A friend, who had seen Shadow more than once, mentioned hiring wildlife officers to investigate. Elise’s stomach dropped, her smile forced. She hurried home, pressing her face into Shadow’s neck. “They don’t understand you,” she murmured. She couldn’t bear the thought of sending Shadow away to a zoo, where he would be confined to a narrow cage.
That night, unable to sleep, she dreamed of cages and rifles, of Shadow dragged away while she screamed. Awakening to the steady weight at her feet, Elise touched its fur, whispering promises she wasn’t sure she could keep. Love and fear had become the same binding chain.