My Love but Not My Mate

Chapter 5

‘...’ – speech in wolf form

“...” – speech in human form

Chapter 5

   I was currently hunting. More precisely, I was stalking a young stag. It walked about among the bushes and between the trees; I was crawling along the floor on my empty belly, with hushed breathing and steady steps. I was careful to keep out of its field of vision as it pulled on the branches above its head for the juicy leaves.

   Preparing for my jump, I rolled my shoulders and aimed for its throat. The sooner I could kill it the less I would have to put if with its kicking and wriggling as it fought for its freedom.

   Jolting to my feet, I took two large steps and finally pushed down and sprang through the air. The stag was stunned in place as I let out a growl to confuse it. My ears picked up at the breaking of branches and twigs and I looked to my side, only to be hit by what felt like a log.

   Shaking my head, and opening my eyes, I found myself sprawled out in the dirt. I looked around and saw that my prey had escaped my hour’s worth of stalking. Great, another day without food; that was five days I hadn’t managed to catch anything, not even a scrawny rabbit. Sitting up, I felt an aching in my side. I tested my ribs by wriggling. No pain seared through me from my focus of worry, so I hadn’t broken another rib. But why was I hurting? Then I remembered, I had been hit by something. Looking around frantically, I caught sight of a wolf leaning against a rotting, felled tree.

   ‘You’re awake, good. For a moment there I thought I had killed you.’ It was a male; his voice was soft and deep, though not as deep as my father’s, it was a sort of mix of my brother’s tone with Tyson’s. ‘What is a lone wolf doing hunting a stag?’ he asked laughing, humour and curiosity in his tone. ‘And a female...’ he chortled.

   ‘And what is a lone male wolf doing on another pack’s territory?’ I asked back.

   ‘Another pack’s? I think you’re mistaken, little wolf.’ I growled warningly at that comment. ‘This is my pack’s territory. I think you’ll find you are the one trespassing, not I.’

   How could that be? I hadn’t passed any strange scents, unless I hadn’t noticed due to my wondering mind. How far west had I travelled? ‘If that is the case then I am very sorry. I do not mean to trespass nor do I mean you and your pack any harm. Would you mind telling me about where we are?’

   He tipped his head to the side but answered all the same in his friendly tone. ‘We are just a few miles away from the Condor Cliffs. And the Red Deer River is five miles to the south.’

   I gasped at how far I had run; I had travelled farther west than I had originally intended. ‘Oh, then please let me head back east. I did not mean to come this far,’ I conveyed honestly.

   He sniggered as I tried to back away. ‘I’m afraid I cannot let you go that easily. See I’m kind of under orders to take you back to my pack and let my father assess the risk you pose to us.’

   I barked madly. ‘Please, I don’t pose any risk to you. I am just on the run from my own pack, or what was my pack two months ago,’ I explained hastily.

   He stepped closer, weaving between some of the twigs that covered the ground between us. ‘Nevertheless. You must come with me. If you mean no harm like you say then my father will let you go and some of us will escort you back to your pack’s territory, if that is where you wish to be.’ Unsure of whether to say yes or not, I remained silent. He took that to continue talking. ‘Forgive me, but I didn’t catch your name.’