The Wolf Within

Hunted

** Dakota’s POV **

I was still thinking about her hours later, as I cozied up in a blanket swinging contentedly the porch swing with my glass of wine in hand. “I mean, who builds a cardboard fort in someone else’s home when they meet a cat in person for the first time?” I found myself saying aloud. 

Just then, Silvy hopped up on my lap and nuzzled my hand with a soft purr, as if she was trying to tell me how much she enjoyed the little play date. 

“Honestly,” I said to Silvy, “I’m just trying to pretend I wasn’t actually thinking about Lia for the 20th time today.” I sighed, as her smile popped in my head again.

HB: Rest and relaxation are what we need, not a new crush. AB are you the one obsessing over her and messing with our R&R schedule?

AB: Absolutely not, crushing is the last thing I would encourage us to do. Everyone is a serial killer until proven otherwise. Anyway, I’m 100% preoccupied with bug watch. IS THAT A SPIDER??

UB (whispering in the corner): That smile! Those perfect teeth and soft lips!

HB: UB! What did you say?

UB: Oh, nothing. Just mumbling to myself. (Whispering again,) let’s go call her. We really should.  She gave us her DIRECT number!

It was getting late but I was so content in the cool night air. I watched lazily as a couple of fireflies danced in the tall prairie grass. I closed my eyes for a brief moment to take in the gentle song of the crickets. I couldn’t deny how badly I had needed this: complete relaxation.

UB: Yes, the three R’s. Rest, Relaxation and ROMANCE!

HB: IT’S YOU! Would you quit it? We have to bring our stress levels back down before we go back to work!

UB: Okay, okay!

A night of peace and quiet is just what the doctor ordered. I reached down to pet Silvy. As I did, I felt her ears perk up. I looked down at her and saw her eyes widen as she stared off into the direction of the forest. Her tail began to twitch. I tried to follow her gaze but only saw those two fireflies floating gently above the grass. The moon was hidden behind the clouds tonight, and it was hard to see without its light. I assumed she had spotted some bug to hunt and let myself relax again, despite her twitching tail.

I closed my eyes and took a nice deep breath. Trying to ground myself in this peaceful moment with some gentle breathing exercises; I focused on the smell of the night air. My nose filled with the woodsy scent of the forest and just a hint of… was that sage?

At that same moment, Silvy leapt off my lap so quickly she nearly knocked the wine glass out of my hand, and bolted inside. I glanced out, again, to where she had been staring and then did a quick double take.

HB: Huh, where did those two fireflies go? 

AB: Those were NOT fireflies. That was a pair of eyes staring at us from the grass!

HB: Haha, very funny. The anxiety brain is playing a trick on us. I don’t see anything there now.

AB: Okay, time for bed! Let’s go. Hurry up! Why aren’t you moving?!

Before I could do anything else, I heard a snap in the opposite direction. I spun around just as a human like shadow ducked into the grass about 50 yards away from the cabin. I stood up, sharply bumping the side table as I did so, which sent the wine glass crashing to the porch floor. The shattering of the glass sounded louder in my ears as adrenaline heightened my senses.

Slowly, I backed up toward the cabin door as I scanned the area where the shadow disappeared.

“Who’s there?!” I yelled into the darkness. Nothing answered. Not even a cricket chirp.

AB: Oh this is bad guys, this is bad! We gotta get inside.

HB: No, we need to see what’s out here. 

I took one hesitant step closer to the edge of the porch and called out, “Show yourself!” My voice was louder this time, though it wavered slightly. 

The figure rose from the grass and started to walk toward the cabin, taking one step at a time. Their shoulders were squared yet slightly slouched inward. They were holding something I couldn’t yet see. I reached behind me for the doorknob, afraid to take my eyes off the shadow eerily approaching. As I did this, his posture changed slightly, as if aware I might escape, his pace quickened.

As the moon broke through the clouds, he paused, and I saw the glint of metal in his hands. It took me a moment to register that the moonlight had reflected off the shotgun barrel he had trained on me.

In that split second, the world was silent and it seemed time stood still. There was a strange little pipe-like modification attached just behind the ejection port of the gun. Without taking his finger off the trigger, he brought his lips to the metal pipe and blew. 

HB: Is he using a whistle?

AB: I knew it! There are more of them!

HB: That would make sense if we could HEAR it.

CB: They’ve come to silence us for what we saw last night!

HB: How could he get reinforcements if that dumb thing doesn’t make a sound?

WB: MAKE IT STOP!!!

Finally, I began moving back toward the door again. “Please, I don’t want any trouble.” I said quietly as my voice caught in my throat. Fear threatened to overtake me, but I was finally touching the door handle.

The man, who was now about 15 feet away from the cabin, knew I would make it into the cabin before he could take another step. However, with his finger still on the trigger of his 12 gauge shotgun, I knew he would fire the moment I opened the door.

***Lia’s POV***

After that intense reading, I really wanted to see Dakota. I had originally intended to just show up as my wolf self, looking as non-threatening as possible in hopes to build some trust with Dakota. I figured the worst thing that could happen would be that she gets scared and calls, well, me tomorrow to come check things out again. Maybe it would also give a reason to bring up werewolves again.

I could see Dakota sitting on the porch as I approached the edge of the prairie. She looked so relaxed, just swinging back and forth, sipping what I assumed to be a glass of wine. I wonder what wine is her favorite, I thought to myself. I didn’t want to frighten her so I kept my distance but I swear she was looking right at me. Just then, I heard a small twig c***k on the other side of the cabin.

Shit! I thought to myself. A hunter. They’ve never been this close before! I had to think fast. I could feel my wolf practically forcing its way towards Dakota, desperate to protect her. I had to think of the bigger picture though, what if he isn’t alone? If they saw where I left the woods, they may be able to figure out the location of my pack… 

Frankie, Hunters are at her cabin. I mind-linked. Someone needed to know what was going on, just in case things went south.

What do you mean? 

I mean--

Before I could finish that thought, a high pitched tone, only a canine could hear, pierced the air. I could barely think, the sound agitated my wolf so much I was practically shaking. This was the hunter’s secret trick to identify a wolf in human form.  When we had examined one we had found on the body of a dead hunter, it looked like a modified dog whistle. After testing it on a pack member who had been brave enough to volunteer, we found that the tone calls the wolf from within just enough for subtle aspects of the wolf to flash across the face. The shift only lasts half a second, but when used by a trained hunter, that’s still half a second too long.

One thing we found was that no wolf was immune. Every wolf tested in human form, showed themselves. She’d be dead in a matter of seconds.

My wolf refused to let that happen and I charged forward without hesitation, pushing the sound as far out of my mind as I could. When the sound finally ended,  I noticed... no shot came. Her wolf hadn’t shown somehow.

There was no stopping my momentum. Even though the hunter was surely satisfied she was human; he most definitely would have heard me charging toward him and I’d be staring down the barrel of his gun in another split second if I wavered. 

I saw the flash from the barrel but  I heard no sound as my teeth made contact with the hunters arm. A ringing in my ears broke the moment of silence. I felt the burning sting in my shoulder from the little pellets that pierced my thick hide when the shotgun shell exploded. Pure adrenaline coursed through me as I pinned him down with my paws and he lost his grip on the gun which fell just out of reach. I grabbed hold of his throat with my mouth and bit down, hard. He struggled for a moment, then laid still.  It was over in seconds, this hunter was no match for an Alpha wolf. Not alone anyway.

I sniffed the air, searching for any signs of other werewolf hunters but after almost a full minute of silence, I felt certain my Dakota was safe. Dakota! I looked down at the gruesome sight of the bloody hunter, suddenly worried what she would think of wolves now. What would she think of me?

The pain in my shoulder was too much. Wolves are notorious for healing fast, but this was a professional wolf hunter, and I needed to be certain he hadn’t shot me with silver. I looked to my mate one last time before turning back to the wood. She is safe, before turning to go back to the forest, limping. For now.