The first figure stepped forward, slow and measured. The second lingered behind. Their scent hit me then. Faint, mixed with pine and smoke. Not from around here. Not from any nearby territory.
“Stay back!” Elias barked, his voice echoing through the clearing. “You’re trespassing on private land.”
The taller one laughed. A harsh, humorless sound that didn’t fit the quiet night. “Private? This place is dead. Same as its wolves.”
My stomach twisted. There was venom in his tone, and something else. Resentment.
The wolf’s fur bristled, hackles high. Its growl turned into a low, resonant snarl that made even the trees seem to shudder. The two figures hesitated.
The shorter one took a step back. “That’s not a normal wolf.” He muttered.
“No.” I said softly, almost to myself. “It’s not.”
The
