The Hunter

Problems of a Wolf

The damp pine needles squished under Mira's feet as she ran through the forest. Her heart thudded in her chest, almost dampening out the sound of Collin's footsteps behind her. After a couple minutes head start, she had slowed her pace to match his. Plus her sides had begun hurting. A few days off from running and she'd lost some of her stamina. Not all, but some.

Even if her sense of smell wasn't as strong in human form, each breath of fresh air brought her an array of scents. Damp dirt. Week old rogue smells. A squirrel. Too bad she didn't have a device that allowed her to talk in wolf form or she'd stop, shift and wait for Collin before shouting, "Squirrel!"

She really had gotten far too attached to him in their time together. And despite her best efforts to deny it, her feelings went far deeper than those towards a normal pack mate. Had she really gotten so lonely that she developed a crush on the first guy with whom she'd spent an extended period of time? As much as she wished that were the case, it wasn't. Something about Collin appealed to her.

Sadly, it could never be. How selfish would she be if she let him travel with her? That is to say if he even wanted to stay with her. As much as she longed for the company, she couldn't keep him. He'd end up killed or worse.

The thudding of Collin running through the underbrush after her got louder. At this rate, they'd attract any shifters or hunters out there. She slowed down in a tiny clearing nestled in the trees and waited for him to catch up to her. They definitely didn't need any new threats after them.

After a minute, she fully expected him to break through the bushes, and when he didn't, she started to worry. The forest had grown quiet except for the tweeting of birds, the wind in the tops of the trees and the scuttling of rodents. Her senses perked up and her body stiffened. She could still smell Collin, but she couldn't smell anything other than the normal forest scents. What'd happened to him?

She got her answer soon enough with the creaking of a tree branch right before the snapping of twigs. His form entered her line of sight a second before his body crashed into hers. Her back smacked into the spongy moss and soggy leaves in the little hollow. Pain bolted through it and she braced herself, fully expecting his weight to crush her. Instead his body hit the ground next to hers and his chuckle silenced the forest creatures.

Her body stayed frozen on the ground as her mouth slackened. He'd actually gotten the jump on her. She hadn't expected that. On top of that, he'd tricked her into stopping! No hunter was ever that noisy in the woods or they'd never get the drop on shifters. A mixture of disgruntlement as well as admiration washed over her.

He rolled to his side and leaned over her with his elbows on either side of her head. His smile slipped through a mock hurt expression. "Don't look so surprised. I might feel insulted."

"Sneaky, very sneaky." She huffed. "Oh, and I stopped because I was worried about you. Didn't know if a rogue had picked you off or something since you were straggling behind. Not to mention the noise."

"Ouch." He flinched, but the smile never left his face. "Calling a man the weakest of the pack does irreparable damage to his pride. Heck, I'm not even a wolf and I know that. Pretty sure at this point my pride is barely limping along."

She rolled her eyes. "What could I possibly have done to your pride?"

"Other than calling me the sick dying member of the pack?" She raised an eyebrow at him and shook her head while he bit his bottom lip and looked up before meeting her eyes again. "Oh, let's see. You did all the hunting. You found us shelter. You killed a mountain lion shifter to save me, which nearly killed you in the process. Oh, and that left me nursing your wounds. You constantly are making sure no harm has come to me."

He paused, pursed his mouth to one side and lifted his eyes again. "Pretty sure that covers most of it. Oh! And you're trying to take me some place safe to protect me while you go off and fight the big bad wolves alone. Yeah, sorry to tell you this, sweetheart, but I'm pretty sure you've destroyed whatever semblance of manly pride I had."

This time she flinched. "When you put it that way, I guess I can see your point. Wasn't exactly my intention."

"Right." He nodded. "So now you can make it up to me." Her jaw dropped again, and he pretended not to notice. "First, I'd like a pony."

"Er, there are some wild horse herds still. Few and far between, but I guess I could find a pony for you..." She trailed off when he started chuckling.

"I'm teasing about the pony. It's not very manly to ask for a pony." He wrinkled his nose. "Now a stallion, maybe. Oh, and out of curiosity, are there any horse shifters?"

"Nope. Most shifters are either carnivores or omnivores." She cocked her head to the side. "Why do you ask?"

"How cool would it be to date a horse shifter?" His smile grew even wider. "Could you imagine? Oh, love, I'm tired. Do you mind shifting? Then boom! You have your own ride."

She couldn't help the growl that escaped her and she wiggled and shimmied to get out from under him. Except his elbows blocked her path out and he moved his knee to make a side escape more difficult. She paused to reevaluate her escape routes, and his smiled never faltered as he watched her futile attempt.

"Although, I don't know if having a free ride would make them better." She turned her head to look away from him and crossed her arms. "I'd imagine they'd be kind of boxy. Wolf shifters are definitely sexier."

Her eyes snapped to his and the mischief in his unnerved her. "I thought you hated wolves."

Probably the wrong thing to say as his smile faltered for a second. "I may have had a change of heart. So now back to how you can help restore my manly pride." When she rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time, he narrowed his eyes at her. "Hey, you are stronger and faster than I am. You have to give me something to make me feel manly about."

"Alright." She sighed. "Oh manly one, what can I do to assuage your grievously wounded dignity?"

"Just for being a smart ass about it." His narrowed eyes and teasing glower turned into a full blown grin, which concerned her. As it turned out, his next actions justified her concern.

He swiftly ducked his head and pressed his lips to hers. A part of her longed for the kiss, but the more rational part of her took over. She shot out from under him and put distance between them. His eyebrows furrowed and he studied her for a second before lifting himself to his feet. It was then that she noticed his backpack was missing.

"I'll go get my pack." He spoke slowly but his eyes never left her while he used his thumb to gesture over his shoulder.

She barely managed to nod. Did he know what he was doing to her? Was this some kind of sick hunter trick to destroy her when they parted ways? Her thoughts were irrational, but right now, being angry helped overcome the alternative. Kissing would fuel her attachment. As a wolf, her heart would break when he left if she let herself get any more attached. A broken hearted wolf equaled a dead wolf without a pack for safety.

Twigs snapping and the wet leaves gushing reached her before she saw Collin again. She diverted her eyes quickly and cleared her throat. "We should probably keep going."

"Lead on." The detachment in his voice tugged at her heart.

If she kept telling herself it'd be better for him if he thought she didn't care, maybe she would believe it. Although, she'd already made her feelings clear. Or at least she thought she had. It's best if she didn't clarify, right?

Damn. If only she'd actually gone on a few dates before she left home, she might have known what to do in this situation. As it was, she had no idea how guys worked. None. Nada. What was he thinking? It'd be too personal if she asked and her true feelings would be out.

Sometimes being a wolf sucked. She didn't think that very often, but right now, she cursed who ever decided to make wolf shifters. Telling Collin of her dilemma would only make things worse. If she knew him at all, he'd insist on staying if she said anything. A tiny part of her urged her to say something just to get him to stay, but the majority squashed that before it came to fruition.