A small cooking fire was on the far side of the tent. Poppy froze as it came into view. Wolf, her darling Wolf, and a young woman were seated next to each other near the campfire, talking animatedly. They hadn’t noticed Poppy’s and Aponi’s approach. The woman, a girl really, maybe a few years older than Thyme, was leaning against Wolf’s shoulder, one hand resting on his forearm. Seeming lost to the outside world, they were focused only on each other. Intimate. Affectionate. Immersed in each other as only loving partners could be.

For several heartrending moments she just stared, her fogged brain trying to make sense of what was before her. It was too much! She stumbled back, spinning on her heels. Hot tears washed her eyes, making it hard to see. She had to get out of here. Go back to where she belonged.

“What’s wrong?” Aponi gasped as she labored to keep up. “Why are you running?”

Poppy’s pace slowed a fraction, cognizant of Aponi’s pregnancy. She scrubbed her hands down her cheeks, wiping away the tears. “I just…I just need to get back. It’s getting late.”

Aponi’s dark head tilted, the straight black hair fell over her shoulder. She cupped Poppy’s hand between hers. “You didn’t know,” she whispered. “About Wolf and Winona.”