Unlikely savior

Clutching the necklace tightly in her hands, Mara took off running.

Her feet sank into the snow with every step she took, slowing her progress. When she heard the snarls coming from behind her, she made the mistake of looking back. Whatever was happening to Anias was over. Standing in the little patch of moonlight that reflected off the white snow, he looked different but also the same. She recognized some of his features, but they were distorted under a thick smattering of fur that had grown in certain parts of his body. His nose had also merged with his mouth, forming a snout that looked like a dog's. Long, pointed ears peeked from his hair, which had also grown longer.

A scream built up inside Mara, but when Anias lunged toward her, she turned and ran instead.

It seemed that the monsters who’d come for her family were, in fact, real monsters and not just the worst of humanity. No wonder she heard growls, and that howling noise she’d heard from her hiding spot underneath the floor