As we near the end of the dirt road, I see a beautiful lake surrounded by pine trees and pebble shore. With each step, the voices and laughter become louder, but I still can't see the people they belong to—they must be hanging out somewhere outside the trail.
I brace myself for the awkwardness that is inevitable when you are presented as a new girl in a close-knit community. The teasing, questions about my non-existent mate, and talking behind my back are practically inevitable, but I must not allow anyone to see how much I care about all of it.
Or how fragile I am right now.
Being natural predators, werewolves can sniff out fear, which is why I must do this right. So, before we pass the last line of trees, I lift my chin up, straighten my shoulders, and carefully rearrange my face int
