59

Night had, to my surprise, been okay with me working in the kitchens with Mabel and other wolves. And now, to my even greater surprise, he was letting me go to my first bonfire.

The last couple of days had been nice—I was able to live my life, work, and not have to hide who I really was. I hadn’t even thought about an escape plan, though that was in large part due to Tavi’s company.

It felt so good to have friends and to be in a place where I could relax just a little bit. True, I was still a prisoner, but having friends like Tavi around lessened the strain. Actually, I was happier than I could remember ever being, and it was starting to mess with my mind. Objectively, I knew I ought to try to use tonight to get back to my mom, but the thought of attempting such a thing saddened me. I was so excited about experiencing something new that I couldn’t find the will to ruin the evening with any escape plans.

I let my hair out of its bun and washed up for the bonfire. Tavi returned with the