Chapter 27: Cranky Wolves

The first signs of something amiss came later that week. Everyone seemed on edge. Marie broke up no less than three fights during training class. I'd come to realize some of this was normal—if it was the day of or the one before the full moon. But we were still two weeks out, so something was definitely off.

As class ended that day, I realized I might be happy here, but I had no friends. After the incident with Evan, most offered wary respect, but others gave me a wide berth and never spoke to me unless they had to. Maybe this wasn't happiness at all. Maybe I was just feeling safe and equating it to happiness.

Marie plopped down beside me as the last wolf left.

"Something on your mind?" she asked.

I shrugged. She sometimes held me after class to see how things were going. At first, I thought she was spying. It wasn't until later I realized she genuinely cared.

"I've been here for a while now."