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Aurora urged Midnight forward, closing the distance between herself and the terrified girl. In one swift motion, she reached down and scooped the girl up, propping her onto the horse in front of her. The girl was trembling and out of breath, and her heart raced as she clung to Aurora for dear life.
“Where am I?” she asked, her voice shaking. “How did I get here?”
Aurora spared a quick glance over her shoulder, and her heart nearly stopped as she caught sight of the giant wolf chasing after them. Its eyes glowed like red-hot embers, fixated on the girl as though she were its prey.
“What’s the last thing you remember?” Aurora asked, her voice strained as she urged Midnight to go faster.
“My brother,” the girl said, her eyes scanning the snowy terrain frantically. “He was sick. He had a fever. Then he transformed into a wolf.” Understanding dawned on her face, and she turned to Aurora with wide eyes. “Did he kill me?”
“No,” Aurora assured her. “You must’ve just fainted.”
The wolf growled ominously behind them, and the heat of its breath was too close for comfort. “I need you to hold on tight,” Aurora instructed the girl, thrusting the reins into her shaking hands. “Can you do that?”
The girl nodded, gripping the reins so hard that her knuckles turned white. Aurora leaped to her feet as Midnight thundered forward, his hooves pounding against the snowy ground. The wolf was hot on their heels, its growls growing louder and more frenzied with every passing moment. Then, with gritted teeth, Aurora launched herself into the air, grabbing hold of a tree branch overhead. Midnight made a sharp turn, leaving Aurora dangling precariously from the branch. She pulled herself up quickly, then with a steady hand, she nocked an arrow on her bow and took aim at the snarling wolf.
The wolf charged past her, his eyes glowing. Aurora’s heart pounded with adrenaline as she pulled back her bowstring and released the arrow. It flew through the air, striking the wolf's leg with a satisfyingthunk. The animal howled in pain. With lightning-fast reflexes, she reached for a second arrow and drove it into the wolf’s shoulder. The animal screeched, then whipped around, its glowing eyes locking onto Aurora’s. He snarled, puffing air out of his nostrils.
Aurora whistled, summoning Midnight from the woods. The horse positioned himself perfectly beneath her, and Aurora mounted him with ease, keeping the girl in front of her. But before they could take off, the wolf charged toward them, his sharp teeth bared.
The girl screamed, but instead of letting the panic consume her, Aurora placed a calming hand on the girl’s shoulder and closed her eyes.
With a deep breath, Aurora focused all of her energy on the wolf. She pictured him slowing down, losing momentum, and eventually stopping dead in its tracks.
When she opened her eyes again, another giant wolf had come into view. Its fur was as white as snow, and it barreled into the red-eyed wolf with full force. The two animals crashed onto the snow, sliding until a large tree brought them to a halt. The red-eyed wolf whimpered while the white wolf towered over him.
“That should buy us some time,” Aurora murmured, taking back the reins from the trembling girl.
“How are there two of them?” the girl asked, staring at the wolves in shock.
Aurora hesitated for a moment, not wanting to confuse the poor girl with needless details. “Let’s just say I have a few tricks up my sleeve,” she said with a small smile. “But right now, we need to find a safe place for you.”
Midnight charged through the snow, leaving the wolves behind, their snarls echoing in the distance.
Aurora could feel the fear radiating off the girl, and she knew that for as long as the girl was afraid, the wolf would keep chasing after them. As they approached the edge of a cliff, Aurora slowed Midnight to a halt.
“Wait! What are you doing?” the girl said in a frantic voice. “You said a safe place. This is not a safe place. He’ll find us here.”
“If you want him to disappear, this is the only way,” Aurora said. “Trust me.”
After dismounting from Midnight, Aurora offered the girl a hand. The girl took it, and Aurora helped her down. Once her feet touched the snow, Aurora tapped Midnight’s hind, and the horse galloped off into the woods, leaving them alone.
The girl turned her frightened gaze toward Aurora. “What’s the plan?” she asked.
Aurora sucked in a breath, then turned toward the dark forest. “We wait for him to come.”
The girl’s eyes stretched wide. “And then what?” her voice trembled.
Aurora puffed out her chest, bracing herself. “Then you face him head-on because you’re not afraid of him.”
“What?” the girl screeched and stepped back. “But I am. I am very afraid of him.”
“You shouldn’t be,” Aurora said, her voice steady and confident. “He’s just an illusion, a manifestation of your own fears. The more afraid you are, the more power you give him. But if you face him head-on and tell him that you’re not afraid, he’ll lose his hold over you.”
“But the size of his mouth…” The girl gaped. “He can swallow me whole.”
“He won’t.”
“How do you know?”
