Noble laughed out loud at that, as did Harlan and Michael Martin. Tora managed only a slight smile, making Noble wonder if she thought what the girl had said was partly true.

Maria shook her head. “No, I don’t think they do anything just to be cool.” Then she turned to Gabriela and Irene. “Like when my sister went missing,” she said, pointing a finger. “Where were you guys?”

“Yeah,” said Angelina. “Where were you?”

“I had dance class,” said one.

“My brother had a hockey game,” said the other.

“Right,” said Maria. “Well, they spent the night in the woods looking for her, and they ended up saving her life. How could I not be their friend after that?”

“But look at them,” said Gabriela. “They’re…weird.”

This time Maria didn’t even bat an eye. “They’re not weird, they’re different. And that’s what makes them such great people. Such good friends.”

Noble felt pride swelling in his chest. No one had ever said such kind things about the pack, and certainly not in such a public place. He appreciated Maria’s new friendship, but now he had an admiration for her too.

Irene looked confused. “Maria, what have they done to you? You used to hate them so much.”

Maria ignored the comment. “Look,” she said. “Don’t make me choose between you and them. You either accept them as your friends because they’re my friends, or you can just give me back all the stuff you’ve borrowed from me over the years.”

Noble watched with rapt fascination. Maria had been so forceful, so adamant, that there was no longer any question where her loyalties lay.

Finally, Gabriela said, “You’re going to see Wolf Hounds of Death Creek tonight, right?”

“That’s right,” Maria said, her voice even and unflinching.

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt if we all saw it together. I mean, as a group.”

Maria smiled, then grabbed a chair from a nearby table. “We’ve ordered a party-sized pizza. You’re welcome to have some with us, if you like.”

The two girls sat down. Then, Gabriela said, “That’s a nice blouse, Tora.”

“Thanks,” Tora said, smiling. “I borrowed it from Maria.”

Everyone laughed.

Noble leaned over and tugged on Maria’s shirt sleeve. “Thank you,” he said.

“For what?”

Noble thought about what to say, but he didn’t know quite how to put it.

“Thank you,” he said, at last. “For being our friend.”

Acknowledgments