First Step on the Concrete

Stiff paws. Cold ground beneath them. I blinked, sensing the chill in the air and the stillness around me. The pack stood motionless on the gray slab. I shifted my weight, testing my right front leg. It obeyed. A quiet breath left my throat. I took a deliberate step forward, claws clicking against the rough concrete, then reached out to nudge the still paw of the silent white wolf standing beside me. It did not move. Only I could move. I held my ground and watched the door frame.