The forest pulsed with pounding hooves and heaving breaths.
A herd of silver wolves thundered through the undergrowth, their footsteps a synchronized beat of survival. Their ears were folded back, their tongues hanging out of their mouths as they struggled to breathe, their bodies leaping between trees with practiced instinct.
Behind them, a thunderous roar split the night.
The Blood Claw Ursan.
The fearsome predator crashed through the bushes, its massive body shattering branches like matchsticks. Its glowing red eyes locked onto the weakest of the pack.
One wolf—only a fraction of a second behind—did not make it.
A sickening crunch echoed as the beast's claws tore into its side, the wolf slamming to the ground.
But the others did not turn back.
They could not.
Survival was all that mattered.
Leo was not in his right mind after he had met with the Bloodclaw Ursan.
His mind drifted between sleep and wakefulness, his senses dulled.
Then—movement.
A small figure stood at the cave entrance.
A wolf cub.
Leo stiffened. Its fur was silver, similar to the ones he had seen earlier, but it was scrawny—its ribs faintly etched under its fur. Its ears back as it looked at him, frozen in hesitation.
Why was it alone?
Before he could act, a flash flew by the cave.
A tide of silver bodies poured by, paws causing clouds of dust to erupt as the pack pounded by the entrance of the cave.
Leo pressed back against the cave wall automatically, his heart pounding as the wave of wolves streamed past. They were afraid—they were fleeing something.
Something awful.
And then—
A tree snapped like a bone.
A shadow crossed the clearing.
The Blood Claw Ursan emerged into view.
It was bigger than Leo recalled.
Even bigger.
Its massive body was draped in thick, crimson fur, its claws smeared with blood. The beast's nostrils flared as it sniffed, its eyes glowed red as hot coals scanning.
Leo's heart tightened with a cold grip of fear.
His right eye pounded—a ghostly pain where the Ursan had torn at his face previously. The memory flashed across his mind: the burning pain, the powerlessness, the close call with death.
It's back.
It's stalking.
The Ursan's head spun in the direction of the cave.
Leo stood stock-still.
He didn't draw breath.
Once. Twice, the creature sniffed.
Leo was hearing the sound of his own heart pounding against his ribs.
Then, after a moment of indecision, the Ursan growled deep in its throat… and turned away.
With a dull thud, it stamped off into the trees, following the scent of the pack.
Leo drew shuddering breath.
His hands were shaking around his spear. He hadn't even realized he was gripping it so hard.
It's gone.
But then his eyes flickered back to the entrance.
The cub was still there.
Whereas the pack had left, it sat in the dirt, its eyes fixed on him in wide, uncomprehending stares.
Leo swallowed.
What now?