The sudden noise was so disturbing to the silence that was all over the length and breadth of the woods. My heart pounded hard and I felt it in my throat, beating against my ribs as well as if I was caged. It was not the deep growl of a lonely foreigner, but one far more powerful, full of a disturbing mix of anger and hunger.

Then, I dropped the wild berries from my fingers, their soft parts already overwhelmed by the current tension in the woods.

My wolf screamed at me, “flee!”

I ...