Savage remained waiting there. He didn't care at all what Rico intended to do to Hanna; to him, it was none of his business. Meanwhile, Rico dragged Hanna’s body toward a more secluded area, hidden from view—fearing that Marcus might suddenly appear.

  Time passed in silence. The extreme stillness made Savage feel uneasy. He glanced back. There was no sound from Rico. No movement. His eyes scanned the area, searching for his companion.

  “Rico!” he called out loudly. No answer.

  Anxiety began to grip his chest—not out of concern for Hanna, but out of fear that Rico had devoured the girl until nothing remained.

  “Rico!” he called again, stepping forward slowly as he tried to catch his friend's scent.

  “Where did he go…” he muttered, confused, before parting the thick bushes ahead.

  “GRRRR!”

  “ARKK!” Savage screamed as a strange creature pounced on him from behind without warning. He thrashed about, punching the creature's face repeatedly, but it had no effect. Instead, the beast sank its fangs into Savage’s shoulder.

  A scream of agony shattered the silence.

  Seconds later, the creature released its bite... staring directly into Savage’s eyes with a gaze full of rage.

  However, the creature let Savage go just like that. Thick red blood spurted rapidly from the wounds on the man's shoulder, soaking the ground. In desperation, Savage pressed firmly against his wound, trying to stem the ebbing remains of his life. Simultaneously, he summoned all his strength to shift into a werewolf, but his body remained frozen in human form.

  His face turned pale. Panic overwhelmed him. He tried to call upon his savage instincts once more, yet he still failed.

  "Damn it! What is happening?" Savage cursed, his eyes darting around, watching the creature's movements as if it were looking for something. He tried a third time, but the result was the same.

  At that moment, his gaze caught sight of a pair of stiff legs lying amidst the thicket. It was Rico’s legs.

  "That girl?"

  A slap of reality hit him. He finally realized that the creature standing before him was Hanna. Savage’s expression instantly twisted into absolute terror. His memory flashed back to the horrific events at that house—the vision of stiff, blood-shrouded corpses piled upon one another in a gruesome state.

  However, Hanna ignored him completely. As soon as she found the object she was looking for, she bolted, vanishing into the depths of the forest.

  "Rico!" Savage roared hoarsely. Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, he tried to stand with his remaining strength.

  "Rico!" he called again, breaking the oppressive silence.

  Savage dragged his weakening steps, every inch of his body feeling heavy as he approached the slumped figure.

  "Damn it!" the curse escaped his lips harshly. The sight before him was horrific; Rico was clutching his own neck, trying to stop the blood gushing from between his fingers. Rico’s eyes were wide, staring at Savage with a gaze filled with plea—a silent beggar for life.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  "Hold on, Rico... stay with me," Savage whispered frantically. He looked back wildly, searching for Marcus and the others before turning his gaze back to his comrade. "Rico... Can't you shift?"

  Rico could only give a slight shake of his head, an incredibly weak movement.

  "Bastard! What kind of monster were we facing?"

  The silence was suddenly broken by heavy footsteps. Savage, too focused on Rico’s fading life, did not notice Marcus and his pack until they stood right there.

  "What happened?!" Marcus barked, his voice booming through the air.

  Savage startled. "Marcus?"

  "I asked you, what happened?!" Marcus bellowed again, his eyes narrowing sharply.

  "That girl... she attacked us, Marcus! We can't shift!" Savage answered breathlessly, his face pale with lingering fear.

  "What do you mean?"

  "We’re locked in human form! Our wounds... they won't heal!"

  Marcus’s brow furrowed deeply. Behind him, the other pack members began to exchange doubtful glances.

  "Impossible," Marco interjected, his tone full of disbelief.

  "I’m not lying! Look for yourself what happened to me and Rico!" Savage replied desperately.

  "Where is she?" Marcus asked, his tone now calmer but more dangerous.

  "She ran... but Marcus, that girl... she can turn into something terrifying. She isn’t like us. Her form is different—much larger, much more vicious!"

  "Which direction?" Marco cut in quickly. Savage immediately pointed toward the old oak trees where Hanna had disappeared.

  "Stay here, Marco!" Marcus commanded with authority as he saw Marco preparing to start the hunt.

  "Let me hunt her, Marcus! I’ll make sure she pays for every drop of their blood!" Marco retorted, his chest heaving with suppressed rage.

  "I said no!" Marcus snapped, his eyes flashing fiercely, causing Marco to flinch and bow in submission.

  Marcus then stepped forward slowly, his sharp eyes seemingly tracing the tracks Hanna had left behind.

  "Mihai, Radu!" Marcus called without looking back.

  "Yes, Marcus?"

  "Take Savage and Rico away from here. Get them medical treatment immediately. I’ll contact you when this is over."

  "Understood."

  "Come, Marco. Let’s hunt that girl."

  __________

  Meanwhile, Hanna was still running in her horrific monstrous form—piercing the silence of the forest with a frenzied sprint. The bag in her grip swung violently, following the rhythm of powerful muscles that no longer resembled a human's. Behind a pair of teary eyes lay a profound suffering; she was fully aware of the deformity that was stripping away her identity.

  "ARRRGHHH!"

  The howl sounded mournful, as if wailing to the heavens. Yet, every movement was no longer governed by reason, but entirely controlled by a wild predatory instinct.

  When a wide riverbank appeared ahead, she did not slow down in the slightest. Instead, Hanna channeled her remaining energy, building momentum before leaping high into the air. The massive body soared over the rushing current before landing with a heavy thud on the opposite bank.

  She continued to tear through the brush aimlessly, letting her feet carry her as far as possible from civilization. Only when the monstrous energy began to fade did her physical transformation begin again. Her bones cracked as they shrank, and her coarse skin receded, returning her to her fragile original form.

  Hanna’s steps grew faint. Now, standing in the silence without a stitch of clothing, she finally collapsed. The sobs she had been holding back erupted into hysterical wails.

  "Mom..!" she screamed into the silence. "I am a monster! I am a monster!"

  She knelt on the damp earth, clutching her hair ravenously as if trying to pull the horrific memories from her head. "I am a killer! I am a murderer! Why? Why is all this happening?!"

  Suddenly, a deep voice echoed in her mind—the voice of a man.

  "Run, Hanna... Run."

  Hanna gasped. "Dad?"

  "Run, my child..."

  "Dad!"

  "RUN!" The voice shrieked, giving an urgent warning.

  Without a second thought, Hanna stood up. Despite being exposed and defenseless, she forced her legs to run again.

  "To the left," the voice directed again, acting as a compass in the darkness of her soul. Hanna obeyed without hesitation, letting the voice guide her every step.

  Not long after, a two-story wooden house appeared among the trees. Hanna stopped immediately and took cover behind a large tree trunk, peering out with ragged breath. On the outdoor clothesline, several pieces of clothing and a jacket were hanging to dry.

  Hanna looked at her dirty, exposed body. The intent to steal crossed her mind, but her conscience still battled with gui

  lt. She then turned her attention to the bag she had carried.

  With trembling hands, he unzipped the bag and took out a thick envelope. Inside was a stack of 100-dollar bills. He pulled out five of them—five hundred dollars in compensation—then placed the bag back on the ground. His eyes darted around, making sure no one was nearby before he acted.