KATHERINE

The scream got stuck in my throat.

It was nothing but a blur—heavy footsteps thundering against the earth, emerging from the deep forest, massive claws reaching for Francis’s back.

Its roar tore through the night, shaking the entire world. The man who had me trapped had no time to react.

A shriek of agony filled the air when that fur-covered hand latched onto his throat, holding him like a ragdoll.

It lifted him over its head, wrenching him away from me.

Before my eyes, it stood like