The alpha whined, retreating, its tail between its legs.
The beast that had been so fierce moments ago, that had torn through the forest, that had commanded its pack with savage authority, now cowered like a frightened pup. Its ears flattened against its skull. Its body trembled. It pressed itself against the ground, whimpering, offering submission to something far greater than itself.
Sara stood ready, her blood armor gleaming in the moonlight, her eyes fixed on the darkness beyond the clearing. Her hand tightened on the blade she had summoned, her senses stretched to their limits, searching for the source of the presence that had made even the alpha wolf submit.
The footsteps grew closer.
Slow, deliberate, unhurried. Each one measured, each one confident, each one carrying the weight of absolute certainty. The shadows at the edge of the clearing seemed to deepen, to pulse, to writhe as if they were alive.
A figure emerged.
