"That's a shame," Stacia says. "I'm biased of course, but I think wolves are lovely animals."

She chuckles and shakes her head as the wolf pulls away from her past self to retrieve the thrown coat.

"No, this is the first night I met any of them. I just thought that Athena was some kind of big dog; and dogs are way more comforting than strange men when you're a scared girl."

Memory Stacia pulls the coat on over the tatters of her dress and curls up against Athena the wolf again, calming down enough to bring her hysterics down to hiccups and wary eyes. Present-day Stacia sighs.

"This was a really rough night."