Daniel exhaled slowly, the cold biting at his skin. His gut told him to move faster, to get Shadow out of the forest before it was too late. But another voice whispered a different truth—maybe Shadow wasn’t meant to leave. Maybe the pup had never truly been his.
Shadow trotted ahead, oblivious to the dilemma in Daniel’s head. He wasn’t the starving creature he had found—Shadow was strong now, quick, alert. The pup stopped suddenly, ears pricking. Daniel’s chest tightened. Was he listening to something? Or… someone?