Corruption MxM

Chapter 3

Darkness slowly settled, signifying the passing of another day. My paws threaded the floor carefully, ears focused on the slightest of sounds. The night would provide me the necessary cover to sneak in and try to count the inmates, pinpoint their location before going back to the den.

A branch broke in the distance and I instantly jumped into the trees, hanging from my claws. Pressing myself against the bark, my eyes landed on a growling Jaguar that seemed all too familiar.

Holding my breath, I watched him pass by before I started in a run, jumping from branch to branch. He definitely heard me and only snarled in annoyance, no doubt his inner animal wanting to give chase and kill a smaller predator.

I only stopped running when I heard several voices ahead, along with several exotic scents. Slowly creeping closer, I pushed past a few leaves and halted, the reflection of several campfires dancing off of my face.

"Curse the gods..."

All I felt was shock and fear. I had thought there might've been a small group of inmates but as I looked around the massive clearing, I couldn't see the edge of the encampment, my eyes roaming over several separate camps, each with their own function.

I could see several wooden huts that clearly served as a sort of cafeteria, since I saw several shifters eating at bamboo tables, steam simmering over several makeshift pots. My nose twitched with all the different scents and I sneezed once.

Several shifters were in their animal form; housecats weaving in-between the legs of larger felines, a few wolves play fighting while avoiding the docile swipes of a Kodiak bear.

I gulped slightly as I also noticed that there were several non-shifters on the island, mainly vampires. My knees clicked together as fear settled in, realizing that there was no way I could live the rest of my life on this island without falling prey to one of these men.

"Stop it Benjamin. You need to focus on the present and not the possible future!" I scolded myself and slowly ventured around the camp, memorizing every part of the camp. When I spotted four men I recognized, I stalked through the branches and shrubs, making sure that my approach was dead silent.

Fin, Erin and the unknown two shifters walked towards the only hut that wasn't swarmed with shifters or clutter. At their approach, the group of unruly men quieted down until all I could hear was the intakes of air and the single, quiet knock that pierced through the silence.

I didn't notice I was holding my breath like all the others until my lungs were screaming for air. The world spun before I took a few deep, calming breaths and laid down on the branch. The door opened and I noticed Erin taking a deep, shaky breath before entering.

My eyes widened when everyone seemed tense as the silence became more pressing until there was a low yowl and Erin dashed out, clumps of fur fluttering in the air. Everyone stepped away from the fleeing leopard, even his friends who had teased him before.

The door slammed shut with a resounding echo, making me shiver on the spot. Just what was this boss of the inmates?

I decided that this was enough for now and turned tails. My body was low to the branches as I leapt from tree to tree, checking over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't followed.

The next following days were spent with locating and cleaning my new burrow, which was higher up in the trees but also closer to the inmates and looking for food. There was no way I could sneak in the camp and steal a chunk of meat without a gang of angry inmates running after me.

I did however steal a few necessities, like a change of clothes. My clothes has all washed away in the sea and I didn't want to be caught in the nude by any of these men. Standing up in the tree, I huffed and rubbed the sweat of my brow before looking at my handiwork.