Raw

Chapter One - Into The Wild

My father entered the hut, waking my mother and me. His gaze locked firmly on her as he knelt on the end of the bed. "Go on the hunt, Zora."

Jumping off the bed from beside my mother, he took my place, his hand running over her body. Then I smelled it; her heat. The sweet musk that drew my father to each of his females. It smelled new, so barely started.

As I exited the hut, I glanced back and saw him pull her skin apron off her shoulders to reveal her breasts. I hurried out.

Making my way across our family encampment, my younger brother met me, grinning. "Zora, I'm hungry."

"There's meat in the storage, go eat some," I answered, seeing my sisters gathering for a hunt and heading for them.

"Get me some gazelle out there."

"I'll get what we find."

"Just not an ostrich again, please."

I glanced down at him. At sixteen, Father would cast him out soon, like my three older brothers, to go build his own family unit... if he survived the neighboring males. So far each of my brothers had, and Hektos was stronger than any of them.

"I'll find something special for you," I said.

"You're the best."

"Don't forget that... ever."

He grinned. "Hey, you smell odd today."

I rolled my eyes. I'd probably picked up some of our mother's musk. "I'll bathe while I'm out."

"Watch for crocs."

"Of course."

He scampered away as I joined our half-sisters. My father had seven females, making him one of the dominate males in the region. My mother was his alpha, and I her only daughter. As I joined my sisters, they turned to me for direction.

"Report," I ordered.

"There's a herd of Zebra to the south and buffalo to the east. The wind has stayed a consistent North East all morning."

"The Zebra are our best bet," I said. "What is the condition of the herd?"

"Many foals, but not many elderly or lame. Three males guard the group."

"Three?" I let out a long breath. One or two was normal. Three meant diligent and smart brothers. "What about the buffalo?"

"The hyenas have picked off the weakest."

"Hmm." I tapped my chin. "Sounds like we have a challenge today. I think the zebras are still our best bet. We need to distract the males and separate a couple of foals."

We made our plan and headed out.

Spreading out, we circled around downwind of the zebras. Keeping low to the ground, I spotted and marked each of the males, then pinpointed our targets; an old female, and a foal who wandered too far from the herd.

I motioned for five sisters to move around upwind. They moved slowly, disappearing among the grass and shrub.

The three males lifted their heads one by one, smelling the air. One looked at another. "Do you smell it?"

"Is it a lion?"

"Gather!" the first called.

The females pulled in closer together with their young.

"Zora," my sister beside me whispered.

"Steady..."

Our five sisters flickered into view and disappeared again.