From across the pack house courtyard, I watched Cora and felt my myself start to smile. She was reading with some of the younger pack members, and her gentleness and patience permeated every action. It was difficult to accept this was the same terrified, withdrawn wolf that had wandered into our territory only a few weeks earlier.
Cora looked up, her amber eyes meeting mine as though she sensed my glance. She gave a timid smile, then turned back to focus on the kids, a gentle blush coloring her face. At that basic interaction, my heart skipped a beat.
I later that evening discovered Cora by the holy pond of the pack alone. Her face was warmed by the setting light, which painted the sea gold and orange. She seemed calm, but her posture betrayed an undertone of stress.
"Mind if I join you
