At First Blood
Coit
I’ve hunted lots of times either with my pack or alone. As a wolf shifter, it’s in my blood to do so. The selection of prey in Moon Grove is limited to small and mid–size prey. The largest thing I’ve hunted with my pack is a wild boar which is a rare occasion considering how tricky they can be to tussle with. On my own, I’ve mostly hunted rabbits and squirrels.
‘What are we hunting? I ask through the mind–link.
‘Deer,‘ Lydia answers.
Gerald and the other men stop, and I almost bump into Scott. I turn to Lydia in confusion, and she nods toward her grandfather.
‘It’s a stag,‘ Gerald hisses before breaking into a run.
We follow him with no hesitation. Despite never visiting this particular forest before, I’m familiar with this kind of terrain, and I jump over tree roots and duck underneath low branches. I’m fast, but Lydia is stealthy, slipping down narrow paths and easily overtaking the men until she’s running beside Gerald.
The stag has realized what danger it’s in and tries to get away, running as fast as his hooves can carry him. his large, dark body is unmistakable, standing out against the greenery. We reach a river and the stag goes in, the water high enough to reach its underbelly. It crosses the body of water quickly, reaching the embankment on the other side.
Gerald is just as fast, though, and knows the terrain well. He rushes across the river and catches up with the animal as it pulls itself out of the water, sinking his teeth into its left back haunch. The stag kicks out, and Gerald backs off, not wanting to get kicked in the face. The rest of us rush across the cold water, ignoring the chill as we watch the stag take off into the forest.
I shake off the water from my fur. ‘I thought you had him.‘
I did that on purpose,‘ Gerald replies. ‘The stag is bleeding, so he’ll be easier to track.‘
‘It’s more fun this way,‘ Scott explains.
‘It extends the hunt,‘ Lydia says. ‘Cause the chase is half the fun.”
‘Come on,’ Alcide calls out. ‘He’s getting away.‘
1/3
At First Blood
+25 BONUS
We rush into the woods, following the trail of blood left from the bite in the stags leg. The scent of iron is overwhelming as I keep my nose low to the ground and follow behind the others, Lydia practically leading the way down the twisting, brush–covered path.
‘Come on, boys,‘ Gerald calls back to us. ‘Get to it before the stag gets too far away.‘
Gerald is one of the biggest wolves I’ve ever seen, easily reaching six feet and his fur flies as he cuts through the trees and around corners. His son and grandsons are smaller with fur of various shades of gray. But it’s the beautiful female wolf at the front of the pack that I can’t keep my eyes off as we begin to close the gap on the wounded stag that seems to understand that he’s running for his life.
I’m not as large as Gerald but bigger than his grandsons. I would like to get in on the kill, but I’m behind all of them since I don’t know the path. When we take a turn off the trail into the trees, I have a feeling the stag is running blind now, just trying to get away, and I might have a chance to catch up with the others and overtake them. Ì can track with the best of them. Maybe I can get to the stag first.
Gerald howls, throwing back his head. We answer back with our own howls and from a distance we hear howls from other wolves. I wonder if those are his pack mates back in the village or if others are out here hunting as well. Gerald starts running even faster, his large paws leaving imprints on the earth. I pass Lydia’s brothers and catch up with her father.
We run through a briar patch that tugs at my fur before we come to a stop in front of a thick row of shrubbery next to a pile of stones and a thick copse of trees. The stag is backed against the dead end of trees with nowhere to go. We circle him, preventing him from moving far. The stag rears back, ready to attack with his antlers. Gerald leaps at him from behind, sinking claws and teeth into its hide.
The stag tries to shake Gerald off, and we pounce at him, attacking from all sides. He fights valiantly, managing to shake off Scott and throwing him to the ground. He can’t fight forever, not as we tear at his flesh. I bite at the animal’s neck, digging through muscle and sinew until I reach bone. There’s a sickening snap as I break his neck.
The stag goes down, falling to the ground with a loud thud. We all step back, our muzzles bloody. We’re panting, our hearts beating quickly from the exertion and adrenaline. Lydia comes over and licks at my muzzle, congratulating me for a job well done.
2/3
At First Blood
+25 BONUS
Gerald has shifted back to his human form. He bends down to the stag and dips his fingers to its bloody neck. He walks over to me, and I shift back to my human form as well, not caring that I’m naked in front of everyone, including my mate. The blood is still warm as Gerald paints my cheek with it.
“Welcome to the family,” he says with a grin.
The rest of the family howls in agreement. Being pack animals, feeling accepted by my mate’s family has me lifting my head in pride. My mate’s pack has accepted me as their own. I smile back, satisfied and feeling like I’m king of the world.
