Winter Prey

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

The loose gang of kids that traveled together that summer took advantage of an afternoon without scheduled activities and set off again to explore the caves in the hills behind the summer camp. Sixteen-year-old Kymbria James walked beside Jason, a boy who had filled out extremely well from the skinny, awkward kid he had been the summer before. Jason, the boy the entire camp knew Tina would do anything to have notice her. Yet Jason had more than once shown his preference for Kymbria, which only furthered the antagonism between the two girls.

Jason nudged Kymbria and leaned close to whisper, "Let's you and me sneak off as soon as we can. I saw a cave a couple days ago that looked like it had wolf prints around it. Might be a den with babies. But we'll never see anything if this noisy crew tags along."

"Cool," Kymbria whispered back. "But how can we...oh, wait. I know."

Kymbria squealed in distress and stumbled over to a fallen log. She sat down and rubbed her right ankle as the rest of the group flung concerned questions. Well, everyone except Tina looked concerned.

"I twisted my ankle," she said with a grimace of feigned pain. "I have to go back."

"I'll go with you," Jason said immediately.

"Oh, for pete's sake, Jason," Tina said. "Her ankle's not even swelling. Look at it. Why should she ruin the day for the rest of us? She can make it back on her own."

The enmity between Kymbria and Tina had grown into open warfare that summer, and Kymbria didn't think twice before she shot back, "Is it that you don't believe I'm hurt that bothers you, Tina, or the fact that Jason cares enough about me to make sure I get back to camp safe?"

Tina gaped at Kymbria's audacity, then flounced around and strode off down the trail, her ponytail bouncing back and forth across her stiff shoulders. "I'm going on to the caves!"

"Go with Tina," Jason ordered the rest of the group. "I'll take care of Kymbria."

Used to Jason's leadership, the others obeyed. As soon as they were alone, Jason laughed and grabbed Kymbria's hand. Together, they raced down a deer trail angled beside the main path. Soon, though, Jason slowed and placed a finger against his lips to warn her to silence. He kept her hand clasped in his, though, and Kymbria didn't protest.

At a rise partway up the hill, Jason laid down, pulling Kymbria with him. He finally dropped her hand and belly-crawled onward, indicating for her to follow. They inched on until they could see over the rise, and Kymbria gasped. She threw an elated glance at Jason to thank him for this experience before she stared back down at the cave mouth. Three wolf puppies gamboled and frolicked in the sunlight, two of them gray and black and one pure white. The mother lay on top of a nearby rock, out of reach of her litter's sharp teeth on her teats.

The wind blew towards them, carrying their scent away from the vigilant mother, and they laid there for nearly five minutes. During that time, Jason silently worked his hand close again to take Kymbria's. She squeezed in return, all the while wondering why she didn't feel tingles of sexual urge coursing through her with a boy as handsome and well-built as Jason. Maybe the joy of watching the wolf family overrode her attention to that.

Suddenly the mother wolf's ears pricked, and an instant later, she was off the rock, herding all three pups into the den. Not even a growl or yip of discontent from the pups emerged.

"Oh," Kymbria said. "The wind shifted. They smelled us."

Jason frowned. "Not us. At least, I don't think so. The wind's coming from our left."

Then Kymbria smelled it, an odor so vile that she gagged and clapped a palm over her mouth and nose. Jason, though, stood and started walking into that wind.