Hunt

Chapter 17: Death's Icy Gaze

I don't dare to move, not even breathing out of fear it would give away our positions. My heart threatens to pound out of my chest as panic begins to bubble up through my throat. I clench my rifle in a death grip to keep my hands from rattling against it. There's a small tap on my foot, a small reassurance that I wasn't alone out here. Natasha must've dove directly behind me, a calming presence as the foliage begins to part directly to my right.

One, two, three... I begin to count in my head as large wolf-like creatures begin to emerge from the brush. Counting was all I could do to keep myself calm, to keep from panicking and doing something stupid that would get the both of us killed. All of the creatures are at least three feet tall to the shoulder if not more. It's hard to tell from the dirt, they all tower over us from this position.

...six, seven... One of the beasts stops to sniff the air, which makes my heart crash down into my stomach. I couldn't see off to my left but I could guess there were an equal amount to that side of me as well. Natasha's hand hasn't left my foot this entire time, gripping tight around my ankle. Maybe I was helping to keep her calm as well...

A low rumble emits from somewhere to my left, a beastial growl that seems to shake the ground under me. Forming words that reverberates deep through my core.

"You're sure you heard something?" It was rare to witness werewolf communication, especially human vocalization. But it was an equally as rare situation we had gotten ourselves into.

Off to my right I can hear a response, still vibrating the ground but with a higher tone. Female maybe? "You doubt my ears? They've never led you astray before. I'm sure I heard voices this way." The wolf replies. Surely talking about Natasha and I. We almost walked straight into them and now they're right on top of us. "Come on, we were selected to scout out this area, we cannot disappoint him." The wolves to my right begin to move, walking past us. The growing space between us letting me ever so slowly release the breath I'd been desperately holding.

A growl rises again from my left but no words come, the further shifting of the brush signals their movement. Moving past, following the others. Twelve, Thirteen... I continue to count. The slowest wolf comes last, a pure white beast with brilliant green eyes that seemed to reflect the moonlight. It looked to be smaller than the others, younger maybe. From my position I could barely make out a limp in one of its back legs. Had they run into trouble out here? Why is an injured wolf out on patrol?

As it limps past it stops right in front of us. Pausing to sniff the air. C'mon... keep moving... just keep walking, I plead in my head. We were almost in the clear. Almost safe to move again. My grip tightens around the rifle in my arms under me. Don't stop. Keep going. Follow the others.

The wolf stops mid sniff, tensing up. A growl rising in its chest that reverberates through both of us. "Blood. I smell blood!" The high tone of the wolf indicates female, but I had bigger worries than its sex now. Whose blood did it smell? Surely it couldn't be...

I slowly flex my arm and pain shoots up my forearm. I couldn't see any bleeding as it was covered by the mesh of the suit, but I knew I was the one this creature was smelling. I had reopened wounds yet to fully heal.

Shit. Not good! I begin to panic. Should we be found now all hell would break loose, and there's no way any of the others would be able to know until morning. We'd long be dogfood by then. Natasha's grip on my foot tightens as the wolf takes another step closer towards our location. I could feel it's breath now. Hot, humid, and disgusting. My thumb tenses against the safety switch on the rifle in my hands, itching to spring into action at the drop of a hat. I slowly begin to count down in my head. Five... four... three...