CHAPTER 13 Bonds Forged in the Night

  Anastasia's Pov

  I feel my heart wanting to leap out of my chest. My legs scream for a rest, just like my lungs keep searching for air. I run through the forest, feeling some prickly bushes wanting to harm my skin.

  Luckily, I chose more appropriate clothes for this ordeal. The rough, thick fabric of the pants and blouse helps protect my body from the worst claws of the bushes and low branches. However, there are some tears in the clothes, small and almost unnoticeable, if not for the scratches starting to appear on my skin.

  The wolf continues to chase me, no matter how much I try to shake her off. The dense vegetation seems to conspire against me, closing in as I advance. I can feel the wolf's heavy breath behind me, along with the metallic smell of blood in the air, my own blood. This only makes my desperation increase even more. Please, Goddess, help me! Please, help me! I mentally pray as I run.