The Wolf Secret Book 1 : Secrets of the Forest

Chapter 3 : The Hunt

Avery's senses were amazing since she'd become a spirit. That was one up side at least.
Avery had to admit she was frightened for the spirit when he didn't fight or run. She was worried that they were going to kill him right then and there. The hunters didn't though, and he'd been admirably brave.
The hunters children and her had spread out, Avery taking her own direction hastily so the others wouldn't go that way. It would've been easy if her father hadn't hidden the blood. That was good, because while the others could only have followed the sight of blood, she could trust other senses to guide her to him.
She was going to find him. She was going to save him. I will right your wrongs.
She found a small, scattered drizzle of sticky crimson a mile into her search and none of the other hunters were anywhere to be seen. Or smelt, concerningly. It was a small mercy that she would gladly accept.
She currently carried a gun, but where she was supposed to keep extra bullets, she carried first aid supplies. She had first aid supplies where she was supposed to carry countless weapons, and her backpack was filled with everything she'd need when she found the boy. Wounds could still get infected and her healing couldn't fix anything related to sickness or get food in his stomach, but she was prepared for that.
Avery had bought an underground bunker a year back from a nice elderly lady who had no use for it as a way to escape her parents fighting. Her mother knew she was leaving, but let her go in understanding.
She had plenty of food and bandages and the place was automatically heated by the upper levels. That was where she would hide him, for now.
She'd brought her belongings there too. Hopefully, she'd never have to see her fathers disgusting face again. Maybe, if she gained the boys trust, once he was well enough, she could live with the spirits.
She wondered what their nest was like. Since the wolf spirit didn't seem entirely wild, they might be a lot more civilized than she was made to believe. They were probably relocated and building a new nest by now.
She followed the trail of blood that was scattered between trees, rocks and foliage, kicking up the leaves as she went to make it less noticeable, bringing herself to a dip in the ground.
She was met with a vast underground system that was filled with many scents. Dead bodies. Old ones, and many of them. Averys breath hitched as she realized, It's a grave for spirits.
She followed the trail of blood down through the damp, twisting tunnels, her eyes easily adapting to the dark. The smell of corpses grew nearer, these ones smelled different than the now more distant ones. Wolf. It smells like wolf. She knew what he was doing now, and it was haunting. If the wolf spirit didn't survive, he'd already have buried himself.
Avery finally made out his small figure in the dark. His breathing was weak, but his clouded eyes were still open, shooting her way madly and sniffing the air. "H-hu-" He started hacking, blood coming up from his lungs, yet forcing himself to continue talking never the less, "St- b-b -ack."
Avery pulled her hood down. He went silent in confusion, perhaps questioning his own delirium, "It's alright, I'll help you. My father hurt you but I won't." She pointed to her ears, "I think we can help each other out."
Avery pulled out a flashlight from her backpack, the spirit flinching at her every movement. "I'm going to turn on the flashlight, ok?" The spirit seemed to consider, but ultimately agreed with a slight nod of his head.
Avery turned the flashlight on and set it atop a rock that was jutting out so that it was pointing at him. "I'm good at healing wounds, but I'll tell you what I'm doing. If the lights bothering you you can close your eyes but try to stay awake." The spirit closed his eyes and put his head down. It probably wasn't possible for his situation to get any worse; He had no choice but to trust her.
"I'm going to move you to a better position." Avery explained after taking all the stuff she would need out of her backpack and belt pockets. She moved him carefully onto his back and rested his head on the backpack.
She began taking note of all his wounds, trying to distract him by saying, "This is a good spot, the hunters shouldn't find you down here and it's protected from the weather." Avery paused, "I do understand what this place is, though."
"D-didn't ma- m-mother."
His mother must be barried down here as well. "Try not to talk, ok? I'm going to look in your mouth." Avery opened his mouth and was relieved to find it as the reason for the blood. "Good news, it's not a punctured rib that's causing the blood. Bad news, your missing several teeth, your throats swollen and you bit your tung."
Avery let his mouth close, but it stayed open as the spirit wheezed. She moved down to his arm, already knowing of the broken ribs. "Your arms broken, so I'm going to set it in a splint for now, it'll hurt."
"C-can't-t-t hurt a-ny worse." The spirit reasoned painstakingly.
Avery set up the splint, "I said not to talk." She set his arm, a sickening crack filling the relative silence. Avery was both surprised and mildly disturbed when Afon did no more than let out a pained huff. "I'll put your arm in a sling before we go." She explained before moving to his legs and was surprised that besides an especially deep laceration he was fine.
"I'm going to get this cut clean and bandaged. I brought the supplies to stitch it up once we get somewhere cleaner."
After cleaning and bandaging the wound and putting some ice on his ribs, she took out the blanket and lay it over the weary pup. "We can wait here for a bit, try to get some rest."
The spirit looked at her as she turned off the flashlight, "E-exp-lain." Avery turned back to the spirit, sitting down next to him. Only then did she realize how exhausted her legs were.
"I don't know the origins of your kind, that is why I'm curious if you are all like me." The spirit motioned for her to continue with a light tip of his head, "Four days ago I woke up a spirit. My teeth had been getting sharp and my senses had been getting good for a while, but it was really sudden and after a nightmare."
"S-spirits c-can b- born t-to humans. N-not b-e h-human."
"So you have no clue." Averys heart dropped as the spirit shook his head. Avery sighed, "Great."
"S-sorry I-I can't d-" the spirit started coughing blood again.
"It's alright, I understand." She considered then, "I can heal people as well; As in convert my energy into them. I can do it for you, but I might have to sleep afterwards."
"I-I'm n-not-" He started coughing yet again.
"Oh my gosh quit trying to talk." Avery reached over, laying a hand on the spirits penetrating ribs and letting her magic work. A warm sensation moved from her hand to his body. As it always did, it started out subtle, almost soothing in a way, before quickly draining out her very being. She did the most she could, and was glad the wolf didn't pull away from the strange feeling like many have in the past. When it got to be too much, she sat back against the cold, stone wall a few feet away from the spirit. Out of energy, Avery all but passed out.