Chapter 165. Frozen to the Core

Before I could finish off that wretched creature, out of nowhere I was hurled bodily into a tree. My skull slammed into the rough bark in an instant. Stars exploded behind my closed eyelids, and for a heartbeat—or maybe two—I saw nothing but darkness. When my vision returned it came in shaky fragments; I gagged, desperate for air, and my heart thundered like a wild animal against my ribs.

As I leaned against the tree trunk, trying to will the throbbing in my head to subside, a massive brown wolf stepped forward and blocked my only path to escape. Its lips curled back, exposing razor-sharp fangs. The animal growled low in its throat, and I choked back a scream as I crawled backwards until my spine hit the tree’s gnarly roots.

“Don’t hurt me,” I gasped, pressing my hand to the bark. “I’m not going to kill her.” I forced the words out, referencing how they had tormented me the last time I’d dared