AT FIRST, THE FLAME was pleasant, warming the cold lump in my belly. Then my pelt began to singe.
The reek of charred leather filled the basement. I jammed my hand into my gut, even though I knew it wouldn’t make a difference to the pain there. Through clenched teeth, I managed a single word:
“No.”
“No?” Aunt May wasn’t accustomed to being denied. No wonder her hand jerked, pressing the lighter close enough to my pelt so charcoal morphed into fire.
I was burning. No, my pelt was burning. It was hard to tell the difference when agony washed over me in waves of orange fire.
Ruth had been right. A woelfin wasn’t strong enough to mate with a skinless alpha. Tears filled my eyes. Not just from pain. From the knowledge I was going to fail....
“Stop it!” Carly cried. I hated that she was se
