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Chapter 3
The growl came again,louder, and right behind me. I remained on the grass near the raging river, trembling. No mistake—the sound belonged to awolf.
If I jumped back into the water and fell down the waterfall, it might be easier than beingmauled.
Ice hardened in my chest. Breathing was close to impossible. I climbed to my feet slowly, all the while tracing the ground with my fingers until I touched a rock. With it clasped in my fist, I rose and twistedaround.
The shaking wouldn’t stop as I stared into the eyes of a wolf at least thirty feet away with steel-colored fur. The animal reached my waist and had seen better days. His coat was thin and hung loose on his frame. Just my luck, he saw me as an easy meal, and hunger would make himunstoppable.
One stone was useless againsthim.
“I’m not food. I barely have any muscle on my bones.” I sidestepped, figuring I could make a run for the woods and climb a tree. What other choices did Ihave?
When the wolf crept closer, he growled once again, his ears flattened against his largehead.
I shuffled sideways, angling away and stealing glances toward the forest. A small tree with low-hanging branches was doable because I wasn’t becoming anyone’s lunch now orever.
But from within the folds of the woodland, three silhouettes emerged, and I shuddered. Wolves trotted out in perfect unison as if they were warriors. One was black with cream paws, another gray sporting whitish stripes across the chest, and the third was pure white like fresh snow. They were half a foot taller than the creature between us.Shifters?
Perspiration rolled down my spine, and the thump of my heart vibrated in my ears. I squeezed the stone in my hand, fingers digging into the hard surface. How was I supposed to defeat all four ofthem?
Panic churned my stomach into cramps. Before I could make sense of what to do next, I turned and bolted. All the rational reasons fell out of myhead.
A strangled cry poured from mymouth.
Heavy breaths were right behind me, paw pads hitting thesoil.
I ran faster than I thought possible along the river’s edge. The cool air slapped my skin, pulling at my hair, chokingme.
Bursting into the forest, I pounded the ground, foliage snapping andcrackling.
Death. Not for me. Please, not forme.
A cacophony of snarls and grunts detonated behind me. I glanced back to see the three wolves in a brawl. Were they deciding which one got to devour me? But the white one thundered close to me, leaping overfoliage.
I sprinted faster, ducking under branches and crushing bushes. Twigs scratched my face and arms. Everythinghurt.
Something moved in my peripheral vision. I looked over, and my gutplummeted.
The white wolf lunged in huge strides alongside me, a few paces away. His head twisted in my direction, teethexposed.
I threw my rock at him but struck a trunk instead.Damn.
Pushing my legs, I raced straight ahead and grabbed a low branch, then swung my legsup.
But something snatched my pants, ripping me back down, and my grip slipped. I screamed, grasping for thebranch.
Instead, I crashed to the forest floor, landing on my butt and scramblingbackward.
My life whirled through my mind. How little I’d done with the store, how I’d stayed in the woods as my safe zone, never leaving Terra. Bee had traveled to other lands. I followed the rules. Now I’d get eaten and no one would evenknow.
The white wolf stood his ground, while two of his friends gaited down the hill toward us. What happened to the first wolf? They’d defeated him to win the prize… me? The gray one tilted his head to the side, studying me, and trotted forward. Was he thealpha?
My feet itched, and I fought the impulse to jump up and sprint away, but how far would Iget?
I shifted to move past the tree at my back, but my backpack snagged on a root. And that reminded me of my citrus spray. I shook the bag off my shoulders and slid a hand inside. All three wolves watched me. Were they thinking I had a snack? The apple in the bag wouldn’t sate these beasts. I wrapped my fingers around the small bottle with a cork top and took itout.
The gray wolf snarled, snapping its jaws inches fromme.
