Chapter 18

He is facing away from me, bent over a bloody body. His shoulders are hunched, and he screams as if breaking. I cover my ears, but his agony remains in my mind.

"Save him."

I turn to find a petite woman looking at me. She's covered in freckles, framed by white-blond hair, and has piercing blue eyes. Tears stream down her face as she gazes at the injured man. Her bottom lip trembles, and she breathes in sharply.

"It's not his fault," she whispers, her hands resting on her swollen belly. I blink, and she vanishes. She reappears next to the man, who cradles a newborn in his arms, soothing the crying baby.

A sandy-colored wolf emerges from the bushes, approaching the man without hesitation. She sniffs the baby before licking the man's hands and wagging her tail. Soft whines escape her, and he embraces her, placing the baby on the ground for her to see.

The wolf lies down, curling around the swaddled infant, resting her head on the man's lap. He places a hand on her head, and they shar