A gray silhouette emerged from the trees, its eyes, two golden embers, piercing the darkness. Its silvery coat brushed the snow. A knot burned in its guts, its jaw tightened, and its fangs ground together. Between the trunks, a doe froze.

  It crouched low, muscles taut, then sprang. Its jaws skimmed the air as she lunged forward. She raced through the trees, each of the wolf’s bounds drawing it closer to its prey. She zigzagged between the trunks, but it lunged, its fangs closing around a hind leg. She thrashed, beating the air with her only free leg. It dragged her down, seized her throat, and blood splattered its muzzle, leaving a taste of iron on its tongue. It released its grip, tore away a chunk of meat, and the flesh slid down its throat. But nothing filled the void.

  The wind carried a scent of grease, and the wolf turned its head toward the source. It followed the smell and left the forest, emerging onto a paved road. It entered the city, where empty streets stretched out, lined with buildings, and moved along their facades.

  Two soldiers were advancing down the alley. One of them struck a trash bin with his sword, sending splinters of wood and debris flying into the air.

  “Do you think we’ll find it tonight?”

  “If it’s still around, we won’t miss it.”

  “Always the same stories… If this keeps up, we’ll still be here tomorrow.” He knocked over a flower pot as he passed.

  The wolf slipped into the alley, meeting the soldiers’ gaze.

  “That thing isn’t a dog.”

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  “It’s staring at us…”

  One soldier grabbed his bow, and a whistle split the air. The arrowhead sliced through the wolf’s fur, burying itself in its flesh.

  “Damn it, it should’ve gone down.”

  He grabbed another arrow and the steel flew straight toward its target, but at the last instant, the wolf vanished. It was no longer in front of the soldier, but inside him. A wave of cold tore through his skin, his breath caught, and his back arched. The bow slipped from his hands and fell to the ground.

  A presence crawled through his belly, coiling around his organs, crushing his lungs, tightening around his heart. His veins darkened, pulsing to the rhythm of something that was no longer him. His throat constricted and he tried to scream, but no sound came out. The thing grew inside him, stretched, colonizing every space, every fiber of his being.

  Then he moved, but his body no longer belonged to him. His pupils shrank into two golden slits, and his legs stepped forward.

  His body exploded, hurling the wolf onto the cobblestones, slick with blood and viscera. It shook itself, splattering the ground with scarlet sprays. The other soldier stumbled back, sword raised, as the beast lunged at him. The wolf struck with a claw, but he parried the blow and a roar tore through the alley.

  “By the gods, it’s a monster!” he cried.

  The soldier retreated, blade held high, while the beast sprang again. With every movement, it dodged and slashed his thigh. He reeled in pain. A hot breath brushed him from the right and he rolled aside.

  “Come on, bastard!”

  He tightened his grip on the blade and charged forward. The steel whistled through the air but met only emptiness. An icy breath brushed his neck. He spun and brought his sword down. But then a liquid slithered beneath his skin, seeping into his flesh. His stomach clenched and his fingers curled tight. His ribs tore apart and the wolf burst onto the ground. Its claws scraped the surface before it headed deeper into the city.