Michelle
The night was cold enough to make my bones ache. I pulled the rough shawl tighter around my head, keeping my face buried deep beneath its shadows. My heart was hammering so loudly that I swore the wind could hear it. If Kiel had seen me—if he had even caught a glimpse of me near that damned window—it would all be over. Every plan, every lie, every ounce of control I had been clawing to keep from slipping.
I kept walking until my legs threatened to give out. The forest had always been my ally, the thick trees and whispering leaves hiding me from the pack's watchful eyes. I'd chosen the old cabin near the creek as my temporary hideout. It wasn't much—four crumbling walls, a leaky roof, and a half-broken fireplace—but it was far enough from the patrol routes to keep us safe. Or at least, I thought it was.
