34

The other pack leaders who attended gave me some cursory goodbyes, but their bored expressions and listless words told me they didn’t give a damn that I was leaving. It made me wonder what they’d do if I told them exactly why I was leaving the pack lands. Would they change their tune and beam at me with pride? Or would they simply look at me with sadness and start consoling my parents on the death of their daughter? A death they’d be sure was coming.

“Let’s get out of here,” I whispered to Zoe as we walked away from the house.

Zoe’s eyes flicked to the tree line. “We can, but you’ve got company.”

Following her eyes, I saw the familiar form of my brother Kolton’s wolf sprinting out of the forest toward us. He shifted as he drew upon us, a heavy backpack slung over his shoulders.

“Hang on, buttface,” he said. “You aren’t going anywhere without me.”

I gaped at him, then looked at Zoe. She had a guilty look on her face and refused to meet my eyes.

Gritting my teeth, I snarled at her. “You