ALEXIS
The festive air in the packhouse, usually a beacon of warmth in the frigid Wisconsin winter, couldn’t pierce the frost forming around my heart. Strands of twinkling Christmas lights wove through the rafters, casting a merry glow on the faces of my packmates as they reveled in the spirit of the season.
Yet the festivity could not touch the oncoming desolation that threatened to engulf me. Rooted to the spot, a statue amidst the tide of holiday joy, I awaited the inevitable as Kai stepped forward. His voice, normally a sound that could send waves of comfort or command, now cut through the hum of conversation, each syllable falling heavy and final in the expectant hush.
"Alexis Seo-Yun Kim," he intoned, his name for me hanging in the air like a harbinger of doom. The silence deepen
