Men shouted.
Vines lashed wildly through the air.
The beast roared again.
One warrior tried fleeing toward the trees only for the beast to seize him violently and fling him hard enough against a massive trunk that the sound alone turned Bria’s stomach.
Another lunged with vines twisting around his arms like whips, but the beast tore through them as though they were nothing before dragging the screaming man down beneath massive claws.
Blood stained the clearing.
The remaining men fought desperately now, no longer warriors amused by helpless captives but frightened prey struggling to survive.
It made no difference. The beast moved too quickly, too powerfully.
Within moments four of the six lay motionless upon the ground.
The last two dropped heavily to their knees, trembling.
“Mercy,” one gasped desperately.
“We did not know who you were,” the other pleaded. “We swear it. We will never cross your path again.”
The beast stood over them breathing heavily, blood dripping from its sharp tusks, while its glowing eyes remained fixed upon the terrified men. Then slowly its massive head turned toward Bria.
The clearing fell silent except for the rushing stream nearby and the ragged breathing of the surviving men.
One of them quickly nodded toward Bria as though understanding some unspoken command.
At once, the vines binding her loosened and slipped harmlessly away.
The beast suddenly threw back its massive head and released a deafening roar directly into the faces of the two kneeling men.
The sound struck through the clearing with such force that Bria flinched where she stood.
The beast then slammed one enormous paw against the ground hard enough to shake the earth beneath them.
The men cried out in terror.
“Run!” one shouted frantically.
Neither waited another moment.
They scrambled clumsily to their feet and bolted into the forest without so much as a backward glance, crashing wildly through the trees in desperate panic while the beast watched them flee.
Then silence settled over the clearing once more.
Bria slowly rose to her feet. Her heart still pounded violently from all she had witnessed, yet now that the danger had passed, she found herself unable to look away from the massive white creature standing only a short distance from her.
Blood dripped from his huge tusks and stained spots of its white fur. Its chest rose and fell heavily as his golden eyes fixed steadily upon her. Not the eyes of a mindless beast, but the eyes of something far more dangerous, far more aware.
The beast snorted once, a rough burst of breath curling through the cool air between them, then suddenly turned and disappeared into the forest with astonishing speed despite its massive size.
Bria remained standing there several moments afterward, unable to move.
Then the emptiness returned. The sharp aching emptiness she felt whenever Kaelan left her side slammed into her so suddenly that she nearly staggered beneath it.
Her breath caught on a whispered, “Nay.”
