Page 2 of Hunted By Wolves and Shadow
A few dancing spots drew my attention, sending a jolt of panic when I thought I saw eyes.Blue skies, I was unnerved today. They were just fireflies. Although, fireflies active at midday…that was odd.
I didn’t like the sensation creeping between my shoulder blades like creatures watched from beyond the veil of shadowy fog. I was letting those over-embellished stories about the so-called curse of Aglonbriar get to me. As if a bit of Mist could render a person insane, or turn men into monsters who roamed the forest in search of human flesh. It was preposterous.
I knew better.
Idid.
My heart pounded anyway. But I had my cloak to keep me safe, I knew to stick to the path where the Mist cleared. Rather…it usually cleared. Tendrils of Mist touched me now, but I was perfectly fine. Everything was fine.
I hurried faster.
Grandma Ruby’s stone cottage was nestled deep in the woods in a cute little clearing that the Mist never seemed to touch. All this silly fear would be worth it when I reached her door. We’d share warm biscuits by her fireplace and my grandmother would listen to my complaints about selfish Jade and our inattentive father, and she’d pat my knee with a,“Buck up, Emi. You don’t need them anyway.”
Some days, I swore I would make this trip through fire and brimstone if that was what it took to get that warm touch and a supportive word.
A hair-raising roar made me jump. Was that closer than before? Chilly fingers of Mist stroked my ankles as I scurried.What I wouldn’t give to hear Grandma’s encouragement right now.
A loud snuffle and snort sounded off to my left, and my heart broke into a gallop. Why did Grandma live in this lonely place? While I longed for company—for affection and attention—Grandma Ruby chose isolation. A choice I was very much struggling to understand while nameless fear knotted in my lungs.
A growl echoed too close for comfort, and a shriek spilled out of me. My pulse took off, and I decided it had the right idea. Enough was enough.
Branches snapped when I broke into a run.
There was something behind me. Something big!
I wheeled.
A terrifyingly large shadow broke free from the pools of dark, sending waves of white fog rolling ahead of its hulking shape. All I saw was a flash of matted fur before I was gone, spinning forward into a dead sprint. Blood rushed from my head. The basket swung wildly from my pumping arm.
Heart pounding, I didn’t dare pause long enough to look back, but the thud of enormous paws told me all I needed to know. It was catching up.
A muffin bounced free and tumbled from the basket to the sound of a snarl at my heels. There was a terrifying snap of teeth.
I was close to Grandma’s clearing. Almost there.
I nearly went sprawling over a root that emerged from the Mist, barely leaping it in time. I couldn’t resist any longer. I glanced over my shoulder and,sweet sunbeams!
I screamed.
The beast behind me rose past my waist. It was huge—all dark mangy fur and long gangly legs. And teeth. So many teeth in that creepy, elongated head.
Whatever that thing was, I was dead if it got that jaw around me. I nearly choked on fear. In a panic, I swung the basket as hard as I could behind me while my legs kept pumping away. Baked goods scattered in a soaring arc down the path behind me, bouncing into the trees.
Before me, the quaint cottage materialized through the gloom not a heartbeat too soon. Its diamond paned front window made a most inviting square of yellow light in the river stone walls.
“Open up!” I yelled ahead.
My heart galloped into my ribs. I could barely take in air. The cottage was a beckoning refuge, teasing me with its nearness. Wildly hoping to trip up the nightmare chasing me, I hurled the entire basket behind me and dashed through the small gap in the stone wall surrounding Grandma’s garden.
Flinging myself against the solid wood door, I hammered on it. “Let me in!”
The door swung inward in a rush, and I tumbled through, running smack into a solid warm mass. Inside, the cottage was bright and familiar. Relief poured through me, my legs trembling.
“Close it!” I gasped.
Only the reassuring thunk of the door and the following hush of safety made me finally register that the big broad chest I was clinging to wasn’t the person I expected.
Stepping back, I found myself staring at a figure that most certainly wasnotmy Grandma Ruby. Not unless she had grown in stature, developed mouthwatering muscles, transformed her grey hair into a warm shade of coppery-brown, and reshaped her face into one that was strikingly handsome and notably free of wrinkles.
