Chapter 21

My feet moved through the forest. I looked back, barely dodging a tree branch as I searched for the predator that was chasing me. It seemed like I had been running forever. My breath was getting shallow as the cold air stabbed at my lungs. Had I gone far enough? I wasn’t sure. The creature seemed to have disappeared. Had I managed to escape?

Finally, I came to a stop leaning against a tree trying to moderate my breathing. I grimaced at the pain brought on by the forcible deep breaths.

The sound of a twig snapping caused me to jerk. Something was here. Fear crept from my stomach to my chest as I peered around the tree. A pair of golden eyes met mine. I was staring into the face of a big black wolf, one I had seen before. I felt his warm breath on my face. He snarled revealing his canines as saliva dripped from his mouth. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t scream. I was frozen. I closed my eyes in anticipation of the attack.

“Araya. Araya.” A voice called out from a distance. “Are you okay?”