A low, guttural growl tore through the quiet of the house.
Everyone in the room stiffened.
Jai, who had been lounging on the floor beside the bed, ran out and stared at the window. Muchen followed his gaze. Kailun narrowed his eyes. The sound wasn't just a random snarl—it was coming from the other house. From Shao's house.
Another scratch followed. Harsh, ragged. Like claws digging into a wall or the floor.
"He's in pain," Jai mumbled, biting down on his bottom lip. "He's hurt... we should check on him, right?"
His eyes flicked to Yunfeng, who was sitting upright on the bed, his milky eyes fixed on the ground. He didn't speak, but his brows were tightly furrowed. His hands clenched the sheet beneath him.
He didn't need perfect eyesight to know what was happening. He had heard enough of it before in his past life. The signs were too familiar.
Ruts.
And not just any kind. This sounded bad.
