26
Paul
The night hung heavy with tension, and the air carried the scent of blood and fear. I stood frozen, my body caught between instinct and an impossible choice.
Pecan dangled in the massive claws of one bear, her wide, tear-filled eyes piercing through the chaos and locking onto mine. My heart clenched painfully. Just a few yards away, my wife and my Luna, was similarly held captive, her cries echoing in my ears like a relentless drumbeat.
Two people. Two lives. Both depending on me to save them.
I gritted my teeth, my claws itching to act, but the weight of my decision made my limbs feel like lead. I was the alpha. The one who was supposed to have all the answers, all the strength. And yet, here I stood, unable to make a move.
"Paul!" my wife's voice snapped me back to the moment, filled with panic and desperation.
Then Pecan's voice cut through the chaos, softer but no less powerful. "Paul... please."
It felt like a blade to my chest.
I couldn't save them both.
