I went back to my cottage, thoughts of Arthur pounding in my brain as I watched the torrential rain outside my window. It was a gloomy night, and every flash of lightning made me shiver in the darkness.

I felt more alone than ever. I had frequently been alone when I was with my former pack. But that was a state of being that had grown used to enduring. No one had ever shown me kindness there. I'd never had a friend or even a parent who truly cared about me. As such, ...