Winter Rain stayed in bed most of the time, recovering from her wounds and trying to think of some way to catch Wolf Shadow alone. Her mother and father hovered over her as if they feared she would vanish again. They tried not to let her know how worried they were, but she could see it in their eyes. Occasionally, at night, when they thought she was asleep, she overheard them whispering together. They talked about returning to San Francisco, about redecorating her room, about hiring a private tutor, about a coming-out party. Most frightening of all, she heard them discussing possible beaux. She wasn’t even home yet, she thought, and they were already planning to marry her off! She saw very little of Wolf Shadow. He stopped by to check on her each day, his manner cool and aloof. He spoke politely to her mother, avoided her father if possible, and never stayed more than a few minutes. Her eyes devoured him whenever he was in the lodge. She couldn’t stop thinking of him, dreaming of him.
