Lyra's POV
“What the hell was that?” I asked as I rose from the edge of the river and turned my neck to see what was happening.
No one answered. But eyes were already turning toward the trees.
The whole pack was on alert until they saw Kate lowering her rifle.
She stepped into view, dragging a deer toward the river, rifle slung over her shoulder.
Everyone stared at her, like they were wondering if scolding her was the right move.
She looked around, frowning.
“Did I do something wrong?” she asked.
No one answered. One by one, they went back to what they were doing, quiet as before.
Kate sighed and walked over to where I was kneeling at the water’s edge. She dropped beside me and started washing her hands. The blood on her sleeves stained the river pink for a moment before fading.
