One of the Paris packs owned a large chateau about an hour outside the city. Chartered buses had been set up to ferry those of us not privileged enough to rate lodging there back and forth to the city. At 5:45 PM I boarded one of these buses, hoping I wouldn’t see anyone I knew. I wasn’t ready yet. My heart pounded like hell against my ribcage, and one moment I burned up, then a minute later I froze. Tears choked me so I could barely breathe. I was bundled up against the Paris cold in my best wool coat, a pair of leather gloves and a purple scarf wound around and around my neck. Nobody could see my jewelry then work out for themselves that I was unbonded. I supposed they could see me sitting by myself and figure it out, but sometimes packs sent representatives if they couldn’t afford for all to attend. The bus seated fifty people. I was the fourth one on and took a window seat in the middle. I craned my neck as I looked out and tried to give the impression I waited for someone, maybe my bond mate or a pack mate, to join me.
