TESSA
I turned around, as I did every evening, already knowing that Calla would be here soon. The rhythm of our lives had fallen into the same routine over the past years.
She always came home around this time, bounding in with the energy only a child could have. It gave me peace, knowing that I could trust the others in the pack to watch over her when she wandered farther than I liked. They adored her, after all, and she had that way about her—drawing people in without even trying.
So, I wasn’t too worried.
I was humming to myself, tasting the stew I had been simmering, when something inside me froze. My senses sharpened instantly, prickling like needles along my skin. Calla’s light footsteps were familiar; I could hear them padding across the forest floor. However, there was anoth
