Chapter 10: The Bridge

They came at noon, on foot, down the Ironwood road.

Twenty wolves in a block, with the Beta on one side and Cormac at the front.

The rogue walked behind them with a cloth tied around his wrist, looking pleased with himself.

The Kettle River bridge was a narrow plank bridge over a deep green pool.

Ninety river wolves had come out of their houses to stand at the Kettle end, shoulder to shoulder, quiet as stones.

Bram stood at the middle of the bridge with his arms folded.

I stood behind him in the blue cardigan the healer had given me.

"You don't have to do this," he said without turning his head.

"Yes, I do."

"I can say you're not here."

"He'd smell me from the road."

"He would."

"Then there's no point." I took a breath that hurt my ribs. "I want him to see my face."

I stepped around Bram and walked out to the middle of the bridge.

Cormac stopped at the Ironwood end.

For a moment, nothing in his face moved.

Then all the color went out of it.

"Morven."

It came out cracked.

He took a step, and the wolves behind him murmured.

I heard someone whisper, "The Luna," and someone else say, "She's alive."

"You're alive," Cormac said.

"I'm alive."

"I buried you."

"You buried a box."

He took another step.

His eyes went over me fast, the hair, the cardigan, the belly under it.

They stopped on my belly and stayed there.

"There's a baby," he said.

"You said there wasn't."

His jaw tightened.

"Come home," he said. "Right now. Come home with me. We'll talk about everything at home."

"I'm not coming home."

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