Beneath the Crimson Moon's Kiss

Previously

…My heart pounded a frantic rhythm against my ribs. The splinter in my hand was a forgotten ache. The scent of lavender was replaced by the metallic tang of fear and something else… a nascent courage, fueled by the desperate plea in his eyes and the undeniable truth of the danger at our doorstep. The whispers of missing livestock and unnatural tracks had coalesced into a single, terrifying reality. And standing before me, a creature of myth and shadow, was the very heart of that mystery. The choice was stark, terrifying, and undeniably mine. The shadows were no longer just among us; they were closing in.