Chapter 7. The Alpha Position

Talia Stillwater's POV

My family had kept me in LaCrosse until this morning, afraid that whoever took Tania might harm me as well. I was not allowed to go anywhere without a guard, and the adults didn't like me out of their sight. The abduction had everyone on edge.

The oldest member of our Pack, a woman named Madelia, led the service and said the prayers committing their souls to the Moon. The service was only a few minutes long, and before I knew it, I was being led to the edge. We buried our loved ones with mementos of their lives; I held a drawing of our family I had made when I was six. It was little more than a stick figure, but it was the first art project I had brought home from school. Mom had left it on the refrigerator for over a decade. I let it fall into the grave along with my tears. "I miss you so much, Mom and Dad. I love you."

Since Tania was missing the service, I brought Wolfy, the toy wolf she had loved so much as a little girl. When she outgrew