Chapter 3: Run!

Val's POV

“Who’s there?” I yelled into the cold night, my voice shaking as much as my hands. The darkness swallowed my words, leaving me to face the eerie silence alone. The icy wind whipped against my face, sending a shiver down my spine.

The barn was wrecked. Its sturdy lock hung in tatters, the wood around it splintered and clawed apart. My gaze fell to the lifeless lamb sprawled on the ground. Blood pooled beneath its fragile body, dark and glistening under the faint moonlight. My stomach twisted at the sight. This wasn’t just an accident—something had attacked, something savage.

I clenched the bucket in my hand, its cold metal pressing into my skin like a lifeline. My breaths were shallow, fogging up the frigid air as I scanned my surroundings. Every shadow seemed alive, every whisper of the wind felt like a warning.

Then I heard it. A rustle, faint but deliberate, coming from the bushes near the edge of the barnyard.

“Show yourself!” I shouted, my voice breaking. I tried to sound brave, but the quiver in my words betrayed me. My legs felt like lead, but I forced myself to stand firm, clutching the bucket like it could ward off whatever lurked in the shadows.

The rustling stopped. Silence returned, heavier than before. I could feel my heart pounding against my ribs, the sound almost deafening in the quiet.

Then came another sound—a cry, distant and forlorn. It was high-pitched and pitiful, tugging at something deep within me.

“What was that?” I whispered to no one, my curiosity battling with the overwhelming urge to run. The sound came from beyond the pack’s border, where the trees loomed dark and foreboding. Against my better judgment, I stepped toward it.

The grass crunched beneath my boots, each step sounding unnaturally loud in the stillness. The cries grew louder, more desperate, guiding me toward the edge of the woods. Shadows danced in the faint light of the barn’s lanterns, stretching and twisting into monstrous shapes.

I stopped at the forest's edge, peering into the inky blackness. “Who’s there?” I called again, my voice barely audible now. The cry had stopped. The silence felt alive, oppressive, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.

Then I saw it—a small, trembling figure lying in the dirt just beyond the trees.

It was a pup, its white fur matted with dirt and streaks of blood. One of its legs was twisted unnaturally, fresh bite marks marring its fragile skin. My chest tightened at the sight.

“Oh no,” I murmured, crouching down slowly. “Are you hurt?”

The pup hissed, baring tiny teeth that were surprisingly sharp. Before I could pull back, it lashed out, its claws raking across my hand.

“Ow!” I gasped, jerking back instinctively. Blood welled up on my palm, the sting sharp and immediate. But despite the pain, I didn’t move away.

Instead, I reached into my pocket, fumbling for the dry food I had tucked away earlier. “It’s okay,” I said softly, laying the food on the ground between us. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

The pup’s wary eyes flicked between me and the food, its tiny body trembling. Hunger finally won out. It crept forward, sniffing cautiously before tearing into the meal.

“There you go,” I whispered, keeping my movements slow. The pup didn’t hiss this time as I reached out again. My hand brushed its fur, and it flinched but didn’t pull away.

“See? I told you it’s alright,” I said, a faint smile tugging at my lips. Carefully, I scooped the small creature into my arms. It was so light, so fragile, its injured leg dangling limply.

“You poor thing,” I murmured, cradling it closer. “Let’s get you—”

I froze mid-sentence. My bloodied hand had brushed against its wound, and something impossible was happening.

The deep gashes on its leg were disappearing. Not healing slowly, but vanishing entirely. Within seconds, the twisted limb was straightened, the fur unblemished as if the injury had never existed.

“What the…” My voice trailed off, my words lost in the sheer impossibility of what I’d just witnessed. My hand shook as I pulled it back, staring at the pup in disbelief.

The pup looked up at me, its wide eyes calm and trusting now. It nestled into my arms, its earlier fear gone.

“This isn’t real,” I whispered, my mind struggling to process. “That—how is that possible?”

Before I could think further, a low, guttural growl shattered the stillness.

The sound sent a chill down my spine, freezing me in place. I turned my head slowly, dread pooling in my stomach.

Emerging from the shadows was a wolf—or something that resembled one. But it was far larger, its frame massive and imposing. Dark fur clung to its body, wet and matted, with streaks of blood that didn’t seem to be its own. Its amber eyes glowed with an unnatural intensity, locked onto me with a predatory focus.

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The wolf stepped forward, its movements deliberate and menacing. Its growl deepened, a sound that reverberated in my chest.

My arms tightened around the pup instinctively. The creature in my arms whimpered, burying itself against me as though it understood the danger.

The wolf bared its teeth, saliva dripping from its jaws as it inched closer. Its eyes flicked to the pup, then back to me, and I realized with a sinking feeling that it wasn’t just here for me.

I didn’t wait to see what it would do next. Adrenaline surged through me, snapping me out of my paralysis.

“Run,” I muttered to myself, but my legs wouldn’t move.

The wolf lunged, its claws raking through the air—

And I bolted.