'Mom, wait up!' Talia heard her daughter's voice in her head through their pack link. It was the only way to communicate in wolf form.
Talia paused in a small clearing.
Talia turned to see a golden wolf emerging from the dense bushes and walking toward her, slower with every next step.
Violet struggled to breathe, and her tongue was sticking out of her maw. 'Why can't we slow down a bit? My fur is full of burdocks and things I don't want to think about.'
The white wolf tilted her head at her teenage daughter. 'Do you think your brothers will slow down? Do you think they will care about appearances? If you want them to respect you, you need to be faster and stronger than they are.'
'But I am faster and stronger!'
'Without magic, Vi,' Talia reminded her. 'This is all part of your training. If you want to lead a pack…' Talia's voice trailed when she saw that Violet's icy-blue eyes were silver now.
'Breathe, Vi. Control it.'
