Chapter 32 Crossed Paths - I

• Mika wandered through the festival stalls, distracted. Strings of lights lit up the night with a soft, golden glow, and the scent of food blended with the smell of damp earth and the various perfumes of the people around. This was always the liveliest time of the year for the pack—everyone joined in. Laughter echoed through the village, carried by the music played by musicians at the center of the celebration.
• He usually didn’t like crowded places, but tonight felt different—lighter somehow. As if the darkness that had hung over the pack for so long was finally starting to fade.
• And then he saw it.