CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

CALEB

It’s dawn. I haven’t slept a wink all night, too busy thinking about Sarah and how she’s doing on her first shift.

But now, I can see the sun coming up over the valley, the pink and gold streaks making the snow look like cotton candy.

Sarah should be here any minute. I thought she might be back earlier, but maybe she really did need to take all the way until dawn.

I hate having to wait to see her, to hold her, to congratulate her, but I’m not worried. I know she’ll come back for me. She said she loved me. The loyalty ritual is just that - a ritual.

Maybe, I tell myself, maybe she doesn’t know it’s dawn yet. Maybe the sunrise has taken a while to make it up over the mountain peaks and ridges.

I can’t wait to see her. I want to see her wolf form. I know it must be incredible. I’ll run my hands through her fur, look into her round wolf eyes, and we’ll be together again. I’m so proud of her for shifting.

But the minutes tick by, and I’m still waiting. Sarah isn