Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 35: Grace: Blonde

My hair is blonde, and it’s weird.

For whatever reason, I hear Caine’s voice in my head. "Your hair is brown," he’d said. A mere observation, not even a compliment, but for a second I mourn my generic brown hair.

"The toner helped with the brassiness, but it still isn’t perfect." Lyre runs her fingers through my hair with a soft click of her tongue. "Virgin hair is so nice to work with. It’s so soft even after lightening."

Andrew scratches at his cheek, his eyes darting everywhere except my face. "It, uh, looks pretty good."

"Thanks," I mutter, uncomfortable with his awkwardness. His crush doesn’t seem completely gone if he can’t meet my eyes over a simple compliment.

My attention drifts back to the mirror on the camper’s bathroom wall.

A stranger stares back at me. The blonde frames my face differently, catching light where shadows used to be. I twist a strand between my fingers, still damp and smelling of chemicals. My reflection looks alien.

I can’t stop touching it, running my fingers through the strands, flipping it side to side. The weight feels different. Everything feels different.

Lyre said it would be lighter after it dries, but something about solar power and batteries means she can’t run her hair dryer.

"So?" She leans against the doorframe, eyes bright with anticipation. "Do you like it?"

"I honestly don’t know." My hand drops from my hair. "But I definitely would’ve botched it without your help."

She waves a hand about airily. "It isn’t really that hard to do. Just need the right products and a bit of patience."

We shuffle out of the cramped bathroom and into the dinette—a small table with bench seating crammed against her kitchen counter. I slide in first, pressing myself against the wall to make room for Andrew. The space between us and the counter can’t be more than ten inches.

"Sorry it’s tight." Lyre squeezes past to grab three glasses. "Always harder to move around when the slides are in."

her gesture toward the back half of the RV,

outward." Lyre sets down the glasses and pours water from a filtered pitcher. "They give you more living space inside. But when they’re extended, I hang over into neighboring parking spaces, so I don’t do it unless I have to. When I’m renting a space it’s fine, but parking lots are a different matter. But it’s free, so I

each a glass of water. "Actually, Grace,

her strange, slitted eyes. I fiddle with the glass, not answering Andrew. He’s right about the time, but I’m oddly reluctant to leave this tiny, colorful

this woman for all of an hour, yet there’s something about her—something free and untethered, calling to the part of me that’s been controlled

know." Lyre’s

head snaps up, my heart suddenly thumping faster in

so I can stay a while if I want to." She traces a pattern

national park; I’ve seen pictures of it. And it’s really far from here, putting a massive amount of

me. His

why I didn’t want Andrew

"Just offering." She shrugs, the gesture fluid and unconcerned, and sips at

not trying to be rude. We appreciate your help, but we have plans. And we don’t know you very well." Andrew’s polite, at least, as he explains things

enough." She smiles at me, not him. "The offer stands though. Especially if those plans aren’t really what you want

not even sure what I’m going to say, when Andrew’s hand presses

really should

know I’d take her up on the

if Andrew’s right here? It isn’t like I’m obligated to follow along with their ridiculous plan of bringing me back to the Blue Mountain Pack. In fact, I never planned on playing long with their plan to begin with. Andrew was always just

hair. Something about the chemical smell lingering

voice louder than I meant for it to be.

started falling yet. It’s even better than when I tried to escape the first

up, but his thighs slam into the underside of the table. Water sloshes over the rim of his glass and he drops back into his seat, rubbing

but her expression remains neutral as she watches

hisses at me, snatching