That night, my cold had healed enough that I could finally be reunited with Elva. I ran to her, and she ran to me. When she came close, I scooped her up into my arms and held her. Her arms came around my

neck and she held me right back.

“I missed you, Elva. So much.”

“I missed you, Mommy.

Mark and the nanny eventually joined us and I thanked them both profusely for watching my daughter.

Thank you!” Elva said. “Thanks, Uncle Mark!”

I blinked.

Uncle Mark?

I looked at him and he looked embarrassed.

“I didn’t teach her that, I swear. She started doing it all on her own.”

I had been surprised, but I supposed I shouldn’t have been. After all, it had been a similar sequence of

events that had led Elva to calling Anna, Auntie Anna.

“Don’t worry,” I told him. “Elva has a mind of her own about some things.”

Mark seemed relieved.

“Mommy,” Elva said. “Are we going to meet wolves tomorrow?”

I looked to

invited Miss

dangerous.” I didn’t have an inner wolf so couldn’t speak to the wolves

would have limited warning if a wolf was growing annoyed and

“He’s asked me

Elva have anything to

want to meet the wolves,

purposefully endanger Elva. Of that, I was certain.

we would be safe.

“We’ll go and meet the wolves tomorrow.”

“Yay!” Elva cheered.

Nicholas’s reassurances, my nerves continued to be heightened as I carried Elva out past the gardens and into

“Down, please,” Elva said.

her down. “Now don’t run off. We

don’t want to hold hands.”

“Elva,” I said, stern.

She mirrored my

to go back inside, do

“No.” She pouted now.

my fingers.

walked across the

assigned wolf as they

hand.

was sitting politely on the grass. It watched us approach,

curiously.

Wolf!”

held her back at

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