winked. Richard was preoccupied with a rock that had lichen on its side, and Carla was napping on a boulder. “I’ll be back soon,” said Giselle, and she turned around and headed east. This time she did find some firewood, and she carried it back with two hands then dumped the huge pile in front of the grille. Jasmine had taken it upon herself to make everyone some soup, and Carla was preparing the ingredients for s’mores.
“Wow, Ms. Walker. We’re going to have a big fire with all that,” Richard was impressed with the load she delivered. He reached for a few of the larger pieces and stacked them next to the grille while Jasmine poured soup into tin cups for everyone. Carla set her s’mores aside and helped Richard separate the smaller pieces form the larger ones. Then Giselle gathered some leaves and pulled out her lighter. Richard was impressed once again with Giselle’s outdoor skills.
“Okay, campers, here we go,” Giselle squatted and sparked the fire. Richard moved in closer and sat down next to Giselle. She added a few smaller branches on top until the fire was crackling and bright. The sun had dipped behind the ridge and the temperature dropped almost immediately. Jasmine reached for her big fleece jacket, and Carla wrapped a scarf around her neck.
Once the fire was roaring, they all moved into a circle. It was the first time Richard had seen anyone start a fire in the woods, and he was enjoying the newfound experience. The sky was deep and dark now, and Giselle’s attention returned to Owen. She wondered where he was and if he had already spotted her. She knew that the fire was good give-away, so she rested her mind and knew that they would cross paths soon.
Carla handed out graham crackers and chocolate. The she handed everyone a marshmallow on a stick. The four sat roasting their marshmallows until they were golden brown. Then they plopped them onto the chocolate. Richard devoured his and Carla prepared him another graham cracker with chocolate. He smiled and ate as the moon popped out from behind the ride by Silver Lake. Giselle slipped on a sweater and then ate her s’mores before announcing that she was wandering to find more firewood. She slipped away quietly, without a precise destination.
“Over here,” said Owen. Giselle was amazed at his accuracy. She had only walked for about five minutes before she heard him calling from behind a large granite slab. It was almost too dark to find her way, but she managed to see him peering out at her. His eyes glowed. “Giselle,” he said, and she turned behind the rock. When she faced him it was too dark to see. She fished for her flashlight and flicked it on. She jumped back in astonishment. Owen was a wolf.
“What is this? What are you?’ her voice quivered. “I’m confused,” she said, and scanned him with her flashlight to make sure that she was seeing correctly. “I thought you were a person…” her voice trailed off and she grew silent. Two more wolves descended from the ridge above. Giselle panicked for a second. This is not what she had been expecting.
“Giselle, it is okay,” said Owen. He was standing against a tree, and the upper half of his body was in the shape of a human. The lower half of his body was in the shape of a wolf. Giselle still couldn’t believe her eyes. Open’s eyes glowed bright yellow, and when the other wolves joined him behind the slab, Owen let out a resounding howl. “We are all here tonight,” said Owen, his eyes bright and mystifying.
“So these are all from the Alpha Diamond Pack?” Giselle took a deep breath and questioned Owen.
“Yes, Giselle. We are all here together. I want you to meet two others,” said Owen. Giselle stood quietly and watched as two more shifters circled in front of her. One was gray and the other was cinnamon colored. Giselle didn’t know if they were as