56. Back to The Beginning

A low, guttural sound reached his ears. A wolf. It stood in the dim moonlight, hunched over something on the ground, tearing into it with slow, deliberate bites. The metallic scent of blood hit Jayden like a punch to the gut. His stomach twisted as he stepped closer, his breathing ragged. Then he saw it. The thing beneath the wolf wasn’t just some animal carcass. It was a body. A human body. His chest tightened, and without thinking, he opened his mouth to yell—to scream—but what came out was not his voice. It was a deep, guttural snarl. A sound so foreign, so animalistic, that it sent a shudder through his own body. That’s when it hit him. I’m not standing on two legs. I’m not speaking like a human. I’m… The other wolf snapped its head up, its glowing yellow eyes locking onto him. It snarled, blood dripping from its fangs. Jayden instinctively took a step forward, challenging it, his own growl rumbling in his throat. The other wolf hesitated, stepping back. He pressed forward again. I