Rejected and special

Chapter 11

   As I stepped outside and made my way toward the woods, something felt... off.

Too quiet.

No crickets. No rustling leaves. No owl hoots.

Just silence.

Then—a scream.

High-pitched. Sharp. Desperate.

I froze, glancing around in all directions.

"Where the hell is that coming from?" I asked Snow through the link.

"I don't know. But something's wrong," she replied.

Without hesitation, I shifted into my tiger form. My fur glowed faintly in the moonlight as I cloaked my scent and bolted toward the sound.

The deeper I ran into the woods, the heavier the air became—metallic, sharp.

Blood. A lot of it.

I slowed near a tree and crouched low behind its trunk. I peeked around—

And felt my stomach turn.

In the distance, a large wolf was tearing a woman apart. Ripping into her like she was nothing. Her screams echoed through the forest, fading fast.

She tried to fight back, but she was losing—and fast.

I have to help her.

I tensed, preparing to leap out and shift back into my hybrid form.

But then—something hit the back of my head.

Hard.

I spun around.
Nothing.

No sound. No movement.

Just the wind.

I turned back toward the woman—but felt it again. Lighter this time. Like a warning.

I looked up.

In the tree above me were two children—a little girl and a little boy.

They looked down at me silently.

The boy shook his head slowly—no—and raised a finger to his lips.

Don't make a sound.

I glanced back toward the wolf and the woman.

Then back to the boy.

I gave him a small nod—Okay.

And I waited.

Hidden in the shadows.