Rietta arrived around eleven o’clock and Nielle met her at the door, gritting her teeth but trying to be welcoming, even though spending time with the woman was the last thing she wanted to do. For her part, Rietta smiled and offered a polite, civilised greeting, even bringing her a small gift. “Our first meeting didn’t go too smoothly, so I thought we should start again. Here’s a little something to welcome you to our pack.”
Removing the tissue from the brightly coloured gift bag Rietta handed her, Nielle found a bottle of fragrance. Sniffing it cautiously, she found that it was surprisingly pleasant. The scent was light and delicate, floral rather than musky, and quite in keeping with her own preferences. She’d have thought Rietta would choose something more heavy and cloying, but appar
