Chapter 8 Unexpected Allies

• Their conversation halted at the sound of approaching footsteps—clumsy, hurried. Two distinct heartbeats pounded through the forest, accompanied by ragged breathing. Bobby shifted instantly, Bria's instincts bringing them low to the ground, ready to attack or flee.
• Through the trees burst two figures—wolves in human form, a young man maybe around her age and a girl who looked remarkably similar. Siblings, Bobby guessed, noting their matching copper-colored hair and lean faces. They carried makeshift spears fashioned from sharpened branches, moving with the desperate wariness of those accustomed to hunger. Their clothes hung in tatters, and fear radiated from them in waves so thick Bobby could taste it.
• "Keep running!" the young man urged his companion. "They're right behind us!"