Bragi opened her eyes to an unfamiliar face, the eyes wide and wild, the cheeks gaunt and hollow, and tension evident in every twitching muscle fiber. Her fur was in her eyes and the breeze was downright frigid as it whisked gently over her waterlogged form. She knew that look.

Pulling her lips back from her teeth, she snarled with her entire chest at the mangy, half-starved coyote, eyeing her like she was a particularly fragrant corpse. It turned tail immediately, wisely deciding that she wasn't worth the fight. Satisfied, she rose — drenched, dripping, and just a little noodly in the legs — to her feet.

She couldn't remember how she got here, but that wasn't unusual. It was unusual, however, that she didn't recognize here. That hadn't happened in a long, long time. There were none of the lingering scents of her dads, or her siblings, or her pack like she was used to. Just a cool breeze, crisp with spring, and the memory of a voice in the back of her head, fading and angry.


Bragi snorted suddenly, expelling whatever water was left in her nostrils after her impromptu swim and shook out her coat. Ah, whatever. There was no use worrying about that loser right now. Because Bragi was a free agent again, her mind blissfully clear, and she was determined — as always — to make the most of it.