The Hunt

Chapter Ten

 

Unnamed point of view

I could hear the trespasser a mile out. Whoever this idiot was, they sure weren't sneaky. At three am, this wasn't a person out for a morning exercise. It was too early.

I glanced at my father to see him sleeping. I could handle whoever was coming, werewolf or otherwise. 

Quietly, I left our house. It was maybe five minutes before I laid eyes on the woman wondering around. She was headed nowhere in particular. 

When I caught her scent, I made sure that I stayed down wind.  She was a werewolf, not usually my type, but she was attractive. 

I silently followed her for a half a mile before she stopped. She didn't appear to have anyone else following her, so I didn't think it was a trap. 

"Who's out there?" she asked.

I stayed quiet. I didn't want her to know about me yet.

"I know you're out there. You've been following me for a while." 

She pivoted on her heel, looking around for any sign of me.

"Just come out. I have a proposal for you."

That caught my interest. What would she have to offer us? I could tell that this wasn't a woman who was used to having to protect herself. 

"Come on," she said in a sigh. "I have useful information for you. Don't be an idiot." She waited a moment before giving up a bit. "Fine," she muttered, "let Mason rip you a new asshole."

She turned on her heel and came right for me. Maybe she did know where she was going. 

I didn't back away.  I wouldn't retreat from a woman. So I straightened up and crossed my arms over my chest. 

She was shorter than I realized. She froze when she spotted me. She didn't know how to use her nose worth a damn if she was surprised to see me. 

She stood, frozen in her boots for a good thirty seconds before I grew tired of waiting. "Say what you came out here to say."

She swallowed in nervousness as she slouched, making herself look small and not-at-all intimidating. "I-I came out here t-to help you," she stuttered, the smell of fear came from her in dramatic waves. 

"Help me with what?" 

She flinched when I took a step forward. She was completely terrified and I loved every second of it. "I can give information that could help you with Mason. He's been sent here to hunt you down and kill you."

"I'm not afraid of some wolf who can't even find me."

Her brow rose in a sign of defiance. "You're hiding in the middle of nowhere, getting rid of your scent so no one can find you. I'd say you were afraid of someone."

In an instant I had her back against a tree, squeezing her neck with one hand. She gurgled from the force and struggled as she tried to breathe. 

"Panicking only makes it worse," I whispered in her ear. She tried for a second, but it didn't work. "You really should learn to keep your mouth shut." An idea lit up like a bulb in my mind. "I can help you with that." 

But first, I needed that information. 

I released my grip on her, fractionally. "So, what did you come here to tell me?"

I could feel her relief. I wasn't going to kill her. Traitors needed to be outed in their packs. They were always untrustworthy and everyone should know so. Living with the shame of being a traitor would be so much worse.