Yet something in the way it moved, the way it kept checking for her, made her believe there was a reason.
The bobcat moved ahead with graceful ease, slipping silently between the trees. Claire followed cautiously, each step a deliberate choice. Every instinct urged her to turn back, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed to see this through.
Her breath was shallow, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest. The familiar trail had disappeared, swallowed by thick underbrush. If she turned around now, could she even find her way back?
The bobcat glanced over its shoulder, checking if she was still following. It wasn’t running or trying to lose her—it wanted her to continue.
Claire swallowed hard. This was reckless, she knew. But there was something purposeful in the animal’s behavior, something beyond mere curiosity.
The deeper they went, the quieter the forest became. No rustling wind, no birdcalls—only the soft crunch of her footsteps and the occasional rustle from the bobcat ahead.
Her pulse quickened. She hadn’t meant to stray so far. The safe familiarity of the main trail was long behind her.
She glanced back, hoping to catch sight of where she’d come from. But all she saw were trees. The trail had vanished.
A flicker of doubt gnawed at her. Alone in an unfamiliar forest, following a wild predator—what was she thinking?