A Test of Strength
I was done—done with feeling like dead weight.
The pack barely tolerated me. Resented me? Absolutely. Their stares never ceased, tracking my every step, dissecting my every move. Some tried to be subtle. Others? Not so much. Either way, their judgment pressed down on me, thick and suffocating.
What is she still doing here?
No answer.
But I needed one.
Miriam had been the only one kind to me. So I searched for her. Found her behind the main lodge, arms full of dried herbs, stacking sacks in the supply shed. She didn’t see me at first.
I’ll help.”
A small flinch. A turn. Her face flickered with something—surprise?—before it smoothed over. “Are you sure?”
I nodded. “I need to at least do something.”
Her gaze dropped and lingered—for just a second—on my stomach. Th
