The growl rolled through the empty room — low, guttural, ancient.

It didn’t sound like any wolf I’d ever heard before.

It sounded… terribly wrong.

I froze, my fingers tightening around the hem of my dress. The room had looked harmless when I first stepped in — wide, spotless, empty. But now, every shadow seemed alive, every breath I took too loud.

Then came another sound — claws scraping against the floor.

Closer.

My heart slammed against my ribs so hard it hurt.

“Hello?” I whispered, voice trembling.

Silence.

Then — movement. From the darkest corner of the room, something shifted, slow and heavy. My lungs refused to work as...