He pressed his palm to the ground, feeling the chill seep through his glove. There he heard a vibration, faint but undeniable. The sound of something struggling beneath the soil. His pulse surged. He reached for the spade, lifting it only inches, careful to keep his body angled away from the wolf.
The snarl came sharp, cutting through the rush of the river. Adrian froze, heart slamming against his ribs. The wolf’s body coiled, weight shifted to its front paws, ready to spring. For an endless moment, predator and man locked eyes. Then, slowly, Adrian set the spade down again.