Chapter 25 Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The chapter opens with Mayor Andy Oakes convening a town meeting at the school to discuss the dead livestock. The wolf team is deliberately excluded, and Inti chooses not to imagine what is being said about them in her absence. She uses the distraction to run errands, hoping the grocery store will be empty. Her hope is confirmed, but she is so distracted that she accidentally knocks over a large display of canned dog food, sending cans rolling across the floor.
Two teenage cashiers, a girl and a boy no older than fifteen, rush to help her gather the cans. They recognize her as the “wolf lady” and ask excitedly about the animals. Inti explains that wolves are family animals, loyal when raised, but too wild to keep. She tells them that wolves are not dangerous if you keep your distance, and she gives them a crucial piece of advice: if they ever encounter a wolf that does not flee, they must never run, because running will trigger the wolf’s hunting instinct. The teens are thrilled by the conversation, and the boy offers a kind apology for the hostility some townspeople have shown, noting that many people love the idea of wolves returning to Scotland. Inti thanks them and leaves, forgetting to buy anything.
Outside, snow has begun to fall—soft, glowing flakes. Inti finds Duncan leaning against her car. He asks directly whether the baby is his. She denies it, saying that in a sense it isn’t hers either, because she plans to give the child up. Duncan offers to help and says he no longer objects to having children, claiming that his earlier stance changed after meeting her. Inti refuses, explaining that she is too angry and that there is nothing good left in her. Duncan dismisses this as rubbish.
He then abruptly insists he did not kill Stuart. Inti reveals that she knows Lainey called him with Stuart’s location, and that he went out that night. Duncan admits he went but found nothing. He explains that he lied about the call to protect Inti, because he knew she was also out that night and might have encountered Stuart. He confesses that he has been asking himself whether it would matter to him if she had done it, and that this question goes against everything he has held on to. Inti tells him that all that matters to her is keeping her sister safe, and that she does not trust anyone. Duncan says he has been there, and that trust can return if they let it, but Inti counters that love only makes things more dangerous. She gets in the car and drives away.
Soon she has to pull over, unable to continue. In the headlights, she watches the snow fall. The baby moves inside her, spinning forcefully, and when Inti presses her hand to her belly, she feels the baby press back. In that moment, she feels the child has reached beyond all her guards and seen her completely, leaving no room for hiding.
Key Events
- Mayor Andy Oakes holds a town meeting about the dead livestock, excluding the wolf team.
- Inti goes grocery shopping and accidentally knocks over a display of canned dog food.
- Two teenage cashiers help her and ask about wolves; she explains wolf behavior and warns them never to run from a wolf.
- Inti leaves the store without buying anything as snow begins to fall.
- Duncan confronts Inti in the parking lot and asks if the baby is his.
- Inti denies paternity and says she plans to give the child up.
- Duncan offers support and claims he no longer objects to having children; Inti refuses, citing her anger.
- Duncan insists he did not kill Stuart; Inti reveals she knows Lainey called him with Stuart’s location.
- Duncan explains he lied to protect Inti, knowing she was also out that night.
- Inti expresses distrust and drives off, then pulls over and feels the baby move against her hand.
Character Development
Inti is consumed by anger and isolation. She admits she has “nothing good” in her and that anger is all she has left. Her refusal of Duncan’s help stems not from a lack of feeling but from a deep-seated belief that love is dangerous and that trust is impossible. Her interaction with the teenagers shows a softer side—she is patient, informative, and even grateful for their kindness—but she quickly retreats into her defensive shell when confronted by Duncan. The final scene, where she feels the baby press back, suggests a crack in that shell, a moment of connection that bypasses her intellectual defenses.
Duncan is revealed to be more protective than Inti assumed. He admits he lied about Lainey’s call to shield Inti from suspicion, and he openly wrestles with the possibility that she might have killed Stuart. His offer to help with the baby, and his claim that his earlier stance against children changed after meeting her, shows a willingness to evolve. Yet Inti’s rejection forces him to confront the limits of his own trust—he is willing to accept her even if she did something terrible, but she cannot accept his support.
The teenage cashiers serve as a counterpoint to the town’s hostility. They are curious, respectful, and even apologetic for the way Inti has been treated. Their enthusiasm for the wolves and their willingness to listen highlight that not everyone in the community shares the mayor’s fear.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Community exclusion is central. The wolf team is deliberately left out of the meeting, reinforcing Inti’s status as an outsider. The grocery store scene shows the same dynamic in microcosm—staff mutter and give her looks, though the teenagers break the pattern.
Trust and protection are explored through Duncan’s lie. He claims he lied to protect Inti, but his action also reveals his own suspicion. The chapter asks whether protection can ever be separated from control, and whether trust can survive when it is built on concealment.
Love as dangerous is Inti’s explicit claim. She tells Duncan that love only makes things more dangerous, echoing her earlier fear that caring for someone gives others leverage. This theme is tied to her sister’s safety and her own history of loss.
Snow symbolism appears throughout. The falling snow softens the world, blurring edges and creating a sense of quiet. It also isolates Inti—she is the only car in the lot, and later she pulls over to watch the flakes in her headlights. Snow here suggests both beauty and coldness, a fitting backdrop for a conversation about vulnerability.
Fetal connection is the chapter’s emotional climax. The baby’s movement and the returned pressure of a tiny hand break through Inti’s defenses. The child becomes a symbol of hope and of the possibility of connection that Inti has tried to suppress.
Wildness is echoed in the wolf advice. Inti tells the teens that wolves are too wild to keep, and that running triggers their hunting instinct. This mirrors her own fear of being hunted by her past, and her belief that she must remain guarded to survive.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is pivotal for the central mystery and for Inti’s emotional arc. It directly addresses the question of Stuart’s death, with Duncan’s denial and his explanation of the lie. It also forces Inti to confront her own possible involvement—Duncan’s words imply that she might have been the one to kill Stuart, and she does not deny it. The chapter leaves that ambiguity unresolved, deepening the suspense.
Equally important is the shift in Inti’s relationship with the baby. Throughout the novel she has treated the pregnancy as a burden to be shed, but the final scene suggests a change. The baby’s movement and the returned pressure create a moment of intimacy that Inti cannot ignore. This sets up a potential turning point in her decision to give the child up.
Finally, the chapter reinforces the theme of community versus outsider. The town meeting and the grocery store encounter show the range of reactions to the wolf project, from hostility to curiosity. Inti’s brief connection with the teenagers offers a glimmer of hope that not everyone is against her, even as Duncan’s confrontation reminds her of the dangers of trust.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Inti refuse Duncan’s offer to help with the baby?
Inti refuses because she believes she is too angry and that there is nothing good left in her. She also states that love makes things more dangerous, implying that accepting Duncan’s help would create a vulnerability she cannot afford. Her primary concern is keeping her sister safe, and she does not trust Duncan not to hurt them.
2. What does Duncan’s lie about Lainey’s call reveal about his character?
Duncan’s lie reveals that he is willing to protect Inti even at the cost of his own integrity. He admits he lied to shield her from suspicion because he knew she was out that night. This shows a capacity for self-sacrifice, but also a willingness to conceal the truth, which complicates the question of whether he can be trusted.
3. How does the scene with the teenage cashiers contrast with the town meeting?
The town meeting excludes the wolf team and likely focuses on fear and blame. The teenagers, by contrast, are curious and respectful. They ask about wolves, listen to Inti’s advice, and even apologize for the hostility she faces. This contrast highlights that the community is not monolithic—there are people who support the idea of wolves in Scotland, even if the mayor does not.