The Beast Within

Chapter 5

~ Emily's Point of View ~

I SIGHED AS the door closed behind Eli, leaving me alone in the house. I was usually used to night but this dark space, it was suffocating. It wasn't so much the darkness, but the worry burning in the pit of my stomach. What if Eli didn't come back? What if the Alpha found him while he was out there alone? What if the Alpha found me? In my weakened state I wouldn't be able to take him on. What if the Alpha already knew where we were and was staging an ambush? Those and a thousand other questions swarmed my mind.

I shook my head, trying to clear it. My throat felt scratchy and dry so I reached for my duffle bag, dragging it closer and fishing out my canteen of water. I popped the cap off and gulped it down, grateful for the soothing liquid. I curled up into a ball, tossing the now empty bottle aside.

"I hope Eli is okay..." I whispered. My eyelids felt heavy. I didn't have much energy and I could already feel my body giving in. The poison took a lot out of me. Even though I was exhausted, I couldn't sleep. Not with my body trembling and the nauseous feeling in my stomach as my worry for Eli grew. It was sickening. To the point where I felt like retching. I groaned, holding my stomach with my hand even though I knew it would do no good.

I tried to breath in and out deeply, hoping it would help ease my mind, but it didn't seem to help. All I could do was lay there and hope for Eli to come back soon. I longed for him to wrap his arms around me, pulling my body close in a warm embrace and telling me that everything was going to be okay.

~ Eli's Point of View ~

I stopped outside of the building, looking around. I hated leaving her alone, even for just a minute. What if something happened while I was gone? What if the Alpha showed and killed her? I shook my head. She would die without food. And she needed to regain her strength back. I had to convince myself that this was for the best. I broke a tree limb away from a nearby tree and laid it up against the door, trying to make it look as though it had been done through some act of nature. I brought my assassin's knife from its sheath. The knife had a hawk carved into the handle. The bird had its wings outstretched in mid flight its talons extended as of it was about to grab its prey. The symbol of the Clan. I broke some vines away from a tree, using my knife to cut them.

I broke away another limb and placed it on the ground, holding it in place by placing my left hand at one end. With my other hand I pressed against the middle in order to find the curve. Once I had found the curve, I used my knife to shave off the bumps around the curve where it was smooth. I then cut notches around each end. I wound the vine around each of the notches to finish my bow. It was hasty work but it would do for now. I then got to work on creating some arrows before continuing through the forest, sheathing my knife.

I had only made five arrows. Five chances to get food for Emily. I hoped I wouldn't screw it up. I looked around for signs of life. Broken twigs, foot prints embedded in the mud, anything.

Luck was on my side. There was a squirrel perched in a tree. It was nibbling away on an acorn, too busy to notice me. I smirked as I brought out an arrow, notched it and sent it flying. The arrow hit the squirrel, which was knocked from the tree. By the time the little creature hit the ground it was too late. Whether it was the impact with the ground or the arrow that killed it, I did not know. All I knew was I was thankful.

I picked the squirrel up by the tail, attached it to the belt around my waist and continued on through the night. One squirrel wouldn't do us. We needed something bigger. Something that would give us more meat. I hoisted myself up into a tree and climbed until I was midway up, sitting on a branch. There I got a better view of my surroundings.

I sat there for a while just listening to the sounds of the fores. An owl perched in a nearby tree let out a soft hoot. There was a sharp caw of a crow as it flew overhead. Finally, the bushes rustled in warning of an approaching animal. In the pale light of the moon I could see a deer step out. Just what I needed.

My weak arrows and feeble bow alone wouldn't be able to take the young buck on. I had to be tactical. Think, Eli think. Think back to your assassin training. I sighed silently. What I wouldn't give for a good bow from the Camp. The blacksmith made the best weapons I had ever seen. Sturdy build, built to last long. I shook my head. That chapter of my life was over. I had to think of now.

I then had an idea. The deer was grazing below. It had paid no heed to me. I smirked and drew back the bow, sending an arrow flying. It struck the deer in the head, dazing it. I wasted no time unsheathing my knife and leaping from the tree. I hit the deer square in the shoulders, driving the knife through the back of its neck with as much force as I could bring. There was a loud snap and the buck collapsed beneath me. I stood up and smiled. The deer would bring in enough food for Emily and I for days as well as help her gain her strength back.

I grabbed the antlers of the buck and started dragging it through the forest back to the house where I could start cutting into it and getting the precious meat out of it. I staggered at the weight of the buck, but I could manage. I had to. For Emily.