In front of a brown bear.
The bear freezes.
Momma told me not to go far. Daddy… What did Daddy say?
Daddy said bears are big and scary, but they’re more scared of us than we are of them.
The bear's lips peel back, and its growl is so big. So scary.
It swipes.
My wolf hasn’t come yet, but I feel her inside me.
I roll, push myself up, and I run.
I hear it crashing behind me.
Twisting around to see how far back it is, I take a step.
Nothing.
Screaming, I tumble and fall.
My head cracks on stones, and I fall forever.
It’s dark when my eyes open.
A pretty woman with light brown hair and green eyes is sitting in front of me.
“How do you feel, sweetie?” she asks me.
“My head hurts.”
“You have a bump.” Her eyes widen. “But it’s… it’s not swollen anymore. I could have sworn…”
I stare at her. “Are you my momma?”
Her face turns blank.
A man with black hair and a brown beard steps forward. I don’t know him, but maybe he’s my daddy?
“Rachel.” He takes the woman’s arm and pulls her back.
And even though he keeps his voice quiet, and he’s a long way away, I still hear him. “No, Rachel. We have to find out where she?—”
“She’s out here on her own. Whoever was watching her doesn't deserve her. She could have been killed.”
“She’s not ours.”
The woman with the pretty brown hair and the green eyes grabs the front of his coat. “But we’ve always wanted a child, and this… this feels like it was meant to be. She came to us when we needed her the most.”
“Someone will miss her.”
“They won’t. And we’ve been out here for days. There’s no one here but us. Someone probably dumped her here.”
“Momma?” I try to sit up, but my head aches and my tummy feels strange.
She rushes over. “It’s okay, sweetie. Don’t try to stand. You’re still shaky. Let me carry you. Were you out here alone?”
