→ 50%


    Therge room was filled with artwork, each child disying a project they’d made. Alice’s project was a butterflymp she’d constructed out of paper, with tiny people holding hands and dancing across thempshade. Themp glowed warm yellow and


    cast colorful light in every direction.


    I found it truly enrapturing.


    “Wow,” I said to Alice. “This is an incredible piece of art. You did very well, little she-wolf.”


    Alice beamed, and other parents admired the work as well.


    A voice came over the microphone, announcing that the charity auction would begin shortly. Each child’s work would be


    auctioned off in order to raise money, and I had my heart set on taking Alice’s work home.


    When the auctioneer presented her piece, Alice scrambled onto the stage, her voice loud and eager over the speakers.


    “This is mymp!” she said. “It’s a gift for all children, all over the world, no matter their pack, or their skin color, their abilities,


    or theirnguage.”


    I was touched by her words, so profound for a child so young. Her mother must be raising her right.


    The crowd watched as Alice pulled a string, and thempshade began to slowly turn. The paper figures adorning the shade danced


    hand in hand, the colors spinning across the auditorium, which filled with gasps and apuse.


    The auctioneer took the mic again. “Bidding starts at fifty dors for this beautiful piece!”


    I prepared to raise my hand, but another man across the room beat me to it.


    “One hundred,” the man said.


    “One thousand,” I proimed, my hand in the air.


    The other man turned to nce at me, confusion shing across his face. “Five thousand.”


    “Ten thousand,” I said without hesitation.


    Murmurs rippled through the auditorium. People were stunned. Was this piece really worth that much? I kept my paddle up, undaunted by the crowd’s reaction or the other man’spetition. But Julian kept his bidding paddle up, unwavering.


    I wanted everyone to know this little girl had a dad. No one would dare bully her again.


    “One hundred thousand,” the other man said.


    “Five hundred thousand,” I countered. I could do this all day.


    I looked over at mypetition. The man seemed familiar, as did the woman who sat beside him. I wracked my mind, but I couldn’t ce the couple,


    12:35 PM Tue 26 Aug


    We volleyed back and forth.


    “One million,” I dered, my paddle raised proudly in the air.


    ? 50%


    I looked over to see if the other man was still in, only to find that he’d slipped away. The woman who’d sat next to him had


    vanished as well.


    “This lovelymp to the man over there,” the auctioneer cried, obviously astounded by our fight over this kindergartener’s school


    project. The money I’d bid would go to the orphanage, and my heart glowed at the thought of how many other young children it


    would help.


    Alice ran over to me, overjoyed at the result of the auction. She hugged me and kissed me on the cheek, leaving slobber behind. I


    This was worth much more than a million dors.


    Despite my joy, my mind couldn’t help but wander back to the woman who’d been sitting with mypetition. Her figure


    haunted my thoughts. Her golden hair, her graceful curves, the confidence she’d radiated.


    The more I thought of her, the more familiar she seemed.


    I couldn’t wait any longer. I sprinted out of the auditorium, out of the school altogether, hoping that she’d still be there.


    My breath stopped.


    There she was, glowing in the sunlight, literally taking my breath away. I had no more doubts.


    Amber Wood, my wife who was supposed to have died years ago, was here in Thorn Pack.


    But there was another man standing beside her.


    12:36 PM Tue 26 Aug