: H

nd I still had no wolf. In Dark W

hey could communicate with their wolves and control their instin

thing stirring beneath my skin. I had stopped expectin

air back, and stepped outside. Work was waiting, and worrying

from the training grounds. I knew that sound. S

y decided to com

g warriors, stood near the training grounds with two friends. Hi

lding where I had been assigned to sort supplies.

nted. "Should we start planning your funeral or

s burst in

make him a better person, I wanted to ask why someone who spent every day training to become a warrior needed

lding. I had become good at pretending cruel words didn't ma

idn't know where I would go, but surely there was somewh

her dark hair swung behind her, she had the kind of con

t, her eyes immediately narrowed when she noticed my exp

ant this time?" she

lied, picking up

start believing you enjoy b

haps I do, it gives me something intere

is getting worse. We might

d despit

rry the supplies inside. Lyra was the only person

dn't matter, she simply treated me like a per

its proper place. It was ordinary work, the kin

r than standing around listening to peo

yra nodded toward t

s make fools of themselves," Lyra

supposed to be helping with th

I need entertainm

ult someone who can actu

led balance," Lyra

hile others practiced shifting, their wolves moved effortlessly across the field. I watc

en the voice of confidence I had never found in myself? I h

d found me beneath an ancient oak in Crescent Forest when I was a small child.

under his protection, I was grateful to hi

. Sometimes, I wondered whether they had died searching for me or abandon

o solve the secrets of the universe

watching,"

ife would be like if things were

't matter,

tood that I hated being treated as though I

h patrol preparations. Before leaving

ess you want to rearrange h

ll try to con

she teased befor

hed my duties and started toward my room. I could have taken the direct pat

something about them suddenly caught my attention, a

nnected to the forest, but looking at it stirred

sation grew stronger. For one brief moment,

s that my wo

e strange feeling disappeared, leaving me staring at the forest wi

ts had affected me more than I wanted to adm

nds of pack life. Tomorrow would probably bring more insu

pressed my hand against my chest, hoping to feel

didn't have. Now I wondered whether something else was miss

e into the darkness "wh