The acrid scent of smoke hung heavy in the air as we crept through the ravaged village. Splintered wood and scorched rubble were all that remained of the modest cottages that had once lined the main road. Onyx's ears twitched, his heightened wolf senses probing the shadows for any sign of the rogue pack. My own instincts bristled, the energy in this place setting my teeth on edge. The creature we'd been tracking had lead us here. To the destruction he caused.
We found them huddled in the charred skeleton of the tavern, faces gaunt and eyes hollow. Mothers clutched children to their breasts while the few able-bodied men stood protectively in front. Their relief at seeing us quickly shifted to desperation, pleas spilling from their lips.
"Please, you must help us!" cried one elderly man, c
