Demon's Genesis

Chapter 2

"What?!"

The words exploded from my mouth before I had the chance to bite my tongue and control my voice.

"That's a stupid idea," Kai huffed, sticking his nose in the air like the little rat he was. He wrapped his fluffy white tail tightly over his big, clumsy lumps that he called paws.

"As much as I hate to agree with the big oaf here, he is right." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kai shoot a glare at me to which I retaliated with a smug grin.

"Come on, guys, a hunting competition'll be fun!" Pa encouraged before sighing in exasperation as I rolled my eyes and Kai flattened his ears, as if he'd been threatened.

There was no way I was going to go on his stupid hunting competition with my stupid brother in the middle of this stupid forest.

•><•

I dragged my creamy white claws along the ground, leaving deep marks in the soft earth behind. We sat in the middle of the hollow log I've come to call home—arguing, because father had come up with the oh so flattering idea of organizing a hunting competition between me and my brother. We both didn't want to go, firstly because it was a waste of time and effort and secondly I had planned to ask pa to go berry picking with me today. And although you'd never hear me admit it, deep down I already knew who was gonna win.

Kai.

My heart fell into my gut as his name ran in taunting circles around my head, it's not my fault I was born a runt.

We were 2 seasons old now, and he was immensely bigger, stockier and fluffier than I was. The only advantage I had against him was my speed and nimbility. Plus, Kai's unfortunate pelt color that made him stand out like the moon against a night sky when he was hunting.

Oh, and not to blow my own trumpet or anything, but I was definitely the smart one. I proudly wrapped my tail around my paws at the though.
I mean, come on—he'd only just learned that there was more than one type of tree a little less than week ago, you gotta be an idiot not to know that by the time you're two weeks.

I gave my father a sour expression as he drew a map in the dirt to point out where we would hunt and what we were recommended to catch.

"Ok—Lloyd, you're down by Little River, and Kai, you'll be under the birch patch."

We scowled but nodded anyway. I didn't fancy hunting in the least, but I felt a spark of excitement in my gut as I imagined my father's proud gaze when I brought home prey. My claws sunk deeper into the earth, imagining it as prey.

"Just remember that it's only a friendly competition."

I whipped around to see my mother standing at the entrance of the den, her nose sticking up in the air like a stuck-up prat. "It doesn't matter who wins—" she glanced pointedly at Kai—"and who loses." Her icy lavender gaze settled on me and I fought the urge to claw her face off.

"Fine!" my brother piped, his voice obnoxiously optimistic. "Can we go now?"

My mother and Pa nodded, already padding outside, their pelts brushing and tails linked.

Scowling at my fathers oblivion, I turned to join them but felt a tug on my tail. I turned to see Kai sitting on it, of course I couldn't move, he was a big fat oaf.

"You're going down, little bro."

"You're, like, 3 minutes older than I am."

"Yea, and also 3 times better in every way,"

He winked at me and I snorted in amusement, rolling my eyes.

"Whatever. Just keep your paws off of my tail, you big lump of fluff."