THE YEAR 1926
ZEPHYR
AGE 12
"Mother, I fail to see the reason you compelled me to accompany you," I grumbled, holding out the basket as she plucked another herb and dropped it in. "Surely, you could have taken Alex instead."
"I had no wish for Alex to join me this day, Rusty."
I sighed. "We have walked for quite some time now. Why not make use of our strength and speed? It would be far quicker."
She cast me a disapproving look. "You spend too much time leaning on your Lycan nature, child. In so doing, you forget what it is to be human. And in forgetting, one risks becoming something else... A monster."
She paused to ruffle my hair. "At times, it is a good thing to walk slowly, to breathe the air of the earth and feel it beneath our feet. We are blessed to be both man and beast. Othe
