Magic Hour: A Novel

The wolf pup is a symbol that represents Alice’s coping mechanisms. After Alice’s abductor leaves her in the woods, Alice connects with the wolf pup and brings him with her to Rain Valley. However, Alice and the wolf become separated when Ellie takes Alice to the hospital. The wolf represents Alice’s wild side that she embraced to survive when she lived alone in the woods. Her behavior after Ellie rescues her from the tree mimics the behavior of a wolf as she growls and scratches like one. Although this behavior and her connection to the wolf cause rumors to spread about Alice’s supernatural abilities, the behaviors are coping mechanisms to help with Alice’s fear. As Alice recovers, she happily reunites with the wolf; however, she understands that for the wolf to be happy, he must be set free. When Alice releases the wolf back into the wild, her actions symbolize the release of her trauma responses. Although those behaviors helped Alice for a time, she understands that she cannot keep them with her if she wants to continue her path to recovery.