Lethia could feel her heartbeat hammering in her chest as a scream caught in her throat, only to break free in a sharp, panicked gasp instead.
In that split second, she wished that it was just a dream.
That the moment her back slammed into something hard, she'd wake up in the soft comfort of her bed, her father's hand shaking her shoulder, pulling her out of this nightmare.
That the bright, clear morning sky she stared at now would turn back into the familiar ceiling of her room.
But what she saw instead... was a wolf.
Was this her wolf? Had it come from the sky when she was on the edge of death? But then—no.
As the creature neared, it became too clear. It had thick, muscular arms covered in soft, jet-black fur and a head like a wolf, but with distinct human features; it was a beast.
The closer it got, the less she knew what she was looking at. The beast reached toward her, claws extended like it meant to stab her.
