The high-altitude light cut through the mist like a silver blade.
It had been two months since I first staggered into Blackwood Falls. Now, standing in the Alpha’s kitchen, I felt the heavy weight of belonging.
Today was a milestone. Leo was ten months old.
In the city, I would have marked it with a cupcake. Here, it was spoken of in hushed tones. Sloane called it the "Grip Milestone"—the time when a child’s true nature anchored itself to the world.
I stood at the marble island, frosting a "smash-cake." My mind replayed the static shock of Caleb’s touch from that morning.
The air isn't dry, I thought. It’s electric. And Leo... he’s changing. He’s not just a baby anymore.
The Grip Test
By late afternoon, the lodge hummed with life. Marcus and Maya arrived with a crate of appl
