That evening, Elise noticed Shadow pacing more frantically. His golden eyes darted toward the forest, ears twitching at every sound. She realized the cottage could no longer contain him. He needed space, a world beyond her fragile fences. Yet letting him go meant surrendering the bond she couldn’t imagine losing.
During a stormy night, the power flickered out. Elise lit candles, their flames jittering in the draft. The door rattled suddenly, as though pressed from outside. Before she moved, Shadow leapt, muscles coiled, lips curled to reveal sharp teeth. Lightning cracked, and Elise glimpsed a shadowy figure fleeing into the trees.