WILD

Chapter one - MUTT

RUN!

"What are you waiting for!" Eric screamed behind me as I bolted from the blood drenched dirt, howls of pain from every unlucky soul trapped beneath the soil spurred me on, ears pinned firmly to my head I ran as fast as my body would allow. Ignoring the coppery scent seeping from my open wounds, ignoring the aches and pains plaguing every jolt of my muscles. Sharp and unforgiving as they were I couldn't stop. To stop would mean my death.

FASTER! my wolf yipped in my head, her energy soothing the anxiety trying to reek havoc on my mind.

"Emma shoot that domesticated house bitch, NOW!!" Eric screamed, his heavy boots snapping small branches as he ran trying to catch up. A loud bang echoed seeming to bounce around the forest before the tree right next to my head sprayed splintered wood and moss just above me a rifle bullet now embedded into its flesh. I ignoring the shouts and unmistakable draw of another weapon.

Focus I thought pushing forward more, my claws kicking up mulch as I ran. Until my whole body lurched forward with searing pain, the scent of gun smoke and blood invading my scenes.

"YES!" Emma yelled in excitement her smaller steps becoming clear as they became closer. The adrenaline pumped through my body but this still hurt like a bitch! I rolled from my side to my belly. Dirt and small twigs falling from my fur as I shifted. Sticky blood quickly matting my fur with the debris that hadn't fallen free.

"F fuck almost" Emma laughed panting for breath after. Her lifeless grey eyes scanned me from nose to tail a sick satisfied grin working its way onto her mouth. "Almost gave us the slip mutt" Eric's voice came a few seconds later with his hand patting Emma with pride "Well you caught the mutt, it's your trophy" his voice held that unmistakable grin as he looked down at his daughter, the same grey eyes meeting mine.

"Really! You mean it" her voice became higher in tone. Filled with excitement "finish it off and we'll go have dinner my treat" I watched him lean down pulling a serrated hunting knife from his boot passing it to Emma. With a wide toothed smile she took the knife quickly turning to me, a crazed look flickering in her eyes.

"Rug or wall mount?" Eric called out over his shoulder as he took a few steps away giving his daughter more room to work out her sick fantasies.

Curling my lips back I let out a low warning growl which only served to get a pause in movement by her before she shrugged shooting her gloved hand out to grip my muzzle. Her fingers only covering half of it. "Ya know for a mutt I've always liked your eyes" she mutters puffing a loose strand of dark brown hair from her left eye "to bad I won't be able to replicate them when we mount your head on my wall" a feminine giggle slipped from her lips.

"AGHH" Eric screamed drawing our attention, a burst of patchy brown and white fur covered Eric, dragging him to the floor with a sickening crack. "DADDY!!" Emma screamed distracted enough not to see me yank my head to the side and clamp her hand in my maw, the burst of blood hits the back of my throat quickly. The air filled with screams, the scent of blood and angry growls. I jerked to my paws yanking her with me by the hand I currently had trapped between razor sharp teeth,

Her eyes wide in shock, her mouth open wide spit flying from her mouth as she screamed. Flailing her legs and only free arm around to get me to loosen my grip. Sick satisfaction took over my mind watching her like this.

Loud shouting made my ears perk up before I felt a soft nudge in my side. Letting go of Emma's bloody hand I turned as she fell with a thud, her wailing ignored. taking in the smaller patched wolf I've come to know as a friend, one of my only reprieve from that hell we escaped.

His mostly white muzzle dripping with thick maroon blood nudged into my side once more, catching on I nodded the best I could with the pain shooting throughout my body, his eyes scanning every wound not covered by dirt or mats.

His mismatched eyes gliding over my face the dark brown and dark blue eyes taking note of every injury as quickly as he could, a small whine came from his chest building inside of his throat.

"You go that way!" We both turned to the patch of forest the voice yelled from. I jerked my head north making sure he was on board before I started running, the pain much more intensified this time round but we couldn't stay another minute.

Keeping pace with one another we bolted over fallen trees and through mud riddled dirt until the sun began to rise, I know we had been running for hours based on the signs my body was giving me. The tight pull of my stomach I had gotten use to especially since our meals had been given with a week or two space in between.

Pup holted his run into a slow trot, his muzzle low to the ground, I hated referring to him as pup especially since it was the name they had given him. But I had no idea what he was actually called, our names are a thing of the past when we were in that hell, the only thing we have is stripped away never to be used again. I'm not even sure what my name had been...

I slowed watching him nose around patches of dirt as he sniffed, his tail perked up in alert. I slumped down on my back hunches allowing my eyes to peer over his form, taking note of the way he's favouring his left paw keeping his weight mostly on his right, the dirt and blood covering his white patches making them seem sandy to dark brown with flecks of maroon dotted in areas. Snapping my eyes away I grunted lowering my belly to the leaf covered floor below me.  Taking no notice of  my strange friend as he trotted behind a thick oak tree like some kind of show pony. 

Resting my chin on my paws I found myself unable to keep my lids from trying to close, goddess when was the last time I slept? Everything hitting my tired body at once as I succumbed to the darkness.  

Just a couple of hours I thought...