POV: Jenna
The howls had stopped, leaving an eerie silence that pressed heavily on the camp. Jenna gripped her crowbar, her usual bravado tempered by the tension in the air.
"So," she said, breaking the quiet. "Do we wait for whatever that was to come to us, or do we go out and meet it? Because if it's option two, I vote Carl goes first."
Carl gave her a look. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"You're welcome," Jenna said with a grin, though her fingers tightened on the crowbar.
Rick cut through their banter, his voice sharp. "Focus. We don't know what's out there, but it's not going to wait for us to make a decision."
A faint rustling sound drew everyone's attention to the treeline. The camp's hastily built barricades didn't seem so sturdy anymore as shadows moved just out of sight.
---
POV: Carl
Carl's grip on his sword tightened as the rustling grew louder. His instincts screamed that whatever was out there wasn't ordinary. He glanced at Rick, whose jaw was set in determination.
"Get ready," Rick said, his voice low. "They're testing us."
Carl nodded, stepping closer to Jenna, who was standing awkwardly behind her zombie gang. "Stick close to me," he said.
Jenna raised an eyebrow. "Aww, Carl, are you worried about me?"
"No," Carl said flatly. "I'm worried about what happens if you try to 'help.'"
Jenna snorted but said nothing, her attention snapping back to the treeline as a low growl echoed through the air.
---
POV: Rick
Rick raised his hand, signaling for the group to hold their ground. The growling grew louder, and then the first creature emerged—a hulking wolf-like figure, its body twisted and covered in glowing, green-veined vines. Its eyes gleamed with a feral intelligence as it stared at the group.
"Hold," Rick whispered, his voice barely audible.
The wolf-creature snarled, and then another appeared, and another. Soon, a pack of the mutated beasts had formed at the edge of the forest, their movements slow but deliberate.
"They're waiting for something," Sarah muttered, her knife ready.
"Or someone," Rick said grimly.
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna leaned closer to Carl, her voice low. "Okay, so what's the plan? Because I'm pretty sure I didn't sign up to fight radioactive werewolves."
"Stay behind me," Carl replied, his eyes never leaving the creatures.
"Noted," Jenna said, edging back slightly. "But if this goes south, I'm bailing. Just so we're clear."
Before Carl could respond, one of the wolves let out a bone-chilling howl and charged. The others followed, their movements coordinated and unnervingly fast.
"Well," Jenna muttered, gripping her crowbar. "Here we go."
---
POV: Carl
Carl moved with practiced precision, meeting the first wolf head-on. His sword cut through its vine-covered flesh, green blood spraying across the ground. The creature howled in pain but didn't fall, its glowing veins pulsating as it lunged again.
"These things don't go down easy!" Carl shouted, parrying another attack.
Rick and Sarah joined the fray, their weapons flashing as they fought off the pack. The wolves were relentless, their strength and speed overwhelming.
"Focus on the veins!" Rick yelled. "They're the key!"
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna hung back, her zombie gang growling and swiping at any wolves that got too close. She swung her crowbar at one of the creatures, landing a solid hit on its glowing neck. The wolf staggered, its veins dimming slightly before it lunged at her again.
"Okay, rude!" Jenna shouted, dodging the attack. "I'm trying to help here!"
Her zombies tackled the wolf, dragging it down with surprising ferocity. Jenna blinked, momentarily stunned. "Wow. Good job, team!"
The wolf let out a final snarl before its glowing veins dimmed completely, its body going still.
"See?" Jenna said, turning to Carl. "I'm helpful!"
Carl didn't respond, too focused on the battle raging around them.
---
POV: Kane
Kane watched the chaos from a safe distance, his expression calm and calculating. The group was holding their own, but it was clear the wolves had the upper hand. Jenna's gang was surprisingly effective, but Kane doubted they could keep up for long.
"Interesting," he murmured, his gaze lingering on Jenna. "Very interesting."
---
POV: Rick
Rick's arm burned from the effort of fighting, but he couldn't afford to slow down. The wolves were relentless, their attacks coordinated and precise. He spotted Carl struggling against two of the creatures and moved to assist, his knife sinking into the glowing veins of one wolf.
"Carl, fall back!" Rick shouted.
Carl shook his head, slashing at the remaining wolf. "Not yet!"
Rick gritted his teeth, shoving the wolf off his blade. "Stubborn idiot," he muttered.
---
POV: Jenna
Jenna was doing her best to stay out of the way, but her curiosity kept pulling her closer to the fight. She swung her crowbar at another wolf, managing to distract it long enough for one of her zombies to finish it off.
"Is it just me, or are these things smarter than they should be?" Jenna called out.
"It's not just you!" Rick replied, driving his knife into another wolf.
Jenna frowned, glancing at the treeline. "So… who's the brains behind this operation?"
Before anyone could answer, another howl echoed through the forest, deeper and more menacing than the others. Jenna's stomach dropped as a massive figure emerged from the shadows—a wolf larger than the rest, its body glowing with an eerie green light.
"Oh," Jenna said, her voice small. "That's not good."