Later, he replayed the sound in his mind. He told himself it might have been the creak of waterlogged wood, or the squeal of a bird hidden in reeds. Yet the echo lingered. He knew the difference between an illusion and a cry. This had been real.
Adrian tried a new tactic. Instead of approaching directly, he kept his distance, circling wide, keeping trees between them. The wolf shifted its head with each of his steps, tracking him. But it never abandoned its station. The invisible tether held.