Chapter 13

That night, a huge fire was spreading warmth, its little flames dancing a slow rhythm.

I found very quickly that the Frostbites were a very close-knit community, and, almost every week, after a group of expeditions made their rounds in the forest that surrounded the territory, they would gather around a campfire to make offerings.

These offerings were usually to Athelia, and that night everything was a little surreal. Many werewolves came to bring fruit and spices, but they offered them directly to me. Facing down and with hopeful gestures, they brought me baskets of gifts and repeated the words that Pandora had said to me during our training session: my blood is on your behalf.

They were doing it with sincerity, each with a strange curiosity. Hope.

Part of me felt wrong.

"Why do they keep giving me things?" I told Pandora. I wanted to go back to my hotel room, because I was starting to feel cornered. I couldn't bear the feeling of everyone throwing glances my way.

"If you're not Athe