The Hunt

Chapter 54

I coughed loudly as a fly flew right into my mouth, and I swatted the rest away as I ducked under the swarm of them, venturing further into the forest. I had been walking for around an hour, although, it felt like it had been forever. I was unsure how far to go, and I didn't want Cole or any of the other wolves to catch my scent.

That would land me in huge trouble.

I clutched the map, peering at it, shaking my head. What was I supposed to do when it got dark? I had seen lanterns that had been hung up onto tree branches on the small path, but unless standing directly under them, I knew that the map would be tricky to view.

I supposed that it was an incentive to reach the camp quickly.

I hadn't exactly been pushing myself, so my legs weren't complaining, but, my mind was on the other side of the spectrum. It was working overdrive, attempting to come up with ways that I would react to different scenarios. It didn't help I didn't know exactly when my colony would be coming. I knew it would be after nightfall, but that didn't tell me much.

I had almost fallen over a couple of times, the ground pretty uneven here, and my ass wasn't a huge fan of constantly walking uphill. I could feel it beginning to tense up more and more with every step.

It wasn't a great feeling.

I rounded the corner, just like the map indicated for me to do so, coming face to face with a huge tree. It looked as if had been victim to the wind when it was still developing, and it drooped down, hanging over the edge of the hill, appearing as if it was going to fall at any given moment.

I didn't want to gaze down to see how high up I was. I couldn't imagine I was anywhere near the top, but I was still higher than I would have liked. Heights and I weren't the best of friends.

Suddenly, I heard a branch snap, and I turned around to look behind me. That was the first noise I had heard that hadn't been caused by myself. I was expecting animals to be lurking around, but to my surprise, there weren't any. It made me wonder if they had left the area because of Cole's pack. Maybe they were just too frightening.

Or maybe they hunted them when they were bored?

Was it a squirrel? A deer? A bear?

I didn't want to find out.

I sped up my steps, jumping over a fallen log and stomping through the hardened mud, but, the sound of rustling raced through my eardrums, and I spun around, gasping. There was a tall man standing before me, his body slightly hunched over, a pile of grey hair plopped on top of his head.

"Reya," he spoke, nodding once. "I don't mean to frighten you. I was told to wait here by Cole to ensure you actually left the vicinity."

I spread my hand over my racing heart, attempting to catch my breath. My head was pounding from the anxiety he had caused me. I had thought that one of the wolves from the evacuation group had located me and was ready to kill.

"Are you not weakening too though?" I asked, furrowing my brows. The man looked elderly, and despite the fact that he was a wolf, I felt like there was a chance that I could cause him some damage if he tried anything.

But wolves still got the urge to kill in human form, and I didn't like being near one knowing there was a possibility he would want to snap my neck.

"Yes," the man spoke, clearing his throat. He looked uncomfortable. "I was told that if you didn't arrive after an hour or so, I could return to the pack and let Cole know. He didn't want to risk me hurting you, but he wanted to make sure you were on your way to the camp."