Marcus pokes his head through the tent flap. "Taking the sled to pick up the firewood." His breath clouds in the cold air. "Greg''s got a good pile going, but it''s too far to carry."

"Be careful out there." The words slip out before I can stop them. He''s more than capable of handling himself, but after everything we''ve seen lately, caution feels necessary.

He nods once before disappearing into the growing darkness. The runners of the sled scrape against packed snow as he moves away from camp.

The percolator starts to bubble, filling the tent with the rich aroma of coffee. My stomach growls. Trail mix and jerky only go so far.

Through my bond with Selene, I feel her satisfaction. Whatever she''s tracking, she''s getting closer. Her excitement bleeds into my own awareness, making it hard to focus on the mundane task of stirring the stew.

"The others seem to have found something good," Vanessa says, noticing my distraction. "Selene, too?"@@@@

"She''s on a trail." I add another piece of wood to the stove. "Fresh tracks in the snow. Are they hunting together?"

"No. She must have found something else."

The tent grows warmer as the stove works its magic. Between the heat and the smells of coffee and stew, it''s a lot cozier than I thought this experience would be.

Another howl splits the night, closer this time. Victory rings in that sound—they''ve cornered their prey.

"Sounds like we might have fresh meat after all," Vanessa says, already pulling out extra cooking supplies.

The percolator bubbles faster now, coffee nearly ready. I breathe in the steam, letting it chase away the lingering chill in my bones.

"What did they catch?"

"Moose."

My eyebrows fly high. "That''s a quick hunt for a moose." I''ve long since gotten over my shock that we even have moose around here. Aside from hearing a few comments about how strange it is that they''re around so early in the year, I''ve learned they''ve always been part of the hunting season. For some reason, I thought they were only in Alaska. Oh, and Canada.

Her lips quirk. "It was stuck. They got lucky once they tracked it down."

The tent flap rustles as Marcus and Greg return, their arms laden with split wood. The scent of fresh-cut pine fills the air as they stack the logs near the stove.

Hey! His indignant voice bellows in my head. I am the pinnacle of tact.

I share his response, and Vanessa nearly chokes on her stew.

"Right." She wipes her mouth. "Because ''that''s the stupidest thing I''ve ever heard'' is the height of diplomacy."

"He said that to me yesterday."

"I''m pretty sure he says that at least five times a week."

The coffee percolator bubbles, reminding me of its presence. Since Vanessa''s done most of the work here, I jump up to pour three cups, passing them around. The rich aroma fills the tent, mixing with woodsmoke and savory stew.

"This is nice." I wrap my hands around the warm mug. "Different from what I expected."

"What did you expect?"

"More suffering?" I shrug. "Less comfort? I don''t know. Lucas seemed worried."

"We''re not savages." Vanessa adds more wood to the stove, making the fire inside spark. "Besides, the entire point was to make sure you were still getting proper rest between purifications. Can''t do that if you''re freezing and miserable."

Through my bond with Selene, I feel her satisfaction with the hunt. She''s headed back now, tired but content, with what I think might be a mole.

Vole, she corrects me. I was going after a rabbit, but it got away.

The wind picks up outside, whistling through the trees. Our tent stands firm, the extra guidelines Marcus added ensuring we won''t blow away in the night.

"How long will it take them to process it?"

"With that many wolves?" Vanessa considers. "Not long. By the time he gets there, they''ll probably be ready to load the sled."

I try to imagine Marcus and the others butchering a moose in the dark, but the mental image won''t quite form. There''s still so much I don''t know about a self-subsistent lifestyle. I''m not unfamiliar with hunting; I just never was the one to do it.

"Stop thinking so hard. You''ll learn as you go. No one expects you to know everything right away."