Chapter 33. Rising Unease

I shifted into my wolf form and trotted home under the dim glow of streetlights. Once I reached the little alcove where I stashed my clothes, I reverted to my human skin, dressed quickly, and set out for Chloe’s house. It felt ridiculous to change shape so many times in a single day—especially knowing I’d be stripping off my borrowed clothes the moment I returned them to Chloe—but I couldn’t risk her discovering that Ashley had taken pity on me and offered me decent attire.

When I arrived at the back porch of Chloe’s modest home, I was just pulling a shirt over my head when she called out, “Wait.” I paused mid-motion, clutching the hem of the top, and lowered my eyes. My long hair fell forward to shield the massive bruise blooming on my cheek, though Chloe never glanced up at my face. Instead, she pressed a small slip of paper into my hand. “Go to the packhouse,” she instructed, her tone clipped. “Gather the items on this list and bring them back.”

My stomach dropped. Th