WINTER

The rain pouring down slicked not only my light-gray fur but the ground beneath us. For almost an hour we had tracked the trail across moss-covered earth, slipping and skidding between the trees, yet there was still no sign of our mates. When I finally reached a small clearing where no branches shielded the sky, a sudden thought struck me.

Valtor was gone. He had left us. Khione stomped the ground in frustration, only to lose her footing and crash down.

Pain shot through our ...