Chapter 10

VALERIA’S POV The snarls grew louder, their guttural menace reverberating through the cold night air. I could feel their eyes on me—hungry, predatory, and full of malice. My breaths came in ragged gasps as I clawed at the dirt, desperate to find anything to defend myself with. My fingers scraped over stones and brittle leaves, but nothing solid, nothing that could stop the nightmare closing in around me. “Stay back!” I croaked, my voice barely more than a whisper. My throat was dry, my terror making it impossible to scream properly. The rogues circled me like vultures, their glowing eyes cutting through the darkness. One lunged suddenly, its jaws snapping so close to my face that I could feel the rush of its breath. I scrambled backward on my hands and knees, the rough ground tearing at my palms and knees, but it was no use. They had me trapped. Tears blurred my vision as my body trembled uncontrollably. I could barely hear my own whisper over the pounding of my heart. “Please, Moon Go