Page 30 of It All Started with a Bite

Samuel’s eyebrows rose slightly as he watched me fracture my tenth branch. “You know, you’re learning this stuff faster than I expected.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“It’s unusual.” He studied me thoughtfully. “Most newly turned wolves take weeks to develop this level of control. You’ve done it in under an hour.”

“Maybe I’m just naturally talented,” I hazarded.

“Abby is the smartest cookie I know,” Bo huffed proudly.

“The other cookie you know isn’t exactly smart,” Samuel pointed out.

“Touché,” Bo admitted grudgingly.

I was glad Ellie hadn’t insisted on coming with us. But I also couldn’t help but agree. I’d known Ellie since kindergarten and she was never the sharpest tool in the box to begin with.

“Next lesson,” Samuel said. “Catching without crushing.”

I wrinkled my nose. “What I am catching?”

He reached inside the duffel bag and removed a Tupperware.

“Oh.” Bo brightened, his tail wagging. “Are we having snacks?”

“No.” Samuel removed an egg from the container and tossed it at me.

I caught it instinctively. It pulverized in my grip. “Damn.”

“I don’t think you were meant to do that,” Bo said unhelpfully while Samuel passed me some hand wipes.

“Let’s try again,” Samuel murmured.

Five minutes and fifteen eggs later, I caught my first intact egg.

Samuel’s eyes widened a little. “Not bad.” He recovered his composure. “Next pack rule. Showing respect to pack elders.”

Bo stamped his forepaws with an indignant look. “If you say we have to roll over, I quit.”

This coming from the dog who habitually exposed his stomach to complete strangers for gratuitous belly rubs.

Samuel sighed. “You don’t have to roll over. You just need to be polite and courteous.” He paused. “Speaking of which, you might want to reconsider your attitude toward Pearl.”

Bo sniffed. “Your cat is a snob.”

“He’s not wrong,” I said.

“She’s not my cat. She’s my mother’s cat.” Samuel rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Look, Pearl has been in the family forever. She’s like an heirloom no one wants. She was around when our pack first moved here.”

Bo and I traded a cautious look. Amberford was several centuries old.

“Is she immortal?” I said warily.

“We don’t know what she is, frankly. But no alpha has ever dared remove her from the pack.”

“I reckon she was embalmed,” Bo offered. “Like a mummy.”

“He watches the Discovery Channel,” I explained at Samuel’s leaden expression.

“Anyway, everyone in the pack respects Pearl. And Victoria doesn’t take kindly to disrespect either.” Samuel picked up a tennis ball next. “Let’s try something faster. Head over to the other side of the clearing.”

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