesting for him. Franck shot him a glance. He knew that a new connection was being forged between them, a bond that was even more tangible because it was connected to food. Lise was open-minded and did not like to criticise other people for their actions or choices. So she didn’t really take offence at seeing Franck peel a slice of ham off the pile and hold it above the dog’s nose. The dog remained calm, almost sceptical, fascinated by the incredible piece of meat in front of him. Franck slowly lowered the slice and the dog didn’t react at all; he remained just as calm as before and didn’t jump for it. When the ham came close enough, he snapped it up with a swift flick of his jaws, then sat back down to chew it carefully. It was obviously important to him; he seemed to treat it with the same dignity as a religious offering. Lise had made a pasta salad with courgette, peppers and herbs, and she served the two of them. Franck wanted to see what would happen if he added some bits of ham to his plate; it was it would almost be breaking the rules, but it was tempting. He took another slice and placed it on his salad. Lise watched him, stopping herself from saying anything. She clearly couldn’t believe it. Franck cut his ham into small pieces, then mixed them into the pasta. He was surprised to find that he didn’t feel at all disgusted or guilty. It was an appetising combination.

‘Lise, honestly, the guy was talking to me and carving slices straight off the ham. Normally it would’ve put me off but this time it looked so good …’

‘What are you expecting me to say? It’s not banned.’

‘I know, I know, it’s barbaric, but it’s just so tempting.’