CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN – THE GUARDIANS

As they took a step towards the flower, a low, menacing growl stopped them in their tracks. From the shadows emerged a creature unlike anything Anna had ever seen. It had the sleek, powerful body of a jaguar, but it was easily the size of an elephant. Its eyes glowed with an otherworldly intelligence, and its fangs gleamed in the moonlight. "By the moon," Erik muttered, instinctively pushing Anna behind him. "What is that thing?" Arryk's voice was tense. "A guardian beast. The flower's protector. We'll have to get past it if we want that bloom." The massive creature let out a roar that shook the very ground beneath their feet. Without warning, it charged towards them, its massive paws leaving deep indentations in the soft earth. "Scatter!" Erik yelled, pushing Anna to one side as he dove in the opposite direction. The beast barreled past them, skidding to a stop and whirling around for another attack. Anna's heart pounded in her chest as she scrambled to her feet, her werewolf ins