"You can't let her get to you every time, Trudy," Charna said, her voice soft but firm. "You know what Morgan's like. This is the ritual day. We're honoring the souls of our fallen pack members. We shouldn't taint it with pointless arguments."
Trudy's lips trembled with barely contained frustration. "Pointless arguments? She's blaming Riona again, Char! And we all know it's completely unjustified."
Charna gave a knowing sigh. She knew how Trudy felt. Trudy was the kind of werewolf who thought everyone had a secret good side, like some kind of emotional puppy.
The world could be crumbling around her, and she'd still be like, "But what if we just give Riona a hug and a chance to explain herself?"
But Charna also knew the full story. Riona had arrived at Wintertooth as a lost, helpless stranger, needing their help. She had risen from nothing to become a hero who'd sacrificed everything to save the village.
