Laws of the Pack | Book #1 (SLOW UPDATES)

CHAPTER I | HUNT

The thrill of the hunt. Steady breath. Silent steps. Senses sharp. Lunis enjoyed every part of it. Crouched in the tall grass, the huntress kept a steely eye on the target; an elderly buck from a herd of elk. A challenging prey to take down, however with proper coordination and teamwork, the pack would have a decent meal to feast on.

Thushar would arrive soon and bring the cold wrath of winter with him; if they wish to survive, the pack must hunt as much prey as possible and gather their energy before the first snowfall.

Keeping her stomach low to the ground, she mentally recited the plan and prepared for the chase. To her left, a black pelted wolf crawled a few feet away, alert and ready to pounce, an identical dark brown wolf following close behind. Ahead of them was a grey and amber male, leading the group to their assigned position.

"Keep close." He growled while keeping his eyes onto the herd.

The female nodded then turned towards the target, excitement fluttering at her stomach. At last, the three wolves halted now waiting for their signal to take action. Heart beating in her temples, Lunis anxiously waited as every second passed at the flap of a butterfly's wings. It felt like the moment was stretching to eternity until movement was spotted at the edge of the hill ahead of them. Gradually the forms of four wolves approachibg the herd moved in from the horizon until they were at a close enough distance to launch their attack. They charged and immediately, the herd was alerted, running off into the opposite direction from it's pursuers.

Lunis watched carefully as the group expertly separated the herd into smaller groups then isolated the elderly bull from the rest. Her haunches tingled, excitement crawling like ants through her skin.

The group leader howled: "NOW!"

Following his call, Lunis and her pack mates launched at full speed. Pushing to her limits, the female and her older counter part reached the old bull's side, carefully avoiding it's kicks and swings when it tried to fend them off. The black pelted wolf remained at the back, awaiting for the perfect time to leap in hopes of taking down their prey but it was no easy task; one wrong move could kill him. The male cautiously took an approach before he lept but the elk was quick to and buggle violently, throwing him off. The wolf quickly got back onto his feet and approached for another attack. The elk bucked and sent a hard kick to it's pursuer, the hoof connected to the canine's shoulder. A yelp of pain ripped from the wolf's throat as he tumbled and rolled onto the ground with a loud thud.

"Hinto!" Slowing his pace, the injured wolf's dark brown counterpart turned heals, giving up on the chase.

At the side of the bull, the elder wolf, noticing his pack mate's injury, growled in frustration before he turned to the female. "Dammit! Fall back. Fall back!"

Disappointed, Lunis slowed her pace and watched as the elk gained more distance, hunger twisting her stomach. With winter only a few moon cycles away, losing this elk would be a devastating blow for the pack...

No. I'm not giving up!

Determination flowing through her veins, the female pushed ahead, ignoring her elder's barks of protest when he realized her intention.

"LUNIS! GET BACK HERE! LUNIS!"

Despite her disobedience, the she-wolf felt a grin grow onto her lips; the wind blowing through her pelt, her paws thrumming against the ground, her senses tingling to life with every breath, she felt alive. However, her moment of pleasure was broken when she realized the elk was headed towards the borders of the territory; if it crossed the line, she'd loose it for good.

It was now or never.

Aware aiming for the elk's legs would be much too dangerous, the female decided to take a more direct approach; with a strong leap, she jumped onto the bull's back and quickly sunk her fangs into it's spine. The elk buggled in pain, struggling to fight as it's legs suddenly gave up beneath it's body sending the animal into a heavy tumble while the female was launched a few feet away. Her head hit the ground at such force, ringing sound resonated in her skull while her vision became blurred. The world swirled violently around her, earth becoming sky, clouds replacing the grass. Amongst the chaos, a voice reached out to her;