Auren's hand trembled slightly as he aimed his weapon at the beast's face. He hadn't expected his heart to pound this hard—this wild—just from facing it alone. The Night Stalker stood its ground, perfectly still, yet alert, its massive body radiating cold dominance. It could sense Auren's intent, his tension, the surge of magic inside him. But the beast didn't attack.
No. It waited.
And why wouldn't it? It was confident—dead sure that no matter what Auren did, it could dodge his bullet. And honestly, it was probably right.
'Master! Let me! Let me take this one!' Bigbird's voice rang in his head, full of crackling excitement.
Auren gritted his teeth. 'Shut your beak, Bigbird. I know you just want to show off right now. But what am I gonna do once the magic backlash kicks in? Let the rest of the pack feast on my crispy roasted corpse?'
