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I turned, expecting to stop Jesse–braggart, brutish Jesse–from making a grave mistake. But he did not rise to the challenge. He stared at the witch, enraged, lips pulled back over his teeth, but he did not move.

Cersey sighed, as if disappointed. “I grow bored of this conversation. You know where I live. Deliver my amulet, and I will help restore what you have lost in return. Make your decision quickly, little wolf. I suspect your father has little time to spare.”

She waved her hand through the air, and a sudden burst of wind kicked up, rustling through the trees, and kicking up loose leaves. Then she stepped back and melted into the shadows of the forest.

DIANA

Orion didn’t look at me once as we traveled back to the human campsite. He and Jesse murmured in low voices not meant for my ears, no matter how hard I might strain to catch their conversation. Noah likewise didn’t glance in my direction, perhaps too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice me. Or maybe he thought I was an enemy now, someone who fraternized with a witch who had cursed the pack.

DidI curse the pack?

A ghostly image of a Third Quarter Moon floated in the potion I drank, after all.

Jesse said the pack was cursed.

Cersey said I washelpingto remove the curse.

What did any of it mean?

“Whatever we do, time is of the essence,” Orion sighed from a few paces ahead. “I’m not inclined to believe anything the witch says, but she was right about that. The longer it takes to get Dad back…”

His voice pitched to a dry crack, and he fell silent again. His pain reminded me of my own when my father passed. I wanted to help, to ease his anxiety, to soothe every worry. Instinctively, I quickened my pace to catch up to their loping strides.

Orion cleared his throat. “If we don’t return her amulet, how do we find him?”

“We need a tracker,” Jesse said. “Or a scrying spell.”

I finally reached them. “There’s—”

My voice went unheard as an idea sparked for Orion. “Or a tracking spell! Selena could—”

He looked at me and stopped dead, while my mouth hung open mid-sentence, processing Orion’s words. His first instinct was to consult Selena. But my sister had left.

I closed my mouth and slowed my steps, bracing myself as sharp little shreds of agony peppered my chest. My sister wasn’t here, and yet she was his first choice. And why not? She had magic; she would have been capable of helping him.

Selena, who was beautiful and smart andperfect. How could he not want her in his time of need?

Orion slowed down with me, ignoring Jesse’s protests. “Diana, I didn’t mean—”

I shook my head and feigned a smile for his benefit. “I understand. I was going to say, there’s always my mother. She could help.”

Orion continued staring at me, but I felt close to crumpling under his gaze. I hurried past him to reach Cara and Violet, who had returned already. Cara noticed our forlorn expressions. “What did you find?”

Orion and Jesse filled her in, and I set to work helping Violet and Noah investigate the human tents left behind. Staying in our human forms, we managed to cut the locks, unzip the flaps, and peer inside.

There was no trace of sleeping bags or air mattresses, no food or drink coolers, or any other signs of habitation. There were only stacks of metal boxes and lockers, secured with more padlocks. Noah stepped forward, tall and lanky with taut muscles bulging in his arms. He took the first box from me and angled it against the ground. With a well-placed kick, he managed to destroy the lock. He handed the box back to me with a half-smile.

“Thanks,” I said, opening the box to rifle through its contents.

Still no food, water, or other camping supplies. The box was filled to the brim with paper. I thumbed through the stacks, making out individual files. I chose one at random and opened it. A sterile logo emblazoned the front of the folder:CRISPRTherapeutics. The name meant nothing to me, so I continued going through the box.

The papers within were all human business, science and technology from the looks of it. But it was all gibberish to my eyes. Once again, Selena would know what this was about. But there was one part, the mention of wolves–

“This fell out,” Violet said, bending to pick up a picture. We examined the glossy photo of a grainy image of a wolf. Not a werewolf, the forest animal. Violet and I shared a look of trepidation.

Noah sighed in frustration as he flipped through the second box he opened. “I don’t understand any of this. Do we know anyone who might?”

Selena, of course. But she wasn’t here now. I kept my mouth shut.