Lauren could see Anise was tied to a tree. She appeared to be unconscious. Her head was tilted over to one side and her eyes were closed. Had she been tortured? If she hurt they would all suffer a thousand painful deaths.

She rushed to the tree and triggered the trap. A rope tightened around her foot and snatched her high above the ground. She dropped the gun. Lauren was hanging upside down and could only watch as the wolf approached Anise.

The female from the riverbank. Lauren remembered the look of anger in the animal's eyes. She'd killed her entire family. The other wolves were not just pack members. She was the leader's mate and that day she lost her lover and her children. The wolf come for revenge.

"No! Please don't!" said Lauren. She reached out her hand toward Anise.

The wolf turned and looked at Lauren. They stared at each other for a long time. Lauren understood she wanted to avenge the deaths of her family.

"I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

There would be no forgiveness for what Lauren had done. The wolf jumped and bit Anise on the throat. She tried to end the girl's life quickly. At least the wolf did show mercy.

Lauren swung and arched her body hard enough to reach her boot knife. She cut the rope and fell to the ground. The impact dazed her and she crawled toward Anise. The wolf was gone.

Lauren rose from her knees and embraced Anise on the tree. She cut the ropes and carefully rested the girl's body on the ground. Then she saw it. Anise's blood was not red. The fluid that drained out from the wound in her neck was amber.

"No. It can't be," said Lauren.

She wiped the lubricant from the gash and looked at her hands. The blood was artificial. Anise was a synthetic.

Lauren struggled to understand how it could be possible. Everything she believed about the girl was a lie. Synthetic humans were still in development. They were supposedly nowhere close to being realistic. Who created Anise, and why? Only a genius could have made her. Why would this brilliant designer allow his creation to live such a terrible life? Maybe whoever crafted Anise did not know of her horrible fate in life. Maybe they died in the war like everyone else. Lauren did not know the answers but she did know her love for Anise was real. She chose not to bury her. Someone may discover her fabricated body or animals may dig her up. Lauren burned Anise and spread her ashes into the winter wind.