The night was quiet. Even the wind had stopped blowing. Then, suddenly, a loud howl echoed from outside the cave.
One… then two… then many more. The sound filled the forest and made my heart race. I jumped to my feet. “What’s that noise?” I asked, looking toward the cave entrance.
Master Zee sat by the fire, mixing something in a clay bowl. He stopped, tilted his head, and frowned.
“Sounds like… rogue wolves,” he said. “Or maybe panther shifters.”
My eyes widened. “Here? You said it was safe here!”
“I thought so too,” he said calmly, though his eyes looked strange.
The howls grew louder and closer. Then I grabbed my bow, my hands shaking. “What do we do now?”
“Find out what it is,” Zee said.
My jaw dropped. “What?”
He looked at me seriously. “Nyra, an Alpha doesn’t run out of fear
