The wolf crept forward, his crimson eyes locked onto mine. A low, guttural growl vibrated from his chest, and my palms grew damp with sweat. Why was he here? He couldn’t have—

My breath hitched as I spotted the dark streaks of blood marring his obsidian fur. I instinctively stepped back, adjusted my stance, and swallowed hard. “You... you killed them,” I whispered, my voice cracking as tears spilled down my cheeks.

His lips curled back, revealing sharp teeth still dripping with blood. A ruthless killer—that's what he was. He lifted one massive paw and padded closer, undeterred by the fact that I was aiming a wolfsbane arrow directly at...