Vark POV

The door closes and I let my expression drop.

There's no one to perform for now. I allow the warmth I've been wearing all morning to simply leave, the way you'd set down something you've been carrying longer than necessary. I make a short sound through my nose.

"He's more trouble than I expected," I say. I move to the window and look out at the path Noah has just walked down. "I always assumed he was manageable. A pack that hasn't consolidated its leadership in ...