Clarke was the one who got over his shock first. The most brilliant of smiles lit up his face, and I was once again reminded of how easily Sterling's words could raise a man up or put them down. Especially when they were as sensitive as Clarke.

"Did you know about this?" Those dark, battle-ground for eyes, they landed on me; Heaven and Hell danced in his eyes, and looking into them made me want to sin and repent in the same breath.

"Yes. I thought . . . sometimes everybody needs to be told that they're doing a good job. This is your pack's way of telling you that...