The next morning, blessedly, Elva woke up feeling infinitely better. She bounced around the room

without a care in the world.

When I told her about her prospective wolf ride, she buzzed with excitement. She wiggled her arms back

and forth and jumped up and down on her feet.

She pouted when I made her sit down.

“You had a serious fever only twenty–four hours ago,” I said.

I

“That’s a hundred years ago,” she countered. She kicked her legs under the chair. “I want to ride a wolf.”

“You will. But we have to wait until you are well.” I wasn’t going to take any chances this time, not after

what happened. She had gotten sick because of my carelessness. Never again.

“But, Mommy…”

“Elva. The wolf will still be there tomorrow.”

“What if it isn’t?”

“It will be.”

half of my worry. Since Lena’s threat the night before, I

location where she would

was the day of the hunt. Our prey was

had planned for me

even worse.

didn’t want Elva

the nanny, under the

courtyard, each of the girls were given a weapon of their choice, then sent with their

into the

though would spread their attention among

entirely on the hunt

wolf companion Silver, I chose a

princes were already swarmed with the other girls, so I didn’t have

hunt was the event, so the hunt was what I would

us,” I said to

For

of them are distracted, this gives us advantage

the forest. I quickly followed her lead. As a wolf, she could

charge. With her heightened sense of smell, she likely already knew

boar, if not

Silver would stop to sniff at the ground, pressing her nose into the underbrush. Then

and

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