Chapter Six
KARA
By the time we finished dinner and returned to the town square, a huge bonfire was standing, half-built, in the middle of the clearing. A group of guys emerged, each carrying a vast log over his shoulders. They were all shouting with laughter and trying to shoulder-barge their friends so that they’d drop their cargo. At the site of the bonfire, they dumped the logs, with others bringing handfuls of kindling to add to the pyre.
Early evening had fallen. The sky above us was faded blue, and fireflies darted through the loose clusters of pack members who surrounded the pyre. The people’s chatter and laughter filled the open air, growing louder as we approached.
A sharp pang pierced through me.
The atmosphere was familiar, and yet not. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine
