n't s

the walls of the pack house. Footsteps moved outside fast, controlled, circling. Voices rose

ed my b

n

u

dn't

he edges of the house like fingers testing a locked door. Whatever

ainty echoe

ve to

't sound like

nged shape like a storm moving farther away while still threatening rain. The growls

long after th

ering weakly through the narrow window. My body felt heavy

sh

was empty, but signs of the night remained mud tracked across the

oo

Just enough to suggest violence

d when I entered. Again. Every time, it was the same voices lowering,

e, shoulders squared, posture

inju

har

ound mine

n't be up y

retending nothing h

ds turned

he didn't argue. Instead,

with

t looked deceptively peaceful sunlight filtering through the

lieve it fo

or several minutes. I

did

finally, "did

es

everyon

pa

inside the

r landed l

oes tha

ng. I nearly colli

refully, "that you wer

. "That's still n

ut that's all I can

no humor in it. "You keep saying

s it nec

demanded. "

ground briefly before re

the fir

ntrol but in

orning, I we

mal reactions. Proof that I wasn't imag

ing, people greeting each other, the faint hum

ocery store staring at the

ht?" a woman whispered to

plied quickly. "An

lled me more than

eren't c

re avoi

se of visiting an old neighbor. Inside, the nurse

t?" I aske

. "We had...

m wh

tightly. "Hik

nig

win

like I be

oward the pack house. I didn't go far just far enough to see

the soil, far wider than any animal tracks I recogni

shing my finger

ran thr

n't a

od sl

?" I c

ans

e air

ness, sharpness and intent. My pulse spik

ed and

clearing st

o

ust a

, eyes burning gold as they locked ont

watch

stret

dn't b

it stepped back into

ees b

k to the pack hous

instant and q

t have gone a

t lie so badl

rowed. "What

. "One that wasn

le

refully, "Did

N

ers loosen

more than ang

town knows something's wrong. And whatever is out ther

n't de

ed like a secret," I contin

what you're as

tell

"If I do, there's

think we passed tha

moment, he

aid, "Com

ep inside, but close enough that the air chang

said. "Older than the to

u enfor

hold

what

me then, re

survi

owed. "

er was i

re the

rt more than

quietly, "the reason

n, I stared at the ceiling and fi

't about

even about

s abo

embered, whatever had return

ither