11

Waking up the following day, I found Kael sitting up, his eyes fixed on me. I greeted him with a sleepy "Morning," to which he responded similarly.

His look had an intensity that set me on edge, like something was troubling him. "What's up?" I asked.

"Nothing," he replied, but his eyes told a different story.

"Did you get any sleep?" I inquired, noting the weariness

"Not really," he admitted.

Sitting up fully, I reached for the bag with the phone inside. "I need to message Cassy and let her know I'm coming back today."

He surprised me by saying, "She knows."

"How?"

"I called Mom this morning to let her know, and I could hear Cassy in the background. She's pretty worked up. I'm afraid she will insist on coming with us for the run, but..." He trailed off, seeming hesitant to continue. "I just think you might want it to be a bit more private."

"Cassy has her wolf?" I asked, surprised.

"No, we've always carried her. Koda and Kage, too," Kael explained.

The other two brothers began to s