Jaws opened wide, lined with rows of jagged teeth dripping with saliva, breath hot and rancid as it descended toward his face.
The beast's mouth filled his entire vision.
And it was already closing.
The moment the beast lunged, Damien reacted on instinct.
He twisted sharply on the bed, palms slamming into the wooden frame as he used it as leverage. His body lifted cleanly into the air, rotating sideways as the creature's massive jaws snapped shut where his head had been a heartbeat earlier.
Damien's heel connected with solid force.
BOOM—!
The kick landed squarely against the side of the creature's skull, releasing a concussive thud that echoed through the clearing. The beast was sent flying backward, its enormous body tearing through trees like paper. Trunks snapped, branches exploded, and the forest screamed as the creature crashed to a halt dozens of meters away.
