The night was deep and still.
Shen Ningning and Grandma Qin were sound asleep.
The grandmother and granddaughter's cottage was surrounded by wolves, both inside and out.
There was hardly any room left to lie down.
The Black Wolf King, as the leader, had taken it upon himself to lie down just outside the courtyard, near the entrance.
Suddenly, a faint scream, carried on the wind, drifted from the mountains.
The Black Wolf King's eyes, which had been feigning sleep, snapped open.
He pushed himself up and sniffed carefully in the direction of Wolf Mountain.
'The scent of blood.'
Wolf Three and Lang Si, the two brothers, were on patrol tonight.
As they came around from behind the house, they saw the Black Wolf King had gotten to his feet.
"Wolf Father?" Wolf Three asked, puzzled by his solemn expression. "What's wrong?"
The Black Wolf King, unaccustomed to human speech, let out a low growl from deep in his throat.
