Paul remained silent, his shoulders hunched as they made their way through the bustling airport. The wheeled suitcase trailed behind him, making a rhythmic clicking against the tile floor. Even as they went through check-in, Juke spoke for him, his deep voice carrying an edge of authority that made the staff snap to attention. The fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows under Paul's eyes, making him look even more miserable than he probably felt.
Try as he might, Kirk couldn't get Paul to say anything. The usually chatty wolf only looked at him with sorrow-filled eyes, dimmed with distress, before darting a glance at Juke and lowering his gaze again. His fingers twitched at his sides as if fighting the urge to respond to Kirk's gentle prodding.
The tension radiating from Paul was thick enough to choke on. Dale's wolf stirred restlessly under his skin, picking up on the distress of a packmate. He couldn't take it anymore.
"How long are you going to keep Paul like this?" Dale asked, tryin
