First Snap

Frozen. Then... a pulse along the spine. My jaw twitches open. Cold air rushes into the throat. I test the joints—heavy, rigid, but obeying. Ahead lies another beast, motionless beside an open cardboard lair. Below my feet, odd brightly colored blocks and miniature wheels clutter the terrain. I shift my weight forward with a deliberate, tense scrape of my claws. My snout bumps the snout of the black creature beside me. Solid. Unmoving. A low rasp rumbles in my chest. Ground secured.