Its gaze wasn’t hostile. In fact, it seemed… calm. Something had shifted. Its body was looser, less coiled. The wild panic she’d seen earlier was gone. Maya’s chest tightened, unsure if it was from relief or disbelief. She had expected it to run. But it didn’t.
Then the dog barked—sharp and sudden. Maya flinched, instinctively stepping back. Her heart leapt again. Had she misread it? Was it warning her now? But the dog caught her hesitation. It paused, blinked, then lowered its head in a slow, almost careful gesture. Like it understood.