Chapter 31
Noah
Ifreeze. A sound, so faint, almost swallowed whole by the forest, threads through the trees. Was that a scream?
Max is alert, his nose working overtime. His ears snap forward and his body goes rigid. A low, guttural growl rolls from him and with the warning, my breathing comes faster.
If it was just the wind slipping through, he wouldn’t alert like this.
The eerie dead of night masks many things, but that didn’t sound like an animal—that was fear. Something twists inside me, and I grit my teeth.
If he …
If they …
Max’s sharp eyes dart between me and the dark forest ahead. He whines, begging to go.
I need him. I need my partner to find her. I’m useless out here with miles and miles of dense woods.
When our eyes meet again, no words are needed.
The air between us peaks with understanding.
Max vibrates with restrained energy, waiting for my command.
He exhales through his nose, nostrils flaring as he lowers his head.
Then with a final glance—a look that in the human world would say I’ve got this—I give the command.
“Such. Pass auf!”
Without hesitation, he lets out a sharp, clipped bark and surges forward, lunging into the darkness.