They heard and saw no one else that day. By noon, Caleb began to ridicule the men, as if trying to cut them down in his own mind. Brance listened to his commentary in silence. He didn’t want to underestimate the trappers, no matter how incompetent he wished them to be. There were hunters out in the woods, and for the first time since he’d received the bite that made him other, Brance knew his fur—despite its heightened animal senses and enhanced feline abilities—wouldn’t be enough to protect him.
As dusk settled around the clearing, wind picked up through the trees with a rustle that reminded Brance of winter. He sat before their fire, tossing sand onto the flames to tamp them down as he tried to forget those men. He had other things to worry about, such as the days ahead and finding some
