Chapter 7

The atmosphere is charged, and I’m surrounded by newly changed wolves of all shades of gray and brown, although I’m the only one with white in my coat. Turning as the Shaman’s chants draw my eyes back to him, I trip over my uncoordinated self as I try to right myself and get up. It’s hard to use my hands as front legs, and I instinctively rear backward too far onto my haunches, lose my balance, and reel forward again to correct it before tumbling face on. I slump to the ground once more and meet the dust with a lower jaw clunk. “It gets easier. Try to stay on your feet. All four of them.” The voice above me pulls my head to tilt towards it, and I recoil as I realize Colton Santo is standing right by me, watching as I make a spectacle of myself falling flat out on new legs. I don’t know if I’m shocked that he spoke to me or wary that he did. I’ve never trusted anything about him or any of his motives and wonder when he got so close here. Avoiding looking directly at him, keeping my eyes