Miriam Locklear was Stacy’s friend—her only human friend. They’d met last summer while Miriam was camping in the taiga. Stacy had also seen her again in the fall, when Stacy snuck into a village council meeting to learn about a potential real estate development that would have demolished the taiga. Luckily, Stacy and her wolves worked to get the taiga designated as a national forest—and in the process, Miriam had discovered Stacy’s secret. Stacy had always feared that if a human were to find out there was a girl living in the woods with six wolves, then people would assume she wasn’t safe and try to make her leave. But Miriam was different. She trusted Stacy and seemed happy to keep Stacy’s secret— and for that Stacy was very grateful. In fact, the coat Stacy wore had been a gift from Miriam at the holidays. After they saved the taiga, Miriam had moved to the village and started working at the diner, where she invited Stacy for a meal once a week. Stacy delighted in trying new foods—some were things she’d never even heard of before like French fries, tuna salad, grilled cheese, and split-pea soup. Stacy suspected the weekly meal was Miriam’s way of making sure Stacy was still healthy and safe, but she didn’t mind her concern. Having a friend that she could talk to (who could actually talk back to her) was a treat for Stacy, after all. She welcomed her < 20 >
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