KAEL
“You look different,” Fen said as we walked toward Torin’s office.
It was still early morning, but the grounds were already loud and crowded. Young wolves ran past us in loose packs, bumping into each other, laughing, testing their speed.
Adults followed after them, calling out warnings or snapping orders that were mostly ignored. Jeeps rolled by. Golf carts followed. The main road stayed busy, never still.
The noise pulled a smile out of me before I could stop it. It felt familiar. Right. It had been a long time since I’d spent real time inside a living, breathing pack. Not passing through. Not visiting. Being inside it. I’d forgotten how much I missed the chaos and the closeness.
“Slept well,” I said. “Feels easier to breathe now that we’re here.”
“Sure,” Fen replied. His to
