CONCERN

HUNTING

"Wow," Bree lets out a long sigh of admiration. "This place is so beautiful!"

"We can't stay too long though, so hunt as quickly as possible. That way," I point to a grouping of trees to our right, "is best for hunting deer and over there," I gesture to the bottom of the mountain, "is good for mountain lions."

"Where can I find a nice, juicy bear?" Diego asks eagerly. Bree furrows her eyebrows in concern. "Don't be too confident, Diego."

"I'll be fine! If I could take on Raoul, I can take on a bear; and Raoul is close enough to a bear!" He pokes her playfully in the side and she squirms away laughing.

"Bears will be in the denser parts of the forest near the base of the mountain." Diego nods, his face serious now.

"Meet back here in an hour?" I scan their faces. They look ready. "Oh, and don't worry about humans being here today. The park is closed to visitors, so it should be just us. Just in case though, be aware of your surroundings and try not to be messy or loud." They all nod and we set off in different directions.

I try to lose Fred as quickly as possible. It's not that I don't want to help him hunt. It's just that I don't want him to see me hunt. Plus, I've had some experience hunting with a group and it didn't end well.

I may have told a little white lie when I said I'd only been here once before. Mount Rainier was a regular hunting spot for me once. I spent a few weeks in Yakima, a city in Washington. The national park was convenient and I didn't attract any attention when I hunted there. My stay in Yakima was part of a sort of world tour I was doing in the 80s. I was exploring and was drawn to the town because of Mount Rainier. It was so beautiful and peaceful, well that was until I went hunting there.

Now, I run to a spot I visited most when I was here previously. I didn't tell Fred about it because I want him to develop his own independence. If we plan on being on the run for a while, they all need to know how to hunt inconspicuously. There is a tinge of worry in my mind though. I don't want him to get hurt. What am I thinking? He's a vampire now! I'm still acting as though he were human!

Shake it off. Focus. I need to hunt myself, so I need to stop worrying about others. I catch a scent and follow it. Hidden behind a boulder, I watch a mountain lion prowling along the rocks. He hasn't seen me or heard me.

In one swift pounce, I'm on top of him. I pin the lion to the ground and quickly bite into its body before it can attack me. Not trying to sound too full of myself, but I've had a lot of practice at this. I just hope the others are as successful.

After two more rounds of this, I collect up the bodies and hide them in a cave I discovered on my last trip. The opening is small enough so that I can shove the dead bodies in first, and then squeeze my own body in after. It's a good job I'm not claustrophobic.

There's a hole, a sort of ditch, at the back of this cave. I drop the mountain lions down there. It's quite deep, so no chance of them being discovered.

I crawl out of the cave and race back to our meeting spot. There's no blood on my clothes or face as if the last hour's event have never happened. I hope the others were as neat and tidy with their endeavours.

Upon arrival, I can see Bree perched on a tree stump. Diego is beside her waving his hands about in wild, excitable gestures. I presume he is recalling his hunting trip.

My stomach somersaults as I look around and don't see Fred. I jog up to the other two, the concern growing. Bree looks up at me, her grin fading when she sees the look on my face.

"Maia?"

"Bree, where's Fred? Have you seen him?" My words grow more and more desperate. "Where is he?"

I scream when something grabs my shoulder. Whipping around, relief washes over me when I see who it is. "Fred! Where were you? I was so worried!" He grins. "I just had to finish up my meal. You didn't expect me to leave leftovers, did you, Maia?" Fred laughs and wraps both arms around my shoulders. "Calm down. We're all safe and fed thanks to you."

I relax a little, though still a little shaken. "Anyway, how was everyone's hunting experience?"

Bree is first to pipe up, "I caught four deer!" She is so proud of herself, it makes me want to hug her! Diego beats me to it.

Still with Bree in a tight squeeze, Diego says, "Got my hands on a lovely grizzly. I must admit, and I had my doubts, but it tasted delicious." I chuckle, before turning to face Fred. "Well, I was eyeing up a mountain lion, when someone beat me to it!" He raised an eyebrow at me. If I could blush, I would be right now. Crap, so he saw me hunt. This was not how I wanted things to go. I wait for him to continue, anticipating whatever he will say next.

"After that, I had to stay for the show!" So he stayed the whole time I was hunting! This is not good.

He laughs at my expression. "Don't worry, I'm only joking! After the first spectacle, I decided to leave you with it. If I'm being perfectly honest, I was a little intimidated!" I cough, embarrassed. Oh God, what does he think of me now?

"I went on to get a few mountain lions myself," he continues.

"Well, it sounds like we all had a very successful trip! Shall we continue on this little expedition?" I ask.

Bree nods enthusiastically and Diego copies. Fred smiles down at me. "Let's go."

He takes my hand and we head away from the national park. I hear Bree and Diego talking behind us. Diego has launched into his bear story again, which I'm sure I will hear at some point. For now, though, they are all fed. That's one problem solved.

Next, we need to find a place to stay. I think I have the perfect place in mind.

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