A Y L A
The bushes trembled, just slightly but enough to send a sharp sting of fear rushing up my spine. Then came a heavy thud. Not the kind that came from a falling branch or a clumsy rabbit. This one was purposeful. Confident. Something big was moving.
My breath caught. The forest suddenly felt too still, as if everything around me, trees, wind, air, held itself frozen to watch what would happen next.
Another step. Closer.
My throat tightened painfully. I lifted the dagger, even though my hand shook so badly I almost dropped it. My fingers felt numb, like they didn’t belong to me anymore.
“Who’s… who’s there?” The words came out thin and broken, barely more than a whisper. Completely useless.
A shadow shifted between the trees.
Then it stepped into the open.
A wolf. A huge brown
