A month passed.
Aria's lungs had healed. Her body, thin and brittle from years of neglect, began to fill out. Gretta's meals put weight on her bones. The mountain air had cleared her chest just as Nyssa told her. The work in the kitchens built strength in her arms and back.
She was still wolfless. But for the first time in her life, her body felt like it belonged to her.
She found Lois at the edge of the training yard, watching the warriors drill.
"I want to train."
He turned. His scar pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Train?"
"With the others, a physical conditioning. I've been watching the drills. I can do the exercises."
"You've been here a month."
"My body is healed, and the healer confirmed it this morning."
Lois studied her. Then his eyes unfocused, just for a heartbeat. H
