Ravensblood Forest there is a light that turns on when you’re feeling alone

His name was Kekoa and he was a healer. It took a moment for Pie to parse this information, including the subsequent questions, but the pain receded to a dull throb. She considered sitting up again but thought better of tempting fate, instead maneuvering herself into a pose more properly suited to continuing the conversation while remaining close to the ground.

No, she told him, even though she wasn’t sure about that. I just have a headache. This was so much worse than any headache she’d ever known before, though Tiuttuk didn’t mention that either. She hesitated for several beats before adding, If you happen to know anything to help with the p—

And then Alaric was there, sweeping to her side. Tiuttuk felt such relief upon seeing him, though the sight of his familiar features stirred something sickening in her stomach. She stared at the side of his face, trying to figure out what seemed so off to her, though it took her an entire minute to pinpoint it.

Alaric? she cried in alarm, sitting up despite herself to nose at the shoulder that protruded just slightly more than it had the night before. What—? she asked, her eyes skating over the ribs that were more visible than they had been just twenty-four hours earlier. What—? Pie repeated stupidly, trying to think of some cause behind this change but drawing a blank.

What on earth could cause a wolf to lose what looked like twenty pounds overnight? It was impossible, though even blinking hard did not clear the vision of a mildly gaunter Alaric. Tiuttuk sucked in a breath, her heart fluttering anxiously in her chest as she stared and stared and stared, trying and failing to make sense of what she was seeing.

Introductions were forgotten, along with Kekoa’s existence entirely.