James was a young lycan who was trying to blend into human society. He was an orphan; his parents had long been killed by knights.
For several years after their deaths, James had lived far from any settlement. He hunted when he was hungry, slept wherever he could find shelter, and avoided anyone carrying a weapon.
Yet whenever he passed a village, he found himself watching the people there.
He watched farmers complain about the weather, merchants argue over prices, and families gather around their tables after sunset.
He saw them working hard to live every day; he saw them argue with one another, and he saw them love.
He felt envy of such lives; he wanted to experience it too, even those fights with family, but that would never happen.
Even so, he kept returning to places where people lived. He lingered near markets and walked along roads used by merchants, listening whenever travelers spoke to him.
