*Naomi is an excellent pack leader* Juanita thought *But sometimes her personal skills with guests are lacking.* Naomi had been in her present form longer than just about any other morph, and she seemed to be losing her capacity to empathize with non-dogmorphs. The way she had handled Jenny probably would have worked on a dogmorph used to pack hierarchy, but not on a cervine. The psychological impact of transformation over long periods of time was going to need more study.
Juanita was finding it harder to work with the huskies. She envied their beautiful, powerful canine forms, but like all of the principals in the transformation park effort she had agreed to hold off on transforming herself until anthros began to be accepted in society. Sometimes her weak, naked human body was almost physically painful to her.
"OK" she told Naomi. "I'll talk to Jenny. She should realize that it's absurd for someone at the mental and emotional level of a four-year-old to make that kind of decision. Herbivores in the wild don't have the same concept of childhood as predators or primates, but she should be human enough still."
Naomi bowed and left, and Juanita prepared herself for her next meeting, another round in the endless bickering of Gunther and Meghan, the two human scientists the project had hired.
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Leticia stayed close to Lateisha as the two went to meet Marth.
"How did things go with Jeremy?" Lateisha asked.
"He said he didn't care about my past, and I'm sure he thinks he doesn't, but I could see his neck muscles tense up everytime I mentioned Maria, Marth."
"How does he feel about the two of you meeting?"
"Not good. He tried to tell me I couldn't, but I told him he couldn't tell me what or what not to do, herd leader or not."
"You go girl!' Lateisha laughed, and Leticia joined her, briefly. They both turned their heads back to check on the bucks Jeremy had sent to follow them from a distance.
"I'm so scared. I feel like everything is pushing this into a fight, and it could be a lot uglier than the tournament."
"It's all right, sugar." Lateisha patted her friend on the shoulder. "A little female common sense should cool those macho men down."
"If you think females are going to cool this one down, you haven't met my future mother-in-law." Leticia answered.
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"Why can't anyone see what a sweet kid he is? Why do they all think he's this monster? He wasn't even the one who won the tournament by fighting dirty!"
"I'm sorry, Jenny." Rob petted Jenny's head as she clung to him. "I'm sure things will be OK." With a guilty start, he realized that Jenny's body against him felt very, very good. But Rob knew this wasn't the time to push for sex.
"Thanks." Jenny answered. "Thanks for being here. You're a good guy. Spike really likes you."