Hunters

Somewhere in Siberia

Chapter 19.

The wolf had been searching for food in the deep , snow covered forest.

It was a scrawny male with a sore paw causing it to limp  as it crossed the frozen ground.

A noise off to the left startled the animal and sensing another predator in the vacinity it bared it's fangs in a low growl of warning.

From amidst the trees stepped a man wearing a  snow covered Bekesha , shearling coat and wool cap.

He carried a skinned deer on his broad shoulders.

His head lifted and his eyes locked with the wolf.

The wolf was confused , instead of attacking it whined just like a

domesticated dog and then turned and fled in the opposite direction spraying golden urine on the snow.

"Coward." Stefan Vasiliev screamed at the fleeing animal.

He dumped the deer carcass on the ground then removed a dented flask from the hip pocket of his snow suit.

The fiery brandy  burned a trail down his throat , warming the belly and settling the nerves.

Stefan smacked his lips after pulling another gulp of the Armenian brandy before putting the flask away.

He didn't have use for the deer meat.   He'd tracked and then killed it with his bare hands....simply to stay busy.

Staying busy kept his mind off Dani.

After she left with the tall lycan Stefan had sunken into a interminable depression.

Not even the Baron could snap him out of it.

So  a week later Stefan decided to return to Moscow where he amused

himself for a time  drinking and exercising his horses at his country side Dacha .

Nothing...absolutely nothing had helped to distract his thoughts from Dani.

Stefan eventually traveled further East and ended up in the city of  Petropavlovsk

On the peninsula of Kamchatka , Siberia as a guest at the lodge / training facility owned by

the vampire Council where he had immersed himself in training with weights , weapons and wrestling.

So now his already impressive physique was even tighter , more honed and bulkier with muscle.

Stefan had grown his beard and hair out like a Cossack  and allowed the

wild side , the pure hunter , inside his  rigid nature to be set free.

A month ago he had traveled even deeper inside the Siberian wilderness where he built a small kabina  and

hunted wild game , single handedly taking down a Grizzly bear one blustery morning.

And given the meat to the villagers.

He decided to give the deer to them as well.

Shouldering  the carcass he  trudged the fourteen  miles to the

small village on the far side of a substantial lake that had frozen over until it was possible to cross it on foot.

Arriving just at sundown and stopping in at the pub first where he left the meat with the local butcher.

"Ah...Stefan has arrived !
Come..let me buy you a drink !" Ivan Solokov shouted  joyfully.

Rising from his table to grab Stefan's shoulder the older man lead him to the bar where a tray of drinks was quickly set up.