"We treated you nicely," he continued, his tone filled with bitter mockery. "And this—this is how you repay us?"
She clawed at the dirt, using what little strength she had left to crawl away. Her vision blurred with tears and pain, but her body refused to give in completely. Every inch she managed to drag herself felt like a battle, her movements sluggish and desperate. The woods around her were a blur of dark shapes and flickering shadows, and the more she tried to escape, the weaker she became.
Behind her, the man's voice cut through the haze, dripping with venom. "I'm gonna break you so you wouldn't dare escape again," he growled, cracking his knuckles as he stepped closer. His shadow loomed over her, menacing and dark, and her heart raced with fear. She could hear him approaching, the weight of his threat hanging in the air like a noose tightening around her neck.
Just as she braced for the worst, something happened—something fast, violent. In an instant, the man was hurled across the ground, his body slamming into the ground with a sickening thud.
Her vision swam, the world tilting as she fought to stay conscious. She blinked, trying to focus, but everything was a blur of movement and darkness. Through the fog of her dizziness, she caught a glimpse of a massive, shadowy figure—a large black wolf standing over the now-unconscious man.
The sight of the wolf, its piercing eyes gleaming in the faint moonlight, sent a final shiver through her body. She tried to process what was happening, but her mind was too clouded with pain and exhaustion. The last thing she saw before everything went black was the wolf, standing guard like a protector in the shadows.
Then, darkness claimed her.