CHAPTER 27

Maxine had barely slept since the events of the previous night. Every time she shut her eyes, the image of that big wolf, its claws outstretched and fangs bared, flashed in her mind. The voice that had whispered to her in the woods now echoed in her thoughts, soft yet insistent: *"Release me. It's time."* But who was that voice? And why was the wolf so bent on killing her?

More than anything, she couldn't shake the unease she felt about Alph. He was always there at the right place and right time, saving her from dangers she didn’t even know existed. It was comforting and terrifying all at once. Why did he care so much? And how did he always seem to know when she was in trouble?

She sat on the edge of her bed, staring out at the balcony of her room. The moon—full and unchanging yellow—hung in the sky unblinking, like an eye. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since the attack in the forest, and Maxine was wide awake, her mind too restless to allow her any peace. She wanted to shake t