While we stumble through the woods, Cece’s lips are so dry they begin to crack and bleed, and my own aren’t too far off as my tongue is too dry to even wet my own lips. The air is hotter here, the bugs are out and thriving in this climate, and our thirst and hunger are no longer the only things which bother us. I’m soon covered in bites and welts that sting, and I give up on swatting away the mosquitoes from the patches of my exposed skin. I’m grateful my little sister doesn’t seem to be liked by the biting insects as much, but neither of us escape the scratches from thorns and vines that snake out in the path. Both of us are soon exhausted and miserable as the wolf forces us to walk through the night. And the wolf isn’t the only thing to be afraid of out here.Things move in the brackish water that smells foul. I figure out pretty quickly these woods led to a swamp. I’ve watched enough documentaries with Daddy to realize this, to know it’s likely man-eating alligators that move thro

My little sister and I struggle through the swamp, our progress even slower by our lack of food, water, and proper rest for the past couple days. By the branches that snag our hair and clothes like thorny hands, roots tangling around our feet, animals slithering and darting into the brush around us, terrifying CeCe especially. Luckily, most of the big animals are asleep this time of day, or hide in the shade, only coming out when the ground cools and night falls.But the monster I fear the most is the wolf who stole us from the only life we ever knew and murdered our parents and dog, the one which can also wear the face of a man. I keep looking over my shoulder, expecting to see him there ready to pounce. Imagining those glowing eyes as the last thing I ever see before he rips out my throat with his sharp teeth or breaks my neck like a twig. To take me down the way he did Daddy, Mom, and those poor people at the gas station. I can only hope he sleeps the day away like most wolfs do

I have lots of questions for the wolves, but every step I take is so much agony, its hard to focus on anything else. I bite my lip bloody to keep from crying out, but sometimes I can’t help but wince, and stumble when I step on something sharp. Every time I falter or hiss with pain, I feel the brush of fingers against my back to steady me, I hear the brown-haired wolf, no Slade, suck in a breath between his teeth. But still, despite the sweat that coats my brow, and the tremble of my body, I pull myself up straighter and continue down the path we make through the soggy ground and dark waters.River carries CeCe up ahead, naming the things we see around, the types of trees, wildflowers, the creatures we encounter in the underbrush both big and small. He knows a lot about the swamp. He plucks a salamander from the mud to give us both a better look and encourages us to feel its smooth skin. CeCe does so, but I shake my head, as I know this isn’t a picnic in the woods. I ache in so many p

I feel so embarrassed when Slade wakes me up later that night, that I can barely look at him. I got snot and tears all over him earlier, I cried like a baby, but I couldn’t hold it inside anymore. He doesn’t say anything about me using him as a teddy bear and a tissue. He apologizes for waking me up and tells me it’s time to bandage my cut-up foot and eat something. I’m too sleepy to argue with him, my eyes feel dry, and I know I must look awful, so I self-consciously smooth down my hair and make sure I don’t have any dried drool on my face. I wonder when I started caring how I look in front of him. I know he doesn’t see me in that way, thinks of me like a pain in the butt little kid more than anything else, but still I care.River smiles at me next to a box of pizza. CeCe is already seated at the table, eating a slice with sauce on her face, her little legs dangle off the chair, and I can’t believe I didn’t wake up when she got out of bed. I slept like the dead, though I feel I could

I dream about my wolf every night. These dreams started not long after I moved to Shadow Ridge a decade before, and they began innocent enough back then. My wolf, with the emerald eyes and frosted grey fur, would walk by my side in the forest beneath the stars, keeping me safe as I chased fireflies, watched shooting stars, and picked wildflowers by moonlight. But as time went on, these sweet dreams turned into anything but innocent and now I look forward to them every night. And tonight, doesn’t disappoint.My wolf comes to me in the moonlight. I stand in the forest in a sheer white dress, my feet are bare, and the grass feels cool and soft against my naked feet. The night sky is clear, the stars dance bright, too many to count in a thousand lifetimes, the moon luminous and full, but my wolf is the most beautiful thing in this forest. I get lost in his eyes of green, feel the softness of his fur, as he nuzzles against me. Then my wolf merges into his human skin, and he stands before