Her face got drained and in a minut flushed with anger, the words hitting their mark. I barely had time to react before her expression hardened, her eyes flashing with fury. In one swift, furious motion, she lunged at me, her claws extending as she reached out.
She caught me off guard, her hands shoving me with surprising force. I stumbled back, pain flaring in my side as I felt her claws scratch my skin, sharp enough to leave a burning ache. I tried to steady myself, but a wave of dizziness hit me. My stomach twisted painfully, and then—sudden warmth spreading between my thighs, like a physical manifestation of the turmoil that had been building inside me. A dread more profound than I’d ever felt swept over me.
Amara took a step back, her confidence faltering as she registered the look of shock and pain on my face. Her bravado crumbled, and she looked at me with something akin to fear. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to…” she stammered, her wide eyes betraying her panic. And just like that, without another word, she turned and fled into the forest, disappearing as quickly as she’d come.