The Forest Pact

day, but the atmosphere felt heavy, charged

canopy in narrow rays, and the sweet smel

rly morning chill, and walked back to the clearing where the

tions raced thr

sily subdued a bear? And why had h

's remains, now oddly quiet

but Aurora's scientific c

k and began sketching the claw m

red here was not o

and the cuts on its neck were too de

he clearing, her thoughts tur

la

didn't know before that his name

snapped her out

en poised abo

whoever or whatever was approaching wanted to be

're

nd gravelly, made

from the shadows, his golden eyes glim

ad the night before: wild, unbroken

thought," he said, exasperatio

ght, putting her note

re," she said, forcing 

e a job to d

is arms, which

areful, your job

d assist me," Aurora shot b

don't you? And obviously, you're... 

ed. "You don't know

o me," she pressed

s forever, and this pack.

n fe

thing or two ab

ps of the trees, as if looking 

er, there was a hardness in his e

ly animals," he said

ng older, something that

king faster than her

What do

stepped closer, h

ra. This is the forest, and the forest

t it hardened her resolve even more. "If

is face, but it vanished just as fast.

further, a distant howl re

but with a haunting beauty

instincts kicking in as

d to lea

. "Not until you expl

 he said, his voic

're c

s com

in a grip that had handcuff-like firmness without the p

er him, but her pr

My equi

rowled. "Your life matt

and she followed his lead as he maneuv

closer, as others joined in, a choru

ity, as if he had been born of the

boots snagging on root

tion where he was taking them, but

focused, and full of an in

, directing her into a narrow ravine covered with thick

ispered, breath h

don't

ng as she pressed herself

d hear them:

of leaves beneath their paws

red at the edge of the ravine,

nd its eyes burned with an unnatural light. More wolves s

mell the air. One of them, a black wolf with crystalline blu

nd took her hand, his 

e first time, she noticed the

, and the others froze, th

pack started to approach the ravine,

spered, little m

ered, golden eyes on t

lf stepped nearer, i

scanned the shadows. Just when she though

l, a low gut-trembling sou

ened and tilted its

woods, the tension thick en

wolves wheeled and vanished into the trees,

shaky sigh, her

ck? "What just happ

moment before

d stood up, his face inscrutable.

eave?" Aurora pushe

olden eyes shone with an emo

I told

Aurora's eyes were riveted on him, her mind spinning. "What are

lenched. "Someone who's trying t

d started walking back toward the clearing. S

u can't just say someth

d but did n

his forest you're better

gh," she said, b

Those wolves... they weren't

las was quiet, his go

, running a hand thr

itted. "I'm not normal

h caught. "The

eyes piercing. "You want the t

dded, hea

still here," he said. "And th

a thunderclap, and she cou

fami

. "You mea

s no

 of the pack," he

at him, her b

ar, and the low growl that had scared the re

them," she sa

idn't d

y it's dangerous f

eart pounding. But as the