Micah limped through the thick stretch of woods, every step sending a sharp sting up his leg. Blood had already soaked through his fur, and his breath came out uneven as he forced himself to keep moving. The forest around him felt too quiet, as if something was watching from the shadows.
He glanced over his shoulder for the third time in less than a minute, his heart hammering painfully against his ribs.
The images of bared fangs and glowing eyes flashed in his mind, urging him to move faster even when his body protested. Branches scratched against his arms as he stumbled forward, his senses stretched thin with fear.
When he finally saw the faint shimmer of the Bloodshade pack's barrier ahead, relief flooded him so strongly that his knees nearly buckled. He let out a shaky breath, a broken sound that barely resembled a laugh. He was close now, so close that he could already imagine collapsing on the other side, safe and hidden.
