We ran, our feet pounding against the forest floor as we wove through trees and leapt over roots. I didn’t dare look back, but the sound of snapping branches and heavy footfalls told me that the creature was still close, its guttural growls growing louder. Panic shot through me like ice, but I forced myself to stay focused, keeping pace with Logan and Liam.
“Where do we go?” Liam shouted, glancing over at Logan.
“There’s a stream up ahead!” Logan called back. “We can try to lose it in the water!”
We sprinted toward the faint sound of rushing water. The underbrush grew thicker as we approached the stream, making it harder to keep our speed. I stumbled over a root, catching myself just in time to see the dark shadow of the creature burst into the moonlight behind us.
We reached the stream and waded in, the icy water soaking through my shoes. Logan motioned for us to keep moving downstream, hoping the water would mask our scents.
We moved cautiously downstream, the icy water numbing my feet as it rushed around us. The night was eerily quiet, as if even the forest held its breath, waiting for the creature to reappear. I focused on each step, the chill seeping through my skin helping to keep me alert.
Logan led the way, his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement, while Liam stayed close behind, watching our backs. I could tell he was tense, his muscles coiled, ready to react. Even though we had a momentary escape, the danger felt close, like it was just a few steps behind us.
After a while, we slowed, slipping out of the stream and into the cover of the trees. Logan motioned for us to stop and crouch low behind a cluster of bushes.
We crouched in the shadows, barely daring to breathe as we pressed ourselves low behind the thick bushes. The forest around us felt charged, every rustling leaf and shifting shadow putting my nerves on edge. I gripped the damp earth, my heartbeat echoing in my ears as I strained to listen for any sound of the creature.
Logan held a finger to his lips, his gaze fixed intently on the darkness beyond our hiding spot. Liam’s breathing was shallow, his eyes darting between the trees, his body tense and ready to spring into action.
The silence stretched, pressing down on us. I could feel the creature’s presence, even if I couldn’t see it. Its guttural breathing filled the night, and I sensed it was searching, sniffing the air, trying to pick up any trace of us. I clenched my fists, silently urging it to move on.
Minutes crawled by. Slowly, the sounds of the creature’s heavy footsteps faded, replaced by the soft rustling of the forest. I dared to lift my head slightly, peering through the bushes. A few yards away, a shadow passed between the trees, larger than anything I’d seen, then disappeared into the distance.
After a long, tense moment, Logan nodded, giving us the all-clear. He slowly stood, his eyes scanning the area one last time.
“Is it… gone?” I whispered, hardly daring to hope.
“For now,” Logan murmured, his voice low. “But we need to stay alert. That thing is still out here somewhere.”
Liam exhaled a shaky breath, looking at each of us. “I don’t know what that was, but it’s definitely not something from the usual stories.”
“It looks like a demon,” I said.
Liam raised an eyebrow, glancing at Logan before turning back to me. “How do you know it looked like a demon?”
I hesitated for a moment, unsure how to explain. “I had a dream… or maybe it was a vision. I saw something like it before. It was lurking in the shadows, and it felt so real.”
Logan’s brow furrowed, a mix of curiosity and concern in his eyes. “A vision? What did you see exactly?”
I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. “It was huge, with dark fur and glowing eyes. It had sharp claws and teeth, and it felt… powerful. I remember feeling terrified, like it was hunting me. And now, seeing it in person, it’s like that dream came to life.”
Liam frowned, his expression serious. “So, you think it’s connected to you somehow? Like it’s hunting you specifically?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice shaking slightly. “But I felt like it was drawn to me in the dream. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but I can’t shake this feeling that it’s linked to something more.”
Logan shook his head, trying to process the information. “That’s unsettling. We need to figure out what it wants. If it’s targeting you, we have to protect you.”
I nodded, feeling a rush of gratitude for their concern, but the weight of uncertainty hung heavy in the air. “I wish I knew what it wanted. I just hope it doesn’t come back.”
Liam glanced around, his senses still on high alert. “We should keep moving, just in case. If it’s still out there, we don’t want to be caught off guard again.”
As we started walking again, the shadows of the trees loomed around us, and I felt a strange mix of fear and determination. Logan turned to Liam, breaking the tense silence.
“Hey, Liam, can I ask you something?” Logan said, his voice steady despite the chaos around us.
“Sure,” Liam replied, glancing at Logan.
“Who raised you? I mean, after you found out about being a wolf?”
Liam paused for a moment, thinking back. “It was an old woman. She took me in when I was young, I don’t really know my real family.”
Logan nodded, intrigued. “Was she a wolf, too? Or did she just know a lot about it?”
“Not a wolf,” Liam said, shaking his head.
“Were you born a wolf or you got transformed through…..”
Logan didn’t finish his sentence before Liam replied. “I was born I wasn’t transformed.”
“How do we look so alike?”
“I don’t know….” Liam chuckled.