Her bright smile faltered, the light in her eyes dimming just a little. She tried to hide it, nodding quickly like the brave girl she always tried to be. I gently shifted her to the side with a hand on her shoulder. “Sorry, kiddo,” I muttered, already turning away. “Not today.”
I didn’t look back as I strode down the hall. Her quiet “Okay, Daddy…” followed me, and the guilt twisted in my gut, but I pushed it down. There would be time another day.
The moment I cleared the pack house grounds and reached the tree line, I stripped off my clothes, bundling them into the small pack I carried, and let the shift rip through me. Storm surged forward with a snarl of relief. My massive black wolf form hit the ground running, paws tearing into the earth as I sprinted deep into the forest.
The journ
