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The smarter part of me said: Keep walking.

I couldn’t resist.

I shoved the door open with the flat of my palm.

The energy in the air shifted the moment the door slammed into the wall behind it. A shiver crawled down my spine from the anticipation, but that could have just been my nerves warning me to stay away. I was never the type to go snooping around someone else’s property, yet something, or someone, had called me here.

Clearly I hadn’t learned my lesson about following strange calls. If I had, I would have turned back and waited for Valentina and Arianna to return. But I knew I wouldn’t.

The room beyond was dark. I couldn’t make out anything, not unless I stepped all the way inside. For some reason, I just knew whatever had made that sound was in there. And I had to at least take a glimpse.

What could Arianna possibly be hiding in here?

Overriding my better judgment, I stepped inside. The air was bitter cold and damp, and at first glance the room looked empty. A few rusted tools hung along the wall, and, oddly, a pile of hay sat in the far corner. I crept closer, leaning in to see what might be hidden inside it.

Nothing.

At least, nothing I could see.

My imagination had run wild for no reason. This wasn’t anything more than a simple tool shed—just like the one Mark had back home. Annoyance prickled through me as disappointment settled in. I’d expected something strange, something dangerous.

Instead, I’d found nothing.

There wasn’t even a source for those ghostly chuckles. My eyes swept the room once more before I turned back toward the entrance. I was ready to leave, until I froze. An animal stood in the doorway, staring straight at me.

The smell hit me next, wild and sharp. Wet fur, iron, and something darker beneath it, like damp earth after a storm.

Its face was tan, its mouth and snout dark. Beady eyes watched me without blinking. Black spots marked its wiry body, and its tail hung low behind it. For a moment, I thought it was a mangy dog. Then I noticed the sloped back. The thick neck. The unnatural stillness in its eyes.

No.

Not a dog.

A hyena.

Its head tilted, almost curious, then its lips peeled back, baring yellowed teeth in a warning. A low growl rolled deep in its throat.

“Easy, now,” I murmured, keeping my voice low and calm.

I held my ground, though every part of me screamed to run. If Arianna kept it locked away in here, there was probably a damn good reason. I didn’t even have time to think of a plan before the hyena lunged. The emptiness in its eyes vanished, replaced by something savage.

Something alive.

Moving on instinct alone, I vaulted over it the moment it closed the distance. I barely cleared its body—my foot clipping its forehead midair as I jumped. The second I landed; I bolted for the door. I slammed it shut behind me, scorching my hand on the knob in the process.

Pain shot through my palm. A red welt bloomed across the skin, hot and stinging, but nothing serious. Adrenaline still thundered through my veins as my heart hammered against my chest. My breath came fast and uneven. That thing was huge. Nothing like the hyenas I’d ever seen in a zoo. And the way it had stared at me, with purpose, was chilling.

Before heading back to the cottage, I glanced over my shoulder one last time at the shed. I couldn’t stop thinking about its eyes.

Empty at first.

Then suddenly filled with something brutal. Something primal. It hadn’t made a sound. No panting. No snarl. Just silence. Only the wind and my breathing proved I was still standing there. For a moment, I almost convinced myself I’d imagined the whole thing.

Bending down, I scooped up a handful of snow and pressed it against my burning hand before making my way back toward the cottage.

Val’s arms were the first thing that greeted me when I walked through the door.

“Where have you been?” she exclaimed against my ear.