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“Are you sure it’s warm enough for this, Tavi?” I asked.
“Of course I’m sure! Now get your boots on,. The bonfire might have already started!”
We set out into the chilly spring night. I held Tavi’s hand tightly to make sure that I didn’t get lost in the darkness. Without a moon to guide me, it was hard to tell where I was going. Eventually, our pace slowed, and I began to smell lighter fluid.
“Let’s get the fire going as soon as we can,” Tavi announced to the group of shadowy silhouettes we were approaching. “We got a cold human with us tonight. But keep that a secret.”
“Right. Jasper, you got the matches?” asked one of the silhouettes.
Moments later, the fire flickered to life in the center of a pile of logs. I watched the fire lick across the wood until the entire setup was alight. Beginning to relax, I held my fingers out toward the flames, looking around at the group that had collected around the fire.
It was the same group from Tavi’s birthday lunch, plus a handful of other young wolves that I hadn’t yet met. There were large logs assembled in a circle around the fire that some people were already sitting and chatting on. Hallie had brought beer and soda, and Preston had a Styrofoam cooler full of meat. Lora had brought a large cast-iron pot, which she carried under her arm as if it weighed nothing. She started to set it up as another wolf with dark brown hair started playing pop music.
Tavi whooped and began to twirl and dance around the fire in time with the music. Hallie laughed and set down the drinks so she could join her. The wolves that weren’t busy with setting up the grill or prepping the meat clapped or danced with them. I laughed. The night air was cool and invigorating against my exposed skin. I started to clap along with everyone else.
“Hey, Bryn,” a voice came from behind me. “It’s nice to see you could make it.”
I turned and found Jasper walking up to me. He had dark blue eyes and tight, curly hair the color of copper. He was tall, lithely muscled, and had a bright, easy smile.
“It is nice, isn’t it?” I smiled.
His grin widened. “I’m glad that you remember me. I was actually among the group that brought you back to our compound.” He had a couple of cans of soda in hand, and he offered one to me. “Thirsty?”
I hesitated for half a second while I confirmed that the can was unopened. I might not have a plan for escape that night, but I didn’t want to risk another scenario like the one with Troy on the night of the challenge ceremony.
“Thanks, Jasper,” I said, accepting the soda and popping it open.
“I’m sorry if you wanted something stronger.” He walked closer to the fire so he could stand next to me. “I’m on call tonight, so I’m not allowed to drink.”
“Oh yeah?” My eyebrows rose. I remembered how lackadaisical the wolves in the Kings’ pack could be about their duties. There was so rarely a cause for alarm that even those actively on duty, not just on call, could be seen getting drunk with others. “You seem really responsible,” I said.
“Ahh, I don’t know about that,” he said, rubbing the back of his head. “I just take my position seriously.”
I sipped the drink. Though the drink was cold, the fizzy, sweet, vaguely citrusy soda was really refreshing. “What is your position?”
“I’m a hunter—well,” he amended with a slight blush, “I’m a junior hunter.”
“That’s a really important role in the pack. You must be trustworthy if you’re training to become one of them.”
“Gosh, Bryn, if you keep on like this, you’ll make me blush,” he chuckled. “Wanna sit down while we wait for the food? I feel like I have so many things I’d like to ask you.”
“You do?” I followed him to one of the logs and sat beside him. “You seemed quiet at Tavi’s birthday lunch, Jasper.”
He rubbed the back of his head, a slight color touching his cheeks. “Yeah, I was a little intimidated.”
“Intimidated? By what?”
“Well, by you.”
“Me?” I had never in my life been told that I was intimidating. If anything, I’d believed my entire life that wolves would never see me as anything other than prey. “Did I do something that offended you?”
“No, no! Nothing like that. It’s just that you just kinda give off this reliable, kind vibe, you know? And the way you jumped up that day to help Mabel clean up just confirmed that for me. You’re just sorta…different from anyone else I’ve met.”
“Well, what’s so intimidating about that?”
He chuckled again, though his cheeks were bright pink. “You know, now that I’m saying it out loud, I don’t know what I’m talking about either. You can ignore me.”
“I don’t think I want to do that.” I smiled. “You’re too nice.”
