Sonora lifted a brow as the boy spoke, her lips twitching at the obvious relish with which he cursed. She knew she should probably scold him for cursing, or at least tell him to watch the language. She even took a breath and began to say something, but at the last minute she changed her mind. Let the boy have his fun where he might; it sounded as though he was protected and watched very closely--most of the time, anyway--and who was she to censor him? Sonora didn't belong to the pack, and she wasn't his mother. She was just an outsider, as she had always been, and likely would continue to be.<br/><br/>But the more Ryan spoke, the guiltier Sonora started to feel. This cub was feeding her just the sort of information her superiors were looking for...and it was exactly the kind of information that would get them all killed in the long run. She should not be hearing any of this. He should not be talking about pack matters to an outsider. Even Sonora, who had never had packmates before, knew instinctively that the inner workings of a shifter pack were closely guarded for a reason. More and more, she was beginning to regret her assignment. Maybe she should have just quit, or taken a leave of absence, and come on her own. At least then she wouldn't have to keep any secrets.<br/><br/>Smiling at Ryan, she reached over and ruffled his hair again as he told her she should stay. She felt the longing of her wolf at the suggestion and wished silently that she could stay. But she doubted Grayson would allow her to be anywhere near his pack once he discovered her true purpose for being here. He was a smart man; he would find out eventually, and when he did...Sonora was as good as dead. "We'll see," was all she said in response to his comment, and his question about Grayson's scent made her flush slightly. "Because Grayson payed me a visit a little earlier in the evening. I hadn't asked for permission to come here, and he was a little...upset."<em>Understatement of the year</em>, she thought dryly, then added with a shrug, "Things got a little...tense."