snow clinging

b and weightless, like I was dreaming through the bones of winter. I blinked slo

ove. I couldn't reme

ame back

de

reje

ng of b

of everyo

smug

e forest. The run

hen..

e dark. Golden

t t

lew to my

neath my fingers, like something

lood. No torn skin

a m

was a single darkened symbol, elegant and strange. It wasn't a rune. Not a lett

ing im

ched like I'd run through fire. But I w

d he do

the path back to the e

zen creek. I knelt there, gasping for air, watching my breath mist

ss I wore to the mate ceremony was now

he ghost of the

hing was

ld fe

r the way I walked. I didn't feel

t...

not

had thickened, recognizing me a

ct to be foun

. I heard their steps before I saw them,three warri

ght sight of

barely spoken to me before, took a cautiou

er

racked. "Is

hroat too d

I was a puzzle miss

id softly. "We though

two said

e. They didn't ask if I wa

o the other, no

she smell l

rned

ed me back

d the pack gates, wor

. Whispers turned the air brittle. No o

dn't come near me. Just looked from a

shoulder pulsed

t feel

urse dragging f

ngle mirror hung by the wardrobe, dust-specked and unrema

ssed the mirr

t because it was different, but

ps, the broad shoulders, the unruly red hair that made people flinc

in looked

were b

aintly glowed for a heart

a thing could be see

closer to

yself not through sha

the light in a way it never had b

the old brush from my table

. Pulled.

didn't

I dreamed of

s time. No running. Just

a vo

istant

e not

ake, heart

l. My window fog

n't real. Cou

ave imag

oots, while eating, while

rd it

t a whisper in the

e beco

eing nice to m

ni

ike I carried fleas, offered

d aside when I pass

e when I entered the hall, then whispe

rmth. It was

as f

idn't

hen I passed. They saw a girl who shouldn't be aliv

their thoughts or m

rse

ang

of us a

howed themselves, it was s

aid tight and accidentally sliced

brought it

down, the wound

blo

, as if it had n

fr

shook for

lf it was nothing. I

ned the next ev

safe no

know th

e my stoma

s over my ears an

ped around me like the only thing

ed, I began walking with

le. I didn't

dn't hid

ll didn't understand w

new one

t night in the woods.

hang

't done ch