a Witch's Wolf

Episode 5 - the Chase

Episode 5 - the Chase

It had been a week since the incident in the hall and the two of them had managed to avoid each other completely. He waited after school until he knew she'd be long gone and made his way through the woods. Her scent had already faded by the time he crossed her path but he needed time in the forest alone, time to think that had nothing to do with her. He loved this forest, it was his forest even if she walked through it all the time. It was the only place he found quiet where there weren't so many wolves around expecting something from him.

His friends wanted him to play football or join a team. The girls wanted him to claim one of them, take them out and make them his one and only. It wasn't like marriage, this was your mate. It was worse than marriage. Every decision they wanted him to make right now would decide the rest of his entire life. Even his uncle was pushing him to step up and do more for the pack, to lead more and learn how to be an Alpha. He was part of an Alpha line, his father was an Alpha, his uncle was an Alpha, every male in his family line had been an Alpha. He just didn't feel like one. He didn't want to lead anyone, to make decisions for everyone. He didn't even like to be around everyone, he would hate having them always coming to him for everything. He knew he wasn't like everyone else and he was fine with that. He just wished they were all fine with that too. He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe. He just needed to run. He needed to let his beast free, feel the dirt beneath his feet and taste the air on his tongue.

Before he’d finished the thought, he was already running on all fours. His senses were high, his heart beating steady, he could taste the scent of his prey as he darted through the black. Rabbits and rodents were nothing. A deer, a bobcat, sometimes something bigger would cross his path. He was a hunter, a predator, a force of nature. He loved the feel of the woods on his fur, the sound of his feet as they barely touched the soft dirt as he flew along the forest floor. He knew every rock and tree, every hill and curve. It had been his playground since he'd first come to Stone Hill, long before this slip of a girl entered the picture. When he closed his eyes, he could smell her, he could feel her, he could practically taste her, so he opened his eyes and pushed himself faster, farther and harder until his lungs were burning and his heart was about to burst from his chest. He'd run beyond his usual route, much farther than his familiar runs, but he had to get this under control. He had to figure out what kind of hold she had over him. He had to find a way to break it. He could barely stop himself when he skidded to a halt and there she was. He could smell the blood on her hands.

"Oh my God." She sucked in a breath and looked at her hands, then her shirt. She had blood all over her and she could hear a wolf. She had to think. This was the absolute dumbest thing she'd ever done. This was all Noah Riley's fault! Even now, he was taking over her brain. What was wrong with her? She had spent all week trying to avoid him and pretend nothing weird had happened. She missed her chance to apologize for running into him or thank him for catching her. Even though everyone at school was finally talking about something else, she was consumed with this irrational guilt and intrigue about him. She was desperate and thought some good old-fashioned yard work would sort it out. She weeded, and whacked, pulled, sprayed, raked and then the sun began to lower, so she put all the tools and bags in the shed. That's when she found an old target set with a bow and arrows. Her father had shown her how to use it years ago and she'd forgotten all about it. Feeling a little nostalgic and wanting to beat the last bit of the Noah Riley obsession out of her brain, she set it up to shoot a few arrows.

It was working. She was feeling focused and clear-headed for the first time since she smashed into him. She pulled back the bow thinking that would be her last shot, but something jumped out of the trees and startled her off balance. She let go too soon and her arrow landed in the back thigh of a deer as it flew back and hit the ground. She dropped everything and ran toward it but before she got far, it had already pulled itself up to bound away. It stumbled back before making it back into the woods.

She debated whether to follow or not. She couldn't just let it die. She followed and she was so focused on keeping her eye on where it went, she hadn't noticed how dark it had gotten or how far into the woods she had gone already. It collapsed, she tried to help it, it struggled and eventually died in her arms like some creepy vegan horror film and she felt so terribly guilty seeing her arrow still embedded in it's body that she had to take it out and leave the poor dead animal there for the... other animals. The thought finally occurred to her. She would not be alone for long and she had to hurry up. It wouldn't pull free and she realized she would have to leave it. She'd been there too long and she wasn't completely sure which way to go from there. She slowly stood up to gain her bearings and heard a low growl and big feet sliding on the forest leaves. She heard its breathing, now heavy panting. She knew it smelled the blood and she needed to think. Think fast! She thought.

She hadn't actually seen him yet. Thank God. He growled and watched her flinch. She was digging in her bag. What the hell was she doing out here? He moved around softly, wanting her to know he was there but not wanting her to actually see him. She'd realize in a second that he was not a natural wolf. He wanted her to go home so he could make sure no other predators came for her and she would never know it was him. He snarled and she jumped.