“Are you okay, Nora?” Ellias’ voice came gently, almost cautious. He was already in his human form, his body bare, his skin glistening with drops of lake water. But I wasn’t paying attention to him. My whole body was tense, my fur stiff as though every single strand carried fear.

My eyes refused to leave the other end of the lake. Something, no, someone was there.

The water shimmered under the faint glow of the moon, silver light stretching in thin broken lines across the surface. And ...