No book is created by the author alone, and I have a wonderful pack of wolves and dragons to whom I owe many thanks.
I’ve been to every corner of that map of Vallen with my inspiring editor, Andrew Eliopulos—his navigation is never wrong, and I can’t wait for all our future adventures! The wonderful Abby Ranger first handed me the compass, and will always be a part of these stories.
A huge thank-you to the wonderful team at Harper, who have made publishing these books such a joyful experience—I must particularly mention Bria Ragin; Joe Merkel and Levente Szabo (who are jointly responsible for these incredible covers); Virginia Allyn for a map that inspired large parts of this story; Jill Amack and Emily Rader for saving me from myself on many occasions; and Rosemary Brosnan and Ann Dye for all their support. To my team at Harper Oz—I’m having such a blast! Thank you so much for taking such good care of me. A huge thanks as well to the team at Harper Audio and to my incredible narrator Johnathan McClain, who truly brought these books to life.
My agent, Tracey Adams, is a part of all my stories and all my journeys—Tracey, I value your friendship as much as your fierce intelligence. I feel so lucky to have you, Josh, Cathy, and Stephen in my pack.
Many people lent their expertise to this telling of this story—as always, any mistakes remaining after their wonderful advice are mine. Thanks and more thanks to Alex Gino, the staff at the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York, and many others. Thanks as well to Will Marney (who also lent me his middle name) for all his feedback, and to Meg Spooner for every part she played in making sure both book and author came through in one piece.
Other support came from many wonderful friends: Jay, Marie, Leigh, Michelle, Cat, Kacey, Kiersten, Nic, Kate, Soraya, Ryan, Peta, Eliza, the Roti Boti crew, my retreat-mates at the House of Progress, and the Wordsmiths. I am immeasurably lucky to have all of you in my life.
Many, many thanks to the readers, reviewers, booksellers, and librarians who help to spread the word about this and many other books—I am so grateful for all your efforts in helping Anders and his friends find their way to new homes and new hearts.
To all my family, both two- and four-legged—thank you so much for all your support, your enthusiasm, and your love. I am so grateful, and so lucky.
And finally, as always, to Brendan: You are endlessly patient, loving, generous, hilarious, and supportive. I couldn’t tell my stories without you, and I wouldn’t want to. I love you.