Chapter 7 – The Hunger Teeth
I woke to the sound of snow crunching.
Something was moving just beyond the hollow.
I stayed still, fingers curling around my shard. The sound drew closer — deliberate, careful. Then, the sharp snap of a twig.
Too heavy for small prey.
Too light for the great beasts.
I rolled out of the hollow, snow biting at my skin, and came face-to-face with a pair of eyes — not yellow this time.
Brown. Human.
The man was wrapped in scavenged furs, a spear in his grip. His face was hidden behind a ragged scarf, but I could see the hunger in the way his gaze flicked over me.
Not curiosity.
Not even threat.
Hunger.
"You alone?" he rasped.
I didn't answer.
He stepped forward, and I saw the truth in his eyes — he'd kill me if he thought he could take what I had.
He lunged.
I sidestepped, letting the spear glance off the tree behind me, then drove my shard into his side. He grunted, tried to twist away, but I followed, teeth clenched, driving the jagged metal deeper until I felt it scrape bone.
When he fell, gasping, I kicked the spear from his grip and pressed the shard to his throat. His hand reached for me — not