Mated but Impaired

a's

d off my shoes and let them fall aside. The posting day, a

hool graduation to see which pack I would be assi

e which pack I would be assigned to

outine, my mind preoccupi

be assigned to a pack, but the u

ed strength and aggression or one t

il and found the letter

racing of my heart echoing the p

d the door, glad to

I opened the letter,

shaking, and

aper, yet there was a phrase that cau

ore a feeling of dread swept over me as the infamous reputation of t

etter into the smallest pieces with trembling hands

ould change my fate. I hesitated, weighing my options, but th

nd wait for another chan

heard of; some wolves tried a

cool air fill my lungs, and wi

*

sound of my mother's voice

one was laced with disappointment

clicking and knew I w

o my room, it felt like

, a scent I recognized but

ns," she declared, dis

ter, and my face dr

, but the Moonlight Shadows pack's

oping you'd follow in his footsteps an

osted closer to home, th

he letter revealing his desire for me to join the Moonlight Shadows pack. He had always been ambitious, and I k

as him, but I don't appr

had been hit

decisions?" My mother burst out

t an ungrat

rt much more deepl

ause bitter words re

go to that p

s of fire, and her jaw was set so th

re told. You're no

reddened, and h

ke, Kaida," she said,

t felt like the walls were slowl

going." I

escaped out the door at the ba

t out of the house and into the forest, the coo

ging trees. The long trees were hanging over

ness in my chest crept on me, like i

ners of my eyes, but I r

ere long and dark, coveri

ders slumped, the weight of m

ent and frustration. I could see that I had disapp

walked off came flooding back-the fi

r each other, yet even after s

mother would ever

an intricate web of relationships and hierarc

eant belonging and hav

h a kind of decision is wro

r and me deciding to put my worries aside a

help release me from th

*

e tree, and its tou

red all across the ground

e that there was

, his calm and measured tone a stark con

d books and leather, and the way he leaned forwar

xcellent," he had said, his eyes gleaming wit

ent, that is precisely

ll, I had not given in, and stubbor

dialogue when he phoned his

corrected

the things connected w

ng angry, my hands

universe tur

lit up, I got up an

g my mother again gav

eady in bed, so we would