Page 60 of Who Let The Wolves Out?

He glances toward the staff table. “He shifted. He tracked her. And he brought her back.”

My cheeks flush with heat.

He’s not just praisingme—he’s praisingthe wolf.

Torack adds, “What he did reminded me why we trust our people to be who they are, not who we expect them to be.”

I swallow.

My throat’s tight.

Across the table, I catch Alice’s eyes.

She’s beaming.

And I let myselffeelit.

Pride.

Not shame. Not the fear of losing control or not being human enough.

Just… proud.

I glance over at Aisla.

She’s clapping, sure—but her face is tight, jaw clenched, like she just bit into something sour and can’t spit it out.

I meet her eyes.

Hold her gaze.

And this time,shelooks away first.

I lean back in my chair, arms crossed, trying not to grin like an idiot.

Because for once, I didn’t have to fight to prove I belong here.

The whole damn room already knows it.

The meeting breaks up in a slow, scraping shuffle of folding chairs and half-finished checklists. I hang back, pretending to still be fascinated by the coffee urn while everyone files out.

Alice doesn’t leave.

She circles around and catches my eye near the snack table, the edge of a smile playing at her lips.

“Hey,” she says quietly.

“Hey.” I rub the back of my neck. “That was... unexpected.”

“You deserve it.”

I shrug. “Still. Kinda surreal to hear Torack say ‘Jason’ and ‘good decision’ in the same sentence.”

She steps closer, voice gentler now. “This campcaresabout you, Jason. You’ve done more for these kids than most people even notice.”

I glance at the door, then back at her. “I didn’t think anyone saw it.”

“We did.Idid.”

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