The search began quickly. Volunteers spread through the woods, officers with rifles moving in tight lines. Elise trailed behind, forcing calm while her heart convulsed. A child was missing. With Shadow gone, it could not be a coincidence. She imagined paw prints alongside smaller ones, imagined whispers turning into accusations she couldn’t disprove.
Rain slicked the undergrowth, washing trails into confusion. Still, she caught glimpses—prints pressed deep in clay, far larger than a dog’s. Elise bent low, tracing the edges with trembling fingers. The direction chilled her: toward the ravine. She swallowed panic, whispering, “Please, not him. Please, Shadow, not this.”