POV: Zina
The beast lunged.
I threw myself sideways, hitting the cold stone floor hard as massive claws slashed through the space where I'd just been. The force of the impact sent a shockwave up my spine, but I barely had time to register the pain before I was scrambling back to my feet.
The creature landed heavily, cracking the stone beneath it. Its massive form blocked the staircase—my only way out.
Trapped.
My breaths came fast and shallow. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.
The beast was monstrous. Nearly eight feet tall, with thick, sinewy muscles stretching beneath dark, matted fur. Its face was a grotesque blend of human and wolf, its maw filled with jagged, yellowed fangs. Clawed hands flexed at its sides, long and deadly.
It wasn't just some mindless animal.
It was something worse.
