Haunted Wood Finding beauty in the dissonance

staying vague about the possible conflict thread

he caught her look and sidled forward, ragged eagle-torn ear twitching toward the shadow with amusement. she was careful, not reckless; silent; cunning. everything merrick had once thought of himself.
but no; he was merely sick with some incurable malady that even now beat beneath his skin like a fever.  drawing blood from one of their own kind had intensified the urges he sought to keep in check; presently he prowled forward into the shadows, for once not considering proper prey in favour of entertaining the idea that a single wolf might be within the forest, a new challenge for the pair to scrutinize.