Don't take him.

Back in her cramped apartment, Savannah couldn’t get rid of Zhao’s words in her head. The words hung heavy in the air, thicker than the lingering scent of burnt popcorn from Kai’s movie night.

Hugging him close, Savannah sank onto the worn sofa, her heart hammering a frantic tattoo against her ribs. His small frame was like a shield against the storm brewing inside of her. The encounter had ripped open the wounds she’d spent years bandaging, leaving her raw and exposed.

Leaving. It was the only thought that made sense to her now. Disappear, vanish like a wish of smoke, take Kai and find refuge in some nameless corner of the human world, far away from the wolves and their cruel games.

Unable to remain on a spot, she allowed Kai slide off her lap and she stood up, pacing up and down the length of the room.

But as she paced, the moon casting long and accusatory shadows on the tattered wall, a creak from the front door broke quite rudely into her thoughts. Savannah paused, straining her e