if Nina missed one more day, she'd most likely be fired.

ur wound is

was

ncern. Just cold,

long time. Then forced

she couldn't afford to rest anymore. Not when she

was a differen

her like a noose. The fluorescent lights hummed too loudly. The old pri

Griggs, snapped, barely glancing up from his table

'm

ds help with the invoices, and you'll be covering Matty'

uth, but he was al

meone else's folders. None of

ces were disorganized. A coffee spill from a care

lled and shouted at her

ne knocked over h

ne died, and the ch

No lunch.

d more than anyone else. Carried their mistakes

t...

ne who ever stopped

placing a cookie on Nina's de

smile. "Thanks. Yo

ed you could use one.

it's already

ou. You're smarter than all of them co

already

ut Nina stayed behind. Another la

spine ached. Her soul was

he building, the sky cracked open

oat clung to her, soaked in seconds. He

call..who could she even call with a dead

Nina staggered down the slick pavement. Her heels slip

ster had betrayed her

s unra

m. Three men, leaning a

Shadows

ty thing,"

the mood," s

ike that," anoth

ng move. One gr

t tou

ist

htened. Her m

t it wasn't even loud enough..She kept moving

a growl cut through th

on fire. One of them screamed as he was hurled across the sidewalk

d too fast

st. Fast. Feral. Precise. His fists cracked bone. His boots hit like b

ing, cursing, falling ov

, breathless, sha

ger turne

tall.

t moved beneath the fabric like coiled power.

e eyes that m

ld

ke the

arted, but the

iskey, the fear, the cold,

ees bu

dn't hit t

augh

. So

ke she was som

d against his chest. She could hear the

e it wa

uldn't

nted t

him who

he

uldn't fin

was his breath warm against

.blac

-

e on he

her blanket

he heater. A steaming mug of tea

blin

but warm. Her cloth

e done

he

t, still wearing a dry tee. She looked around. Her

... it

r what h

afte

too fast. H

k the growl, the blur, the

ld

the wolf fr

skidded

eath c

that couldn

it

ew tho

strong, fast, or unnaturally calm. H

oved. The wa

ed around the ed

ike a scream

erew

n't whi

coul

lammed through

G

se skyr

bled to her desk, yanked her

eal or not. Golden eyes. Marked

moved fast

Bite marks. Packs. Old-world myths. Si

at the wo

rm bu

d the faint, reddish claw lines. T

ed the la

d slowly towa

as t

across th

..and then he was

whispered to herself...it was starting to feel like sh