Debbie. The cold night air hit my face the moment we stepped off the metal ramp of the jet. I breathed in deeply, expecting the usual scent of our world. I expected the heavy, sharp smell of pine, wet dirt, and the thick, suffocating musk of dozens of wolves marking their territory. But it wasn't there. The air smelled different. It smelled flat. Clean, but completely empty. There was no power in the wind. I wanted to ask where we were. But I didn't. And in that instant, I saw them. A small group of people stood at the bottom of the ramp. They were dressed in plain, dark suits. As we got closer, my nose twitched. I leaned in just a little bit, trying to catch their scent. Nothing. There was no wolf inside them. No hidden beast waiting behind their eyes. They smelled like sweet soap, coffee, and salt. They smelled completely like humans. "River?" I whispered, my fingers tightening on River’s arm. I looked around the dark, open airfield. "Who are they? Where are we?" "They are
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