Lena offered a small, tired smile as she approached, draping the blanket carefully over the wolf’s body. She worked gently, mindful of the injured leg, tucking the edges in just enough to conceal most of the fur.
“You’re smart,” she murmured. “Too smart for this to be a coincidence.”
Once the blanket was secured, Lena moved toward the door separating the back hallway from the front lobby. She pushed it open just a crack, just enough to peer through.
There was Bella, perched at the reception desk, scrolling through her phone and smiling at something on the screen—completely distracted. The soft glow of her screen lit her face, and the faint buzz of a message notification filled the silence.
Lena exhaled through her nose and eased the door shut again, turning back toward the wolf. She cr
