It didn’t take long to spot them. The wolves were celebrating a fresh kill. The pack had gathered around the large doe’s carcass, frolicking as they prepared to feast.

Ansel and Bryn chased each other outside the cave entrance, kicking up clouds of snow as they ran. Mason was digging into the venison, his muzzle bloodied. Nev sat beside him, his tongue lolling out as if Mason had told a hilarious joke.

A white wolf emerged from the cavern. Calla’s golden eyes surveyed her pack. A golden brown wolf bounded out of the forest, coming to greet her. Shay circled Calla, nipping at her until she barked a protest. To Sabine it sounded like laughter.

The two alphas trotted together to the kill, nuzzling and licking each other as they moved. Mason and Nev rose when they arrived, bowing their heads and wagging their tails. Calla barked again and Ansel and Bryn joined the pack. The wolves gathered together, ready to share the bounty of their hunt.

Sabine stood up, satisfied that her friends were safe and content. When she moved, Calla lifted her head. Her eyes focused in Sabine’s direction. Despite the distance between them, Sabine could have sworn Calla was looking right at her.

The white wolf’s ears flicked back and forth. She lifted her muzzle and howled. The sound filled Sabine with a mixture of sweetness and sorrow. The other wolves joined the song, their familiar voices blending in the winter air. Sabine watched them for another minute, then she turned and walked back to Ethan.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

She handed him the binoculars. “They’re happy. So I’m happy.”

“Good.” Ethan started toward the portal, but Sabine hesitated as the wind lifted her hair, its cold caress beckoning her toward the wilderness. She turned, listening to the song carried on the stiff winter breeze. Nev’s voice rose above the other wolves’ as the chorus of howls wove through the air. Sabine wondered if somehow they knew she was here, and if they might be saying good-bye or if they were asking her to stay.

“Sabine?” Ethan waited in the light of the door, watching her.

She took his hand. The wolves’ howls still sounded in the forest behind her, but she no longer needed to look back. With Ethan at her side, she stepped into the light of the portal, into her new world.