The injured wolf limped away, whimpering. The rest of the pack hesitated. Losing a member of the pack changed the math for the alpha. He knew this wasn’t going to be the easy kill they expected.
The bear didn’t chase them. He stood his ground and let out one final, earth-shaking roar. His jaws were wide, showing teeth that could crush bone, and his posture made it clear he was ready to fight to the death. It was enough.
The alpha weighed his options and decided the meal wasn’t worth the risk. He barked a retreat, and the shadows melted back into the forest. The bear stood there for a long time, breathing hard, blood dripping from the bite on his leg, but he didn’t move until he was sure they were gone.
He turned back to me, his eyes softening. He moved in and went back to work on the last of the ropes. He worked with a quiet intensity, his teeth snapping the final fibers that held me to the oak…
