Hearing Elise say she wasn't sure about becoming Luna had stuck with me like a splinter I couldn't dig out. The next day I still felt bothered by it, enough that I started avoiding the usual places where I knew I'd run into her.
I skipped the kitchen in the morning, skipped the dining room at lunch, and stayed clear of the office where she worked. It felt childish even while I was doing it, but I couldn't shake the tightness in my chest every time I remembered her words.
This afternoon I was in the library, standing between two tall shelves and flipping through an old book on northern lycan territories, when the door opened and closed quietly. Heels clicked across the wooden floor, and then I heard Elise's voice.
"Rhys? Are you in here?"
I didn't answer right away. She walked farther in, her steps slowing as she looked around. A moment later she appeared at the end of the aisle, stopping when she saw me.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
