Nox transformed into his human form, and crouched next to Lyra. He could see she was battling her emotions, but for now, he just looked to Skiff.
The wolf sighed, and for the first time shifted into his human form. He looked much like the wolf self, small and wiry, and covered in scars.
"I'm no a traitor," he said, and there was sympathy in his eyes as he looked at Lyra. "But I took some unnecessary risks when I was younger. I was careless. . . And our pack was on the brink of war with another. I was out huntin', and I crossed the border between our territories. I was attacked, but they let me go because I lied to 'em, saying that I would spy for 'em if they wouldn't kill me."
Nox growled, but Skiff hurriedly continued, his tone now desperate and his eyes cast down at the floor. "I would have never gone through with it! Wouldn't you have lied to get out of bein' killed? And I was twelve. . . I headed back to my pack, intendin' to tell my alpha everythin', but some other wolves in my pack had seen me get attacked, they had seen me lie. They got back to our alpha first, and told him I was a traitor. As soon as I got back I was rejected, kicked out. . . There was nothin' I could say. . ." He looked up at Lyra and Nox, his eyes pleading with them. "But I would never betray my pack. Never. Not for anythin'. You 'ave to believe me!"