CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Winter
Something moves in the dark cave, and I sit up, all my senses on high alert.
"Alec?" I whisper. "Do you hear that?"
He doesn't answer. He's fast asleep, snoring lightly beside me.
There it is again--footsteps!
My breath catches in my throat, and I crawl to the edge of our tent.
I peek outside, trying to see what's out there. The darkness is thick and oppressive, and I can't see anything but the faint glow of Alec's flashlight, still sitting in the middle of the tent.
But I can hear it--the soft padding of feet on the rocky floor, getting closer and closer.
I resist the urge to wake Alec up. If there's something dangerous out there, I don't want to alert it to our presence just yet. Instead, I slip out of the tent silently and tiptoe toward the sound.
As I get closer, I realize it's not just footsteps. There's a low growl emanating from something in front of me.