The sound came again — a deep, trembling growl that rolled through the night air like thunder.
I turned, my breath caught in my throat. Three men had pulled something from the shadows — a shape low and dark, muscles coiling under a coat of grey fur. The chain around its neck strained with every movement, the links clinking like dull iron bells.
A wolf.
A real wolf.
It was huge, larger than any I had ever imagined. Its eyes glowed faintly in the torchlight — yellow, alive, watching me. Every instinct in me screamed to run, but my legs wouldn’t move. The laughter around us grew quieter now, turning into a hum of expectation. Lord Renar stepped closer, his boots sinking into the mud.
“You’ll be our entertainment for today, human,” he said. His tone was almost casual, but the delight in
