Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 105132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105132 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 350(@300wpm)
“Aye,” Ernach confirmed, shuddering. “And I have no idea why the Wolfin are here.”
The sound grew louder in Adira’s head. Whatever worried them was getting closer.
She pressed herself closer against the king, her hand slipping beneath his cloak to rest low on his chest.
He glanced down at her. There was no fear in his eyes, but there was worry.
He turned his head quickly and her attention followed, as did everyone else’s, to the forest just ahead of them.
Dravic brought his horse to a sudden halt, and Seger immediately followed, turning in his saddle to issue a command to the men behind them.
The movement was swift, disciplined, but Adira felt the change that had passed through the group. Moments before, they had been traveling deeper into the forest, their attention divided between the path ahead and the conversation around them.
Now every warrior was alert.
The horses sensed it as well. Several shifted uneasily beneath their riders, their ears turning toward the trees. One gave a low whine, another stamped against the snow-covered ground, but the king’s stallion remained perfectly still.
That, more than anything, told Adira how serious the moment was.
A sound moved through the forest. At first, it was barely there.
A low growl.
Then another answered.
The noise rolled between the trees, growing louder until it seemed to surround them. It was not the sound of one creature, but many, each one joining the other until the forest itself appeared to vibrate with the warning.
Adira felt the king’s muscles grow taut. The warmth that had surrounded her only moments before disappeared, replaced by the man she had seen command warriors and face danger without hesitation.
She turned her gaze toward the trees. Something moved among them.
At first, she saw only shadows, and then the shadows stepped forward.
Gray fur appeared between the dark trunks, followed by black forms moving silently through the snow. They were massive creatures, far larger than any wolves she had ever seen, their gold eyes focused on each person as if they were choosing their target. Their powerful bodies moved with graceful and purposeful strides that sent unease through even the bravest warriors.
They did not rush. They did not need to. They knew they had them surrounded.
One stepped onto the path. Then another emerged from the opposite side. More followed until the forest seemed filled with them.
Adira looked around. There were too many. Even with all of the king’s warriors, even with their swords and their courage, there were simply too many massive wolves.
She spotted Seger’s hand tightening around his sword.
“My king…”
Dravic’s gaze moved slowly over the creatures surrounding them. His expression revealed nothing, but Adira knew him well enough now to recognize the careful calculation behind his calm.
“Hold.” The king’s command was firm and confident.
The warriors obeyed.
The creatures continued forward. Their lips pulled back, revealing sharp teeth beneath their thick fur. The deep growls continued, warning them, testing them.
The horses shifted again, their fear growing as the creatures drew closer.
Adira felt the king’s arm tighten around her.
They were surrounded, and the growling grew louder.
Dravic continued to assess the situation, unsure whether the growling was a warning or a challenge. Did it even matter?
The creatures did not attack. They remained where they were, watching, waiting, as if they knew something the warriors did not.
Dravic studied them carefully. “Why do they not attack?”
Fiora looked toward the creatures. “They wait.”
“For what?” Dravic asked.
“Their leader.”
Seger’s gaze remained fixed on the wolves. “They follow a command?”
“Aye,” Fiora said. “The Wolfin do nothing without their leader’s command.”
The words did not ease the tension. If anything, they made it worse.
The creatures surrounding them were not acting on instinct. They were waiting for a decision. A decision that belonged to something far more powerful.
The growling faded until the only sound remaining was the restless shifting of the horses and the soft crunch of snow beneath their hooves.
Adira held herself still, feeling the tension that had settled over every warrior around her. The creatures that surrounded them had not left, yet something had changed. The anger that had filled the air moments before had vanished, replaced by something far more unsettling.
Waiting.
A movement beyond the trees caught her attention.
At first, Adira saw only the faint shift of white against the dark trunks. Then the creature stepped into view.
Adira forgot to breathe.
It was unlike any wolf she had ever imagined. Larger than the creatures that surrounded them, yet there was a grace in the way it moved that made its size seem almost impossible. Its thick white coat shimmered against the gray landscape, untouched by the snow that clung to the forest floor. Its eyes held an intelligence that went beyond any beast, watching, studying, understanding.
The warriors around her did not move.
Even the horses seemed to sense they stood before something unlike anything they had faced before.
The creature moved forward, and the wolves surrounding them lowered their heads in respect as she passed.