Sweet relief and a rush of joy flooded her as her name tumbled from his mouth. She hadn’t heard it spoken since she had left her birth pack.

It caught her completely off guard, and she realized, quite suddenly, that tears had sprung to her eyes. Stunned, she lifted a paw to dab at the wetness on her cheeks, pulling it back to stare at the damp fur in quiet wonder.

When was the last time she had felt like this? When had she last let herself feel like this?

She couldn’t remember.

The realization struck hard, leaving an ache in her chest, a void carved into her by the silence that had ruled her life. Just the utterance of her name had completely unraveled her.

Fascinating.

Her icy gaze met molten as she stared at him, intense and unblinking, letting the moment sink in.

He knew her name.

He had spoken it.

Without warning, she lurched forward, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. She wasn’t one for physical affection, but she was so overcome by the tide of emotion that a simple name had torn through her defenses.

And then she cried.

Silent, full-body sobs shook her as the warm tone of his voice echoed in her mind.

The ghost had been seen.

It had been so long.