E W

ving myself deeper into the oppressive darkness of the forest. I didn't stop until

of night, the basi

r like living sparks. The pool below was a brilliant, sparkling blue, r

I whispered to myself, my ey

e fear evaporated

g shifting behind me. My heart sl

the dark. "Hello?" I called out. The s

yone th

dly into a dark forest? What is wrong with me? A low, t

ward, my breath catching as a massive, mangled wolf stepped out of the shadows. Its dark fur was

too long without a kill. I wanted to scream, but my throat was bone-dry. The rogue

t the slick rock of the waterfall. The rogue lunged without warning, hitting the

lethal bite, squee

eaves on the trees shake and the ground beneath me tremble. Before the rogue could turn, a massiv

cleanly in its lethal teeth and slammed the creature int

The rogue fought dirty biting at its eyes, clawing at its exposed

ck wolf's foreleg. It roared, a sound that made my knees buckle twenty feet away. It twisted its massive to

unc

went enti

g, fresh blood dripping from its muzzle onto the stained earth. Its glow

but still standing against the rock face. The moment our eyes locked, the terrifying red in its irises faded into a warm, molten

place with agonizing cracks. The black fur receded, melting into smoot

ONHA

vily as blood and dirt streaked across the hard lines of his chest. He looked up at me. A

ing before me in the moonlight. He didn't move to cover himself. He didn't stand. Water from the falls misted over

his sheer presence. And then, he broke the silence, his voice droppin

omewhere,