f old coffee and carpet cleaner. Kai sat in the back row, his ranger uniform marking him as one of the few official represe

gavel. A woman in her fifties with steel-gray hair and no-nonsense demeanor, she'd

ced, consulting her clipboard. "The He

e of town, dangerously close to pack territory. Any development ther

nherited the forty-acre parcel from my uncle last spring. I'm proposing to develop it into a small

een slowly declining for years as young people moved to larger cities. New ho

ffling through his papers. "Trees will be preserved wherever possible,

ore, nodded enthusiastically. She'd been complaining for months about declining sales. Tom Bradley,

hem. They saw empty land and economic opportunity, not the c

concerns?" Mayor

t? That area is a major deer corridor, and we've docu

ddressed that. We're only developing the southern po

ly. "Development will disrupt their feeding pattern

the pack's hunting trails that crisscrossed the Henderson property. Eight families meant childre

"Kai raises a good point. We're not equipped to handle wildlif

isted. "Motion-sensor lights, the works. Peop

ildlife," Kai thoug

, producing charts and studies that addressed every concern. The economics were compelli

the decision with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Phase one of the development would b

lf observing the assembled residents with new eyes. Mrs. Cho, the elderly woman who ran the town's small restaurant, worried abo

lives in a beautiful but economically challenging place. They deserv

control. He'd seen the aftermath, held the victims, carried the guilt. The p

eeded volunteers. The library's book sale was this weekend. The volunteer fir

orld away from pack politic

ing's decisions, Kai lingered. Mayor Hendri

he Henderson development," she said. "Is

tivity in that area. Mountain lions, bears, even a few wolf sightings. De

s rose. "I thought they were

s in the remote areas. They generally avoid humans, but co

ough they kept well clear of werewolf territory. But the mayor didn't

nt in his development plan," she promised. "Maybe we

repare for the kind of wildlife Silverbrook might

re settling in for the night. Television lights flickered behind curtains.

h the mountain air. It was a peaceful scene, the kind of small-t

ent was just the beginning. As housing prices in larger cities continued to rise, mor

g the forest, more people venturing into areas that should rema

re up there, his pack was going about their evening routines. Tom would be grading papers for his substitut

meeting, accepting his request for more time without argument. That wasn't like

ys to manage human encroachment-subtle discouragement, carefully placed warnin

Sera might be right. Maybe the pack did need a leader who could make hard decisions witho

er night sounds joined it-the rustle of small animals in the underbrush, th

aged in their ancient dance. Just like the delicate balance betwe

erbrook, whether he wanted it or not. The question was whether he cou

until the pack expected his answer about choosing a mate. Six months until the Henderso

the mountain air itself-thin, cold, and unforgiving.

hey stood between worlds, protect