“Baby, what happened to your hands?” she asked.
Maya looked down. Her palms were cut and bleeding. She hadn’t noticed.
Carla cleaned the wounds. Maya didn’t flinch. She just sat there, staring at the door.
Ten minutes later, the door opened and Harlan Reeves walked in.
He was tall, silver-bearded, with a smile that had won over a hundred donors. He wore a crisp khaki uniform with the sanctuary logo on the chest. He looked at Maya and his eyes softened—or seemed to.
“Maya, sweetheart,” he said. “You scared everyone. Why did you go in there?”
Maya pulled the blanket tighter. She didn’t speak.
Harlan crouched in front of her. “You know you’re not supposed to be near the wolves. It’s dangerous.”
She looked at him then. Her voice was barely a whisper. “You set the wire.”
The room went silent.
Harlan’s smile didn’t falter, but something flickered behind his eyes. “What? No. Of course not. That was probably a poacher. We’ve had trouble with them before.”
Maya shook her head. “I saw you. Two nights ago. You and the man with the truck.”
Harlan stood up. He laughed, but it was hollow. “She’s confused. She’s been through a lot. Her mother died last year. She’s been living with me ever since. She has nightmares. Sometimes she mixes things up.”
Ethan stepped forward. “Harlan, maybe we should wait for the police. Let them sort it out.”
Harlan’s eyes hardened. “The police? This is a family matter. I’m her guardian. I’ll take her home.”
He reached for Maya’s arm. She flinched back so hard she almost fell off the chair. Ethan stepped between them.
“Let’s just wait,” Ethan said. “It’s protocol.”
Harlan stared at him. “You’re new here, aren’t you? You don’t know how things work.”
“I know a scared kid when I see one,” Ethan said. “And she’s scared of you.”
Harlan’s jaw tightened. He looked at Brody, who had just walked in. “Talk to your boy. He’s making a mistake.”
Brody didn’t move. “I think we should wait, Harlan.”
The director’s face went red. He pulled out his phone. “Fine. We’ll wait. But you’re both going to regret this.”
He walked out, slamming the door.
Maya started to cry again, but this time it was silent. Ethan sat beside her.
“Hey,” he said. “You’re safe. I won’t let him take you.”
She looked at him. “He’s going to hurt the other wolves. He’s going to sell them. My mom found out. She was going to tell the police. Then she went away.”
“Went away where?”
Maya’s lip trembled. “He said she died. But she didn’t. I heard her. She’s hiding.”
Ethan’s heart hammered. “Where is she hiding?”
Maya leaned closer. “In the old bear den. Behind the waterfall. She comes out at night to watch me.”
