Bearclaw Valley Remember where you came from

The coldness of Lucas' fur was terrifying in its own way. Oh, how Laurel wished she had not let him leave here alone. What had happened to him? How had he died? The scavengers had taken so much of him in the time she had been tending her babies that it was hard to tell now how he had passed away. Laurel frowned deeply as she tried to process her grief, but it was just too much to deal with altogether.

Laurel did not notice the threat that was headed her way at first; not until he was already quite close. Had she not had a troubling life she might have wanted to be alone with her grief and had ignored this other, but as things were she was instantly alert. Laurel jumped to her feet and turned to look at the stranger with an angry growl. When she realised that she stared at the man from her nightmares Laurel's expression turned into one of shock and she nearly stumbled over Lucas' corpse as she stepped backwards.