The car ride was excruciating for Valine. With every mile that separated her from the pack and, most painfully, from Dimitri, it felt like her heart was being ripped from her chest. She was overwhelmed by a lot of emotions all at once— grief, longing, and heartache. Something she had never imagined feeling again.

After 30 minutes of silence, when they had distanced themselves considerably from the pack, Valine finally spoke.

It was hard to find the words, and her voice quivered. She said, "I need to use the restroom."

Carson looked through the rearview mirror, “There is a human town—”

Calista chimed in, “C’mon, Carson that was a few...