He had things covered, it sounded like. He wouldn't ask about the halfling or whether he was pack. Mostly because he knew that pack business was only pack business. Just as he didn't discuss his adoptions, vampire and the few humans he'd taken in, all of whom were living there where they could be kept safe.
He did smile, shifters were closer to the earth in that they were still alive, felt it's beat along with their own hearts. It didn't mean that through time he hadn't seen and learned and understood how things change, and can be changed. "Oh yes, understand enough to know that you needed to bring in someone to research it, but at least you have looked into it." It showed forethought, which made him wonder how much thought he put into decisions before making them.
"So, how long did you ponder sending your little summons?" He asked easily, but there was tension under it. However long he thought over it, he hadn't thought long enough about how to summon someone.