Northstar Vale ladies and gentleman, this is mambo no. 5

The stranger was looking at her—scrupulously, perhaps? Meadow was unsure—but when she spoke, the copper-masked woman was about to introduce herself and Epoch when a question blurted from the other she-wolf’s mouth—two names she had felt she would never hear uttered again from anyone but herself.

Because she was all that was left—or so she had thought.

Taken aback, her jaw clipped shut. Honeyed eyes held their own suspicion as they trailed over the other—but she could not place her.

“I’m sorry—who are you?” Her voice was tight—she tried to relax. How many years had she hoped to find family of some kind? And now—two names were dropped from someone’s mouth and all she wanted to do was flee in the opposite direction.