His curiosity outweighed fear. He edged sideways, tracing a slow arc as though to skirt the creature entirely. The wolf’s head followed his movement, eyes locked. Muscles quivered beneath its sodden fur, but its paws never shifted from the earth. It was guarding something, yet refusing to chase him off.
Halfway around the arc, Adrian stopped to listen. The forest was silent except for the water’s hiss. Then—faint, fleeting—he thought he heard it. A sound beneath the river’s constant murmur, thin and high-pitched. His brow furrowed. Could it have been imagination? The wolf growled, silencing his doubt.