I took a slow step forward, the ground trembling beneath the weight of my paws. The moonlight carved silver along my midnight-black fur, accentuating the sheer size of me. I was a predator, the apex of this land. And she…
She was prey.
Yet she didn't run.
Violet sat stiffly by the fountain, her hands curling against the stone rim as if bracing herself. The water behind her shimmered under the moonlight, casting rippling reflections that danced against the courtyard walls.
Her breath hitched when I moved closer. I smelled it then—her fear, faint but undeniable, woven beneath the scent of rain and earth that clung to her skin.
Good.
Fear meant she understood, even if she refused to show it.
A deep growl rumbled from my chest, low and primal, a warning in its purest form. *You should be afraid, little human.*
Her fingers twitched, but she didn't flinch, didn't scramble to her feet or beg for mercy. She just watched me, that sharp gaze searching, calculating.
