The Alpha's Prickly Porcupine
I shout, coughing, shielding my face as the smoke burns my eyes.
I hear the scuffle of boots in the mud, a grunt of exertion, and then the sound of a body hitting the ground—but it’s not the sound of a dying man. It’s the sound of a retreat.
I stumble through the thick, swirling haze, my hands reaching out into the void. My fingers brush against the cold, wet stone of the altar, finding nothing but empty, echoing space. I keep moving, panic rising in my chest like bile. I find Daryl, his form looming large in the thinning mist, his breath coming in ragged, wheezing gasps as he staggers back. He’s no longer looking for the kill; he’s looking for me.