The attack came without warning.
Bella had been resting against the cave wall, her silver fur gleaming in the moonlight, when the first growl echoed through the trees. Her wolf ears snapped upright, and she sprang to her feet just as dark shapes burst from the undergrowth on all sides.
Six wolves this time, their eyes glowing with predatory hunger, their lips pulled back to show yellowed fangs. They moved with coordinated precision, spreading out to surround her before she could escape.
"The silver one," the largest wolf snarled. "Maren wants her broken and alive."
Bella's claws extended, her muscles coiling for battle. "Come and try."
The first wolf lunged at her throat, but she twisted away and raked her claws across its flank. Dark blood sprayed across the forest floor as the wolf howled and stumbled back. The others closed in immediately, trying to overwhelm her with numbers.
That's when she heard them. Four familiar voices shouting her name through the darkness.
"Bella!"
