Trust by Viola Rivard Page A

way.”
    “What do you mean by the ‘Halcyon’ den?” Taylor asked as they set out down a narrow walkway. Someone had taken the time to carve steps into the stone.
    “Our pack is the Halcyon pack,” Lark explained. She smiled, revealing a gap between her two front teeth. “All the best packs have names.”
    Looking around as they walked, Taylor asked, “Where is everyone?”
    “Most of the wolves are nocturnal. They’re sleeping right now.”
    Reaching the mouth of the cave, Taylor could hardly believe her eyes. The view was breathtaking. As they climbed down the walkway that led down the mountainside and into the valley, Lark pointed out the landmarks, giving both informational and odd commentary.
    At the center of the valley was one giant lake. According to Lark, it was actually two lakes that were separated by a thin strip of land. In late summer when the rain was heavier, they often flooded together. Apparently, the southern end of the lake was much better for skipping stones than the northern side.
    Beyond the lakes and deeper into the valley was the Mistwood or Misty Woods; Lark seemed to use both names interchangeably. Late at night, mist from the lakes and a nearby river settled over the woods, which made them easy to get lost in. It was a great place to find quail eggs.
    What Taylor found most interesting was Mount Ezra, which bordered the valley ten miles to the east. The mountain that had yesterday been the bane of her existence looked like a blue-green hill beside Halcyon Mountain. She couldn’t believe Alder had carried her all the way from the top and back to his den in one night.
    After she’d relieved her bladder, Taylor expected to return to the den, but Lark had other plans. They headed into the valley, veering off the path and into a field.
    “Do you like strawberries?” asked Lark.
    Taylor gave an enthusiastic nod. “I love them.”
    “Fantastic,” Lark said, motioning towards the ground. “I was worried I’d have to eat all of these before the end of the month.”
    Looking down, it took Taylor a few moments to realize what she was looking at. On the surface it looked like a field of green weeds, but upon closer inspection she could see the little red fruits hidden beneath the leaves.
    “They’re going to start rotting, come September,” Lark said. “None of the predators will admit to liking them, though I have seen the foxes picking at them when no one’s watching.”
    “There are foxes here? Like, shifters?” Taylor asked, bending down to pick one of the strawberries. They were much smaller than the kind she used to buy at the grocery store, only a little bigger than marbles.
    Lark flopped down onto the ground, indiscriminately picking a handful of strawberries. “There are all kinds of shifters in the valley. Wolves, foxes, hawks—there are even some bears, but their den is half a day’s walk from here.”
    “But the rest of them all live in the Halcyon den?” Taylor asked, sitting down as well. She popped one of the strawberries in her mouth. It might have been small, but it had a potent sweetness.
    “Yup,” Lark said, talking while chewing. “Most of us have lived in the valley all our lives.”
    “Isn’t it weird, having all sorts of different shifters living together?”
    Lark shrugged. “Mostly everyone keeps to their own kind and minds their own business. If anyone tries to start a fight, Alder will put them in their place.”
    That sure put things into perspective. Alder wasn’t just an alpha wolf. From the way it sounded, he was in charge of the whole valley and everyone in it. She could hardly believe that her life had collided with such an important man’s and she hadn’t even known it.
    “So, Alder mentioned something about you staying in the cabin,” Lark said. She was looking down now, picking at the strawberries with much less gusto.
    “Oh, yeah. Can we go see it?”
    She’d completely forgotten about the lakeside cabin Alder had told her she