Chapter 21

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The full moon gleamed brightly in the sky, despite the baleful clouds billowing the horizon. In the air wafted the fresh, earthy aroma of petrichor. A storm was brewing up, Matthew could smell it. He longed for the safety of his home, yet he could not go back.

There was a deep ache in his bones. Each step came with a blaze of pain as the ten-year-old boy hiked up the mountain. His head grew dizzier with each minute, but he did not stop. 

If he wanted to live, he had to keep going.

Matthew scolded himself for leaving his house. "If you just stayed home, everything would've been fine." But it was too late now. They had smelled his scent. If he were to return home, he would only lead the direwolf hunters to his family. His only option was to hide and pray they would not find him.

A loud clap of thunder made the young boy jump, his foot slipping off the roc