Koda knew he couldn’t survive the winter alone in the forest, not with the snow deepening each day. But still, he walked—leaving faint, delicate footprints across the soft white ground. The cold bit through his clothes, and his long bunny ears twitched warily, alert for any sign of a predator. He was half-human, half-rabbit, and prey by nature.

Then, without warning, a strange sensation crept over him—a chill that had nothing to do with the snow. He turned.

You were there.

A half-wolf, watching him from the trees. Panic surged in Koda’s chest. His instincts screamed at him to run. But his legs wouldn’t move. He stood frozen, breath shallow, caught in your gaze.