I observe Maria as she cries in pain from whatever Coal is doing to her. She is forced to bend and shift into her wolf as she screams in pain, and it hurts me to see what is happening to her.
But what hurts more is when I look at her and see her for what she is. That is after she has completely shifted into her black-furred wolf. She is the one.
She is the black-furred wolf that has saved my life in very delicate situations more than once.
As I look at her I see the black wolf that saved Keirah and me when we escaped from my uncle's warehouse.
The black wolf who fought the brown wolves when Keirah tried to escape on that rainy day.
I see it all. She meant it when she said she was my protector.
I shout at Coal. “You are hurting her. Stop it right now.”
Coal just looks at her, and he
