For long minutes, he sat motionless, the wolf’s eyes never leaving him. His muscles ached, but he dared not shift. Then, faintly, the sound rose again—a whimper, softer than before. The urgency pressed against his ribs like a vise. He had to act, but how?
A sudden crash in the trees behind startled them both. Adrian spun, spade clattering against stone. The wolf whipped its head toward the sound, muscles taut. It was just a deer bolting through the undergrowth. But when its gaze returned to Adrian, suspicion burned brighter than ever.