#Chapter 84: Of Unseen Dangers and Unspoken Feelings

Olivia I woke up early the next morning, the sun only just beginning to peek over the horizon. With a yawn, the events of the past night slowly began to flood back into my mind as I recollected why I wasn’t in my own bed. I looked over at Nathan's sleeping form, his chest rising and falling evenly, before carefully sliding out of the bed and retreating. After dressing myself, I stepped out into the quiet morning, the dewy grass tickling my bare feet as I walked around the backyard for some fresh air. Then, I saw them. Footprints, much larger than any mere animal’s, indented deeply into the soft grass. There was something strange about those footprints, too; there were only three. They were haphazard and out of rhythm, as though the creature that left them had been limping. My heart quickened as I followed them, my breath hitching in my throat when I suddenly spotted a tuft of dark fur caught on the low branches of a nearby shrub. Fingers trembling, I plucked it free