Dahozhoni Meadow Pearl

She had been told to leave, to find a man and return with him - to have children for Verapaz. For Soto.

Children could come later. It was not something to be concerned with now. But she was unsure of how easily she would be able to bring back men for the pack. What if she had grown rusty? It had been some time since she had pursued a lover, after all.

She knew very well that she was a beautiful woman. Verapaz's untouched, unblemished, shiny pearl. But looks alone surely would not be enough. She worried that she had gained weight, that during her time in a pack she had lost her youthful bounce and grown lazy.

But she could not fail. Not now. Not after what she saw. A man would be found, and she would lure him into the warmth of her den like a siren lures a sailor into the sea. She would be ruthless. She would eat him alive, take him for all he was worth.

Soto would get what he wished for. She would obey. It couldn't be too hard, could it? She had raised her siblings, she was sure children would be no different.