Chapter 55
1282 Words
Buried in the snow were three robust black wolves. They hadn't frozen to death; they were bitten to death!
Each wolf had a fatal wound on its neck. The powerful bite had snapped their necks in one go! Their bodies bore almost no other injuries.
It indicated that the mysterious predator had killed the black wolves with ease, leaving them with no chance to fight back.
A sense of dread enveloped my heart. The wounds were terrifying, and the massive bite marks were chilling.
I had never heard of an animal capable of killing black wolves so effortlessly.
Even tigers and lions couldn't do this. I suspected that its presence might be related to the blizzard. When a storm like this hit, some animals would expand or leave their usual habitats to search for food further away.
More importantly, this mysterious and terrifying creature had only eaten small parts of the wolves. It consumed the heart, thighs, and other prime cuts, leaving the rest as if it was disgusted by the remaining parts.
In such extreme conditions, having such a peculiar and picky eating habit suggested that it usually lived in a state of abundance. I couldn't fathom the terrifying strength of this creature.
Suddenly, I remembered the huge shadow I had seen on the day I caught the worms. Could it be the mysterious hunter?
I gasped. That day, I had seen the shadow from dozens of yards away in the blizzard, indicating the massive size of the creature. We were probably no different from these black wolves in front of this creature!
As I pondered this, I began to butcher the three wolf carcasses, stripping off the meat and fur and packing them into my backpack. Even after removing the bones and other useless parts, the meat still weighed nearly a hundred pounds. The weight almost made me collapse, but I gritted my teeth and carried the heavy load back to the cave.
As soon as I returned, Crystal exclaimed, "Wow, Zack, this is amazing! What did you bring back?"
Stella and Zoe rushed over to see the large amount of wolf meat I had brought back. They were all incredibly excited.
After all, these three wolves were quite large. Compared to these black wolves, a medium to large dog like a Husky would look like a dwarf. The meat would last us a long time.
Seeing everyone so happy, I took a deep breath and deliberately concealed my worries, not wanting to dampen their spirits. Only Mandy noticed something unusual about the wolf carcasses. She wanted to ask me several times, but she ultimately remained silent.
Together with the girls, I cleaned the wolf meat quickly and put it on the grill. To be honest, I had never tasted wolf meat before.
Soon, a large skewer of grilled wolf meat was ready, and we also made some vegetable soup to go with it.
I had to say, the taste was quite good. The texture of the wolf meat was slightly tough, and it was very chewy, somewhat like kangaroo meat.
Halfway through eating the grilled wolf meat, Zoe, who was the main cook, had finished making the wolf bone stew. After stewing, the wolf bones had released a rich aroma, and the meat clinging to the bones had become tender. It lacked the toughness of the grilled meat, and one bite filled my mouth with flavor, a taste I would remember for a lifetime.
Although my grilled meat was good, Zoe's stew was clearly superior. In this cold winter, having a bowl of hot, fragrant meat soup was incredibly comforting.
The only pity was that the best parts of the wolf meat had already been eaten, leaving the rest a bit less satisfying.
Seeing everyone content and full, I couldn't help but think about the gruesome sight of the dead wolves I had encountered earlier. The terrifying image kept flashing in my mind, and I couldn't shake the fear, causing my face to turn pale.
The more I thought about it, the more I felt the need to do something to ensure our safety. So I ran out of the cave, heading to the nearby woods, and started chopping down trees with an axe.
The other girls were still chatting and laughing in the cave, assuming I had just gone to the bathroom. Only Mandy noticed my uneasy expression and glanced outside with some concern. But seeing that I didn't say anything, she remained silent.
Before long, I returned with a few medium-sized pine trees, which I leaned against the door. This way, even if something managed to get past our outside traps, these logs would brace the door and keep it from getting inside.
Unless it had the strength to break down the door and snap the logs, these pieces of wood should be enough to keep us safe. But the cave was already narrow, and the logs took up quite a bit of space, making our living area noticeably smaller.
The noise I made setting everything up caught everyone's attention. Mandy, who had noticed something was off with me, was the first to come over and check on me. Seeing what I had done to the door, the others realized something was up.
"Zack, what's going on?" Mandy asked, puzzled.
"If something's wrong, just tell us," Stella said, pouting with some displeasure. "We can help come up with solutions too. Why are you doing everything by yourself?"
Seeing everyone's curious looks, I hesitated for a moment before explaining the problems and doubts I had about encountering the wolves. After all, it was a significant danger, and I wanted them to stay vigilant even when I wasn't around.
"Zack, don't worry. The forest is big, and we might not even run into that creature," Zoe said, holding my hand gently to comfort me after hearing my serious explanation.
"Yeah, I think there's no need to worry. We just need to be careful," Stella nodded in agreement.
"But you, Zack, you always go out hunting. You need to be extra cautious," Mandy said, looking at me with concern.
I nodded and reminded them again, "I'll be careful. But everyone needs to keep it in mind. Since it's still early, I'll reinforce the door a bit more."
The girls exchanged glances, probably thinking I was overreacting, but no one said anything. They didn't seem too concerned, but I couldn't shake my unease. I continued placing thorny bushes around the cave, working late into the night.
After repeatedly warning the girls to stay safe, I collapsed onto the bed, exhausted.
However, I still felt uneasy and couldn't fall asleep, no matter how much I tried. I eventually drifted off into a fitful sleep out of sheer exhaustion.
Suddenly, a piercing, horrifying scream jolted me awake!
I shot up in bed, instantly recognizing the familiar scream as a sign that something was terribly wrong. My heart clenched with fear. I grabbed my flashlight quickly and scanned the area, confirming my worst fear. The cave door was open, and cold wind was blowing inside, sending chills through my body.
Looking around, I saw that one of the girls' beds, Susie's, was empty!
Susie was in trouble!
Without a second thought, I grabbed my gun and dashed outside.
Although I always thought Susie and Crystal had lower status in the camp, my concern for her now was no less urgent.
As soon as I stepped outside, the sight before me made my hair stand on end, and a deep sense of dread washed over me!
The very thing I had feared had happened. That mysterious and terrifying predator was right in front of us!
- Writer
