My return to the palace is slower, my pace more steady and regular than the all-out pounding of my original run as I circle around and head for home. The wolf pack drops off when I near the edge of the trees, all but the white female. She stops with me as I bend to retrieve my clothing, head tilted to one side, ears perked. I slip into my shirt and jacket, holding her gaze. I've never tried to approach her before, not in human shape. She seems fearless as I cross to her and crouch, only a few feet from her.
She whines, licking her snout, but not out of worry or fear. That I would sense. She instead seems concerned for me, a fact I find odd, considering she's just an animal. And then I shake my head and laugh at myself, my own wolf huffy at the "just" reference. Of course, she's much more
