Shifting Destiny

Chapter Three

Sleep eludes me that night. Every time I close my eyes, I see the wolf—the way his ears flicked even while sedated, the way his body twitched as if resisting even unconsciousness. The raw power he exuded, even in his weakened state, lingers in my thoughts like an unspoken warning.

By the time the sun is already up, light spilling through my window, I give up on sleep. I throw on a sweatshirt and head to work earlier than usual, the unease from the previous night still weighing on me. The crisp morning air does little to clear the fog in my mind.

The sanctuary is quiet when I arrive, the sunlight filtering through the trees, casting long shadows across the ground. As I approach the front doors, I notice something is off. The tension in the air is palpable, an unnatural stillness that sets my nerves on edge. The usual morning chatter of the staff is missing. Instead, there’s an eerie silence that makes my pulse quicken.

The moment I step inside, Kayla rushes toward me, her face pale with worry. "He’s gone," she blurts out, breathless.

I frown, still groggy from lack of sleep. "Who?"

"The wolf," she says, her voice edged with panic. "He escaped."

A cold weight settles in my stomach. "How?"

Kayla shakes her head. "We don’t know. Alis checked on him an hour ago, and he was still sedated. But now the room’s empty—he forced his way out."

My pulse quickens as I follow Kayla to the isolation wing. The heavy metal door hangs slightly open, deep scratches marring the surface. Inside, the restraints are torn, the scent of antiseptic mingling with something wilder—something feral. The sight of the shredded restraints sends a shiver down my spine.

"How is this possible?" I whisper, stepping inside.

Alis joins us, her expression grim. "He must have fought off the sedative faster than we anticipated. There are tracks leading into the woods."

I glance at the window, its reinforced glass still intact. The only way out was through the locked door—except it wasn’t locked anymore.

A sense of urgency grips me. "We have to find him before he gets too far."

Alis nods. "We’ve already started tracking him. But you’re coming with me. We might need extra hands if we find him."

Surprised, I nod, quickly grabbing a flashlight and a radio before heading out with Alis. The morning air is damp, the ground soft beneath my boots as we follow the faint trail of disturbed leaves and paw prints. The farther we go, the more erratic the tracks become, as if he was running in bursts of desperation before stopping, unsure of his next move.

Minutes stretch into an hour as we weave through the dense trees. The deeper we go, the quieter the forest becomes. Even the birds seem to have fallen silent, the weight of something unseen pressing down on the landscape.

Alis keeps her hand on the tranquilizer gun slung across her shoulder, her eyes scanning the trees with a hunter’s focus. "He’s close. Be ready."

I nod, though my hands feel clammy. I’m no tracker, no expert in animal behavior, yet here I am, trying to help contain a creature I barely understand. The thought sends a shiver down my spine.

Then, we hear it—a low growl, close, too close.

We freeze, our breath hitching in unison.

From the shadows, a pair of glowing golden eyes pierce through the dim light.

The wolf.

He’s crouched low, his injured leg barely touching the ground, his lips curled back in warning. His breathing is ragged, uneven, but his stance is still strong, defiant. My heart hammers in my chest. He’s cornered, and he knows it.

Alis steps forward cautiously, her voice steady. "Easy now. We’re not here to hurt you."

The wolf’s ears flick slightly, but he doesn’t relax. Instead, he tenses further, his muscles coiling like a spring about to snap.

I barely have time to register his next move before he lunges.

Pain explodes through my arm as his teeth sink into my skin. The force of the impact sends me stumbling backward, my vision blurring as a sharp, searing heat spreads from the wound. The pain is more than physical—it burns, radiating through my veins like wildfire, making my head spin.

Alis shouts, stepping between me and the wolf, raising the tranquilizer gun, but he’s already retreating. Just as suddenly as he attacked, he releases me and disappears into the trees.

I collapse onto one knee, clutching my arm. Blood seeps between my fingers, and my breath comes in short, panicked gasps. Alis kneels beside me, pressing a cloth to the wound, her face tight with worry.

"We need to get you back now," she says firmly, already grabbing her radio. "Hang on."

The world around me tilts slightly as the burning sensation intensifies. My skin tingles unnaturally, and my mind races with thoughts I can’t quite grasp.

A deep, unshakable sense of dread coils in my stomach.

Something tells me this isn’t just a simple bite.

And I have a feeling this wolf’s escape is only the beginning of something far more dangerous than I ever imagined.