The sounds of battle stopped.
Not gradually, or something like with the slow wind-down of exhaustion or retreat.
Just... stopped.
One moment, the forest echoed with roars and screams and the crash of massive bodies. The next, silence.
I sat there in my thorn-covered hiding spot, breathing as quietly as possible, listening with every sense I had.
But there was nothing.
Just the normal sounds of the forest, wind through leaves, the distant call of a night bird, the creak of branches.
Did the Alpha die?
I pushed myself to standing with a wince, every muscle in my body screaming protest.
I should probably get back now...
Just before I could turn to move.
I paused. All hair on my neck stood to no end.
As I heard a faint sound. Barely audible over my own breathing.
My blood turned to ice.
And I turned my head mechanically, every instinct screaming at me to run but my body frozen with the horrible certainty of what I was about to see.
