Page 16

I could have shifted,assuming my wolf self to run home. It would have been faster. But my side was still bruised and sore from my encounter with the strange wolf, and exhausted from carrying Orian home. So I walked upright, struggling to remember the last time I slept.

Images of the day teased at the back of my mind. Orion getting attacked, the bitter scent of the beast that attacked him, running through the forest for medicine. But all of it was nothing compared to Orion’s words in the cave and the kiss that promised his affection. I touched my lip, tracing the shape, and smiled.

But a tiny wriggling sensation in the pit in my stomach persisted, threatening to steal my joy. It grew stronger the closer I got to home.

My bargain with the witch. Selena betrayed. Orion’s faith. Orion’s hot breath on my–

That was never a question. I knew I wanted Orion. And Orion wanted me. He loved me. That was real. Cersey or no Cersey, I was now certain of our bond.

My family home sat still and silent at the edge of the compound. As pack seer, for reasons I’d never been able to understand, Mom insisted that we live at the river’s edge so she’d always have quick access to the rushing fresh water. It wasn’t far, but now the seclusion of the place felt too small for me. Too far removed from everything else.

Before I reached the porch, I heard the creaking of the kitchen floorboards inside. I tensed, lingering by the porch steps and peering through the dark windows. If Mom was up, she would have turned on a light, lit a candle.

The front door swung open, and I crouched, ready to pounce on the intruder. Then a familiar scent came into focus—yarrow, and honey.

“Selena?”

Her figure stopped, and she froze in her tracks for a full heartbeat before slowly turning to face me. “You’re back early.” I could tell she was attempting a flat tone, but her voice was unsettled. Like she’d be caught.

I crossed my arms and scanned the darkness, taking in every detail. A large bag hung from a strap crossing her shoulder. “What are you doing?”

She crossed her arms as well, and her irritated tone resumed its normal timbre. “What does it look like?”

The bag was bulky, too big for her slight frame. “Are you running away?” The accusation gave way to a note of surprise.

She sniffed. “I’m not a kid, so it’s not running away.”

I ignored the technicality. “Where are you going?”

“I…” She cleared her throat and then arched on her toes, making herself taller, more confident. “I’m going to Berkeley.”

“Berkeley? Why?”

“The University of California, Berkeley, to be specific. It’s less than fifty miles from here. I’m going to study there. To live there. And to get a degree.”

I knew where Berkeley was. I’d even helped Selena research colleges during a few clandestine visits to Half Moon Bay. I thought it was a lark. She was always digging at human books, following rabbit holes to things outside the elders’ teachings. Mom knew about some of it. I thought she would lose interest with time.

I could hardly believe she was actually going to leave us. To leave me. “You’re going to live with humans?”

She bristled like I’d insulted her. “Yes, I am. And I’m learning, maybe I’ll learn something to help the pack. Maybe I will major in environmental science to help study and preserve the forest. Maybe I’ll study medicine so someone here doesn’t die like Dad again. The possibilities are endless.”

I ignored the old argument about Dad. “So you’re coming back?”

She looked away from me then, the porch railing claiming her interest. “Eventually, if I feel like it. College takes a few years. Maybe I’ll find I like it more than here.”

“You’re abandoning your family,” I said in shock.

The porch railing lost her interest once more as she turned steely, fiery eyes to me. “Abandoning? Hardly. I’m doing something for myself, and you too. Now you won’t have to worry about me skulking about while you go off with Orion.”

The barb disarmed me, and a flare of guilt knocked me back. “Is that what you want?”

She sighed, her shoulders deflating. She stepped off the porch to put her hand on my arm, almost the same way Orion had earlier—a gesture of comfort. “Look, Diana. I’m not stupid. Things aren’t going to work out with me and Orion now, no matter what you or I do. You have your chance at happiness with him. And now, I’d like mine. Let everyone see how you’re the good sister while I run off and do rebellious things.” She chuckled, but it was forced, waiting for my reaction.

My mind whirred through the possibilities for the coming years without her. Fear clenched my heart at the prospect. “It’s not safe out there. You don’t have any human money. They use money for everything, you know. You even need human money to live somewhere. To eat! Where are you even going to live? How will you eat?”

Her hand rubbed soothing circles on my arm. “I do have some human money. I’m taking a bus, and I’m staying in campus housing. Everything has been arranged.”

My throat tightened as I realized how much planning this must have taken her. “What about Mom?”