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My patience was running out when finally Balthazar appeared again from ... out of nowhere. His black hair, which was usually always neatly combed, now looked messy, and leaves and small twigs stuck to his black knit sweater. He looked like he had just rolled on the forest floor. Slowly the pressure that was holding my body disappeared until I could stand up from this bench.

"Have you gone mad? Leaving me here so long-"

"Caroline, do you recognize this?" Balthazar interrupted me, he raised his hand and showed a tuft of long black hair between his hands.

I stared at his dark face with a confused look. "What's that?"

"Wolf fur. And I'm pretty sure this isn't Alex Brennan's wolf fur ... is it?" Balthazar pulled the corners of his mouth downwards.

"No ... Alex's wolf fur is brown," I replied in a slightly hoarse voice. "Were you chasing that werewolf? He's probably a member of the Yellowstone Pack-"

"No. I know the werewolf from Yellowstone by heart. And this wolf." He raised the fur to hi