-Elaine---
I spent most of my drive to work thinking about Kave. His childhood—what Helen and Karrie had told me—explained so much about the man he was now. The fierce protectiveness, the quiet loyalty, the intensity in his eyes whenever the pack was mentioned… it all stemmed from years of not having what he finally cherished.
As Helen had said, he’d grown up without a stable home, never rooted anywhere, never certain who would still be there the next day. And now, with his own territory and his own people, he guarded them with everything in him. It made sense, too, why he was so considerate with me as a newcomer. He must have experienced that same awkwardness countless times—walking into strange places, trying to fit in, always feeling just a little out of place.
Then there was his spe
