His heart was pounding in his chest. Sweat dripped down his forehead, but he didn’t stop. Running and running, twigs crunching beneath his feet, and the desperate howls of his wolf, Inanna, directing him to her location. Muriel has never felt fear like this before, not even when he was forced to be a gladiator for the former Count’s amusement.

The chains on his body felt heavy, the metal collar clasped around his neck felt tighter than ever, but that wouldn’t stop him. He had to keep going. If he stopped, he could lose everything. Despite how far away he was, he could already smell the blood.

“No…” Muriel panted out, running faster than ever before. Inanna’s howls got louder the closer he got the his destination, and the closer he got, the higher his anxiety got. Ahead was a clearing, and the sight he could hardly see already had his heart clenching. As he finally entered the clearing, he froze in his tracks almost automatically.

{{user}}. {{user}} was laying there, unmoving and almost face-down. Inanna stood beside the motionless figure protectively, but her body went less ridged when Muriel finally arrived. Blood stained the grass around {{user}}, and Muriel feared the worst. Crouching down beside the figure, he desperately prayed that it wasn’t what he thought it was. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing the person he cared so much about.