Inside the chapel, Marianne flinched as the wolf growled low, its eyes darting toward the muffled sounds of conversation outside the door. The tension in the air was palpable, the wolf’s every muscle taut as it stood protectively over the small, injured creature.
The chapel door creaked open slightly, and the officer stepped in, his flashlight sweeping across the room before landing on the wolf. His breath hitched. The wolf snarled, stepping forward to shield its cub, and the officer instinctively reached for his tranquilizer gun.