Prey and Predator

"Oh, no need to be so formal! You can call me Inko or Auntie," the woman said with a warm smile. Suddenly, my stomach growled, reminding me I hadn't eaten since we arrived. Damn it. She must think I'm a slob—my thoughts were cut off by a soft giggle.

"You must be hungry. Are you alright with a chicken Caesar salad?" she asked as she led me to the kitchen.

"That would be great, actually. Is there anything I can do to help?" I offered, trying too hard to make a good impression.

"No, that's okay, sweetheart. But... I'm certain you didn't come downstairs in the night just to talk to me. Is something bothering you, honey?" she asked, placing the freshly made salad in front of me.

I hesitated, unsure how to even approach this. "It's just—I—" I sighed, feeling stupid for how confused I was. "Well, um... how do I say this? I—we—"

"Have you two slept together?" she asked casually.

My face burned as if it was about to explode. "What? No! Never. I haven't even seen him naked before!" I blurted out, completely flustered. Was she serious? Why was she asking me that?

I looked back at her, waiting for some kind of explanation. "Oh..." was all she said, which only made my panic worse.

"Oh? What does that mean?" I demanded, trying to keep my cool but failing miserably. "What don't I know?" That's the second time someone said I don't know something.

"He doesn't," a voice said behind me.

I whipped around to see Half n'Half standing in the doorway. How long had he been there?

"Ah, Shoto! You shouldn't sneak up on me like that. Oh dear, my ears aren't what they used to be," Inko said, rubbing her ears with a laugh. "Anyways, tell me, how is life as a hero of Zootopia?"

The sudden change of subject left me more confused than ever, and whatever it was they weren't telling me, it felt like it was looming larger with every passing second. What the hell was going on?