The wolf lunged, claws scraping the floor. Kyle dove to the side, crashing into the wall shoulder-first. Pain shot through his arm, but he scrambled up as the wolf spun around, snapping its jaws.
He swung the dagger—missed by a mile. The wolf's claws raked the air, inches from his chest, and he stumbled back, tripping over his own feet.
Laughter echoed from outside—Red Hair, probably. "Slum boy's gonna be dog food!" he heard through the door.
"Shut up!" Kyle yelled, but his voice cracked. The wolf charged again, and he barely rolled out of the way, its teeth snapping where his leg had been. He was losing—bad. His breaths came fast, shallow, and his hands shook.
'I can't do this. I'm not a Hunter. I'm just a nobody.'
The wolf circled him, growling low. He could see the guild masters' s
