Lyralei cursed under her breath as she stared at the dark-furred wolves circling her. They were bigger than normal wolves, not massive but large enough that their shoulders came up to her waist. Their eyes glowed amber in the shadows of the trees, watching her with that patient predator stillness that made her skin crawl.
And above her, sitting on a tree branch like he owned the whole f*****g forest, was Gerald Stormborn. Laughing at her.
“I have to say,” Gerald called down, his voice dripping with amusement, “I’ve seen children with better evasion skills. Did your teacher not cover the part about staying quiet? Or were you too busy announcing your presence to every creature within five miles?”
“f**k you,” Lyralei hissed, not taking her eyes off the wolves.
Gerald laughed harder. “You
