I can’t help but keep my eyes on Nick as he enters the fray. I try to force myself to watch the entire battle, to adopt a general’s gaze, to remember that every member of my pack matters, but I can’t keep my eyes off him.

He runs into the mass of snarling, fighting wolves. He charges one. They see him coming, and brace to meet him. When they meet, they each rear up to knock the other over. Their fight looks almost exactly like our play in the woods.

Of course, ...