Chapter 82

Martha

I continued to stare into the now empty space where the mysterious wolf had disappeared. Michael joined me, his brows furrowed in concern.

"Martha, who was that? What's going on?" he asked again, a sense of urgency in his voice.

I shook my head, still processing the encounter. "I don't know, Michael. It was a wolf, but not one of ours. There was something... different about it."

A rustle in the bushes caught our attention, and Maya stumbled into the moonlit clearing. She looked weaker than ever, her fur matted and eyes dulled with exhaustion. I rushed to her side, my concern for her momentarily pushing aside the mystery of the stranger.

"Maya, what happened?" I asked gently, helping her to sit. Her response was weak, almost a whisper.

"I fought... Some wolves. Got injured," she managed to say, her voice strained.

I exchanged a worried glance with Michael. "We need to get her back to the cave. She's in no condition to be out here."

As we helped Maya back towards the cave, I coul