Chapter 11 A Fortress Of Soft Things

• [XENA]
• Kasumi arrives just in time as the wolf pup leaps from my arms and scurries across the room to hide beneath the bed, passing like a blotch of black shadow. She notices it and startles, not just by its movement but also by my presence.
• For a moment, she stares at me as if trying to confirm that I’m really here. She blinks, stuttering, “H-how did you come back so soon, Luna?” Her fingers tighten around the basket at her hip until the wicker strains. “I didn’t see the Alpha’s carriage arrive…”