Marco, on the other hand, found the full moon to be old hat. That wasn’t to suggest that he didn’t get antsy or feel the aches in his bone as his body prepared itself for the painful change that would come later on tonight; all of it, every aspect of the change, had become a part of him now, so much so that he didn’t notice it as much. He was keenly aware of the phases of the moon and as it grew more and more full, he prepared himself for the inevitable night when he would turn into something that was barely himself. Marco adjusted his bag on his shoulder as he threw Drina’s over to rest on his back. They were far from heavy -- his own bag only contained two spare sets of clothing, a toothbrush, and a bar of soap -- but the tightness of his muscles made them awkward and uncomfortable to carry. It was a fact that he did his best to conceal from the wolf. “No, you should stay and check out the house. Last time we cut it so close, you didn’t really get to see much.” He gave her a smile, one that arose naturally to keep her from feeling like he was avoiding her; he told himself that it was part of the act and not something that had seeped through his subconscious. “Besides,” he added with a shrug that came a lot less easily than he would have liked, “I’m only running a care package to the post office. My cousin is obsessed with horrible American junk food.” The lie slipped easily from Marco’s lips. Not only was he not planning on mailing anything, but he didn’t even know if he had any cousins left in Mexico.
It really wasn’t until Drina reacted that he realized just how tactless and ...well, shocking his statement had been. Usually he had a considerable amount of tact, but the full moon was his off day; he couldn’t really be expected to remain quick on his feet today. The grin on his face was wide and slightly uncontrollable. He couldn’t really help himself; the nickname ‘Foxy’ amused him that much. But despite his enjoyment of being reminded of this word (and his name, apparently) he couldn’t ignore the incredibly awkward sensation that crept over him at Drina being present for this moment. Marco had nothing to be ashamed of, he had been a perfect gentleman to Jo, but the dark-haired wolf didn’t know that and her possible misreading of the situation bothered him more than he wanted to admit. “She, uh, got her skirt stuck in a door and I helped her home so no one would see her.” It was then that he realized that Drina didn’t know about his ability to create glamours. The explanation suddenly had the potential for becoming a deeper conversation than he was ready for.
So he derailed it. “I’ve been here a few times myself, but this is her second,” he said as he gestured toward Drina. He leaned closer to the woman beside him, sure to keep his voice low so that only she could hear him. “Maybe she can answer any questions you have.” Marco knew that he didn’t have to tell Drina to talk to Jo about her concerns or inquiries, but he did think that she could use the encouragement. He wasn’t wild about the idea of her becoming close to another wolf, but he would have rather the conversation stay on this path than on his illusions.