The Wolf's Game
Either she’s too focused or too numb to notice.
I push off the pillar, curiosity prickling. The castle stirs again, recognizing a worthy meal. Or maybe, for once, a challenge.
“Who’s that?” one of the guards whispers.
I shrug, not wanting to draw attention to her. “Another dreamer.”
But my heart, what’s left of it, beats once, slow and deliberate. It hasn’t done that in a long time.
The wind shifts, carrying her scent across the courtyard: vanilla and stubborn pride. My wolf stirs under my skin, stretching like it’s been asleep for centuries. ‘Careful,’ I tell myself. ‘She’s just another contestant.’