Howl of the Heart

e broken, a lot lost, but regular. She never imagined that a dusty

all to show up on any decent map. Her grandmother had left her this place-its peeling wood, its forgotten history, its eerie

was overcast, thick clouds weaving over the mountains. The wind howled faintly

it. It was probably just the i

ough it had been forgotten by time. Ivy crept up its walls, and the roof sagged like it was holding up the weight of too ma

g against her skin and the dark shadows stretching across the clearing, Sera could

as rustic and worn as the outside. Dust particles danced in the dim l

and ran a hand through her messy brown hair. "We

e. She froze, staring out the window. Som

It couldn't be. She was j

this time, she saw it clearly-a figure, tall, cloa

but there was something about the w

he had to get a grip. It was probably just some local. A wanderer. But

ke a sound. For a long moment, th

e gone. Disappeared into the forest a

gripped the edge of the windowsill, her heart

t. Or maybe she was just imagining things. She'd bee

shake off the unease, the strange

houghts, a low rumble of thunder rolled across the sky. The clouds parted briefly to rev

ere, quieter, more alive in ways she couldn't explain. The wind picked

er

reath in the air. She stood up abruptly, scanni

e heard it-a sound that made her stomach tw

sound seemed too

behind her, the wind pushing against it wit

ding in the doo

s eyes glowed an intense amber, the color of ancient gold, and they l

was low, like a rumble f

pped a beat. "I.

gaze never left hers, his presence suffocating i

his voice rough but edged w

her pulse hammering in

that raged in his chest. "You don't know who you are yet, do you, Sera?" He said

this time it felt differe