The branches and brambles of the forest reached out to grab Hwayoung’s cloak and tear at her skin as she scrambled her way towards a place that she wasn’t quite sure how to get to. Each rock, each crooked tree made Hwayoung question herself, and before she knew it, she found herself quite lost on how to find Jongin and the other wolves. She could no longer see the looming spires of the village gate between the trees; she was too far up the mountain for that.

              Sitting heavily onto the nearest boulder with a frustrated breath, Hwayoung buried her face in her hands. Hye Kyo’s wide, terrified eyes as Jinki announced her inevitable execution and Mrs. Seo’s heartbroken screams echoed in her ears. She remembered the crust of dirt and blood on the bottoms of Hye Kyo’s bare feet. Chills ran down her spine at the thought that she was to marry the fearsome man standing on the scaffold and holding Hye Kyo by the scalp as though the petrified girl was prized hunting game.

              Hye Kyo’s blood would soon stain the patch of meadow where Minji’s mangled corpse once lay. Hwayoung hated that she had forgotten how red blood was, and once again she remembered the way her sister’s blood spilled crimson onto the white of the snow. The wolves would howl at the moon from the woods.

              Again, Hwayoung felt her stomach flip, and she was again retching over the root of the tree she sat adjacent to. Wiping when she had nothing left to empty herself of, Hwayoung shakily leaned backwards and closed her eyes.

              Hwayoung couldn’t do it. She couldn’t marry Jinki; she would run away before she could ever marry him. She would find Jongin and beg them to take her in. She would live with the boys with the sad eyes who took her sister from her before she ever willingly married Jinki.

              The woods were quiet except for the gently hum of the crickets in the morning sunlight. Hwayoung wondered helplessly where she was. She normally paid careful attention to where she was going, but in her frantic rush to escape her village, she had not noticed at all. Standing, she spun in a full circle to find some sort of clue to shake her memory, but to no avail. The air was cold with the promise of the snow season’s fast approach.

              Hwayoung finally admitted it: she was lost.

              As if on cue, a familiar voice made her jump. “Going somewhere?”

              The relief that shot through Hwayoung made her knees go weak; she whipped around to see Jongin standing against a tree and watching her with an irritated expression and crossed arms. His olive color was healthy and vibrant in his cheeks, differing from the previous times she had seen him half dead in the snow. Despite his unwelcoming appearance, Hwayoung was extremely glad to see him.

              “Jongin,” Hwayoung breathed, the wind whistling across her chapped lips. “I found you.”

              The boy scowled even further. “We told you to never go looking for us again. What about that was hard to understand?”

              Hwayoung gaped, not expecting his harsh words. “But I- “

              “We are dangerous. You need to leave,” Jongin loomed over her and pushed her away from him, forcing her to stagger backwards several steps.

              “I don’t want to leave,” Hwayoung blurted and then immediately blushed a brilliant red against her ivory skin. She hated how she sounded like such a child.

              Jongin stopped and gave her a look like she had lost her mind.

              “Listen,” Hwayoung took a step forward. Jongin took a step back. “The villagers, they know that the wolves are humans.”

              Suddenly, Jongin’s face grew very serious. “Are you sure?”

              “They’re killing each other, but how long before they realize?” Hwayoung’s voice shook, but the fear wasn’t for herself.

              “If that’s true,” Jongin’s face