“Zoe, hmm? What a lovely name. But, darling, why are you all alone?” Kirastasia couldn’t help herself: she leaned down to swipe her tongue in soft, sisterly strokes over the tiny thing’s pelt, wiping away some of the moisture she’d splashed and easing away sweet little cowlicks that stood up like bird feathers. Inwardly, her mind babbled in panic. When Kira was but a pup, her own mother had all but abandoned her as well . . . but Kira had been living in Malignant Felicity at the time. She had a pack to protect her, and a territory to hide in. She’d had her brother, Kavik, who would destroy anyone that so much as looked at her wrong. But this child . . . Zoe . . . didn’t appear to have anyone at all. And she was BLIND! Had somebody cruelly deserted her, hoping she’d die all on her own? Because that’s what would happen—Kirastasia was sure of it. Obviously a tiny blind thing couldn’t survive here in the cruel wild. No way.

“Can I help you find someone? Your parents . . . your siblings?” The snowbird doubted Zoe had anybody, but it never hurt to ask. What would she do though, should the small girl be truly abandoned? Should she take her back to Munashii? Dump her somewhere else? Ugh, she had a headache coming on . . . caring for others was too much work.