The Heartwood terror in the night

A touch on his shoulder and a soft voice gradually stirred him awake, and Luke awoke with an unattractive snort and blinked, his eyes coming to focus on a feminine face. The blue-nosed wolf smiled broadly and he sat up, his tail wagging amiably. "Dang, was I making a racket in my sleep again? Sorry about that, pretty lady!" Anyone coming by now would not look at Luke and think he just had a disturbing nightmare for he looked as relaxed and content as ever; he was skilled at shrugging things off and this nightmare had not been one of the worst he'd had.