Grace of a Wolf by Lenaleia

Chapter 114: Grace: Everything. Is. Fine.

Nothing there. Just the empty dirt clearing and—

"Sadie! Sadie, get back here!"

A golden retriever bounds into view, racing toward the distant RV where someone stands in the doorway, waving.

I exhale a laugh that sounds more like a gasp. See? Dog. Just a dog. Totally normal. Totally fine.

Paranoia’s getting to me. This skin-crawling feeling makes everything seem like some monumental problem instead of just some random neighbor’s dog coming around to sniff the new arrival.

Caine watches me carefully but doesn’t comment. After a long moment, he says, "I need to make a supply run, but it’s at least a fifteen minute drive to town. I’ll be gone about an hour."

"You’re leaving?" My voice pitches higher than I intended.

"There’s no indication we were followed." His tone is calm and measured as he explains, "We need water and fuel. I won’t be long."

I nod, though anxiety crawls up my spine like tiny spiders. He’s right. We need supplies. Who knows how long we’ll be here. Lyre doesn’t sound like she’s coming back tonight. She said they were stopped at a motel because the others were tired.

They were driving all night, so it’s no surprise.

Caine gathers his keys and moves to the door. His hand pauses over the handle as he turns back to me, his gray eyes intense. "Lock this behind me."

"I will."

He steps outside, and I follow him outside, watching as he motions toward the underside of the RV. Fenris appears, manifesting out of thin air, smaller than he usually is. Much like when I thought he was a black dog instead of himself, with only the faintest hint of ethereal glow deep in his fur.

He starts padding toward me, but Caine growls, and he jerks to the side and slithers under the RV, panting in the shade of its cover.

"He’ll stay here."

"Does he have to stay

"Yes."

me, and

"Can’t he come inside...?"

"No."

The

me, sprinting toward the moving vehicle, and

it’s a moment of panic. "Get back inside,

enough to curdle milk. The toddler, sensing the tension, hesitates too, reaching for Jer’s hand once she sees Fenris

wolf circles, looking for all the

I repeat, my voice

up the steps, shooting me a dark look. Guilt

my thigh, and

problem?"

say, softer now, "but we need to stay inside. At least until he

his steady presence an immediate balm. "Jer, knock it

sag slightly, but

the end of our clearing. Something’s wrong. Caine’s hesitating, and I can see his profile, rigid and alert. I hurry over, jogging the entire way. Fenris trots behind me, clearly taking his guard dog duty

is it?" I call

on the distant RVs, particularly the one with the

his voice low and

I nod, jogging back. Up the steps and into the

I get to the window, he’s

forcing brightness into

stare back at

set up," Ron offers, breaking the