The Wolf of Dorian Gray - A Werewolf Spawned by the Evil of Man

Chapter 12 - The Hunt Part 1

Night descended on the wolf's hunting ground. That territory had been growing wider and moving closer to the heart of the city. The forests had recently provided fewer animals to sustain his hunger. Many had been massacred by the wolf and the rest had learned his scent and now gave him a wide berth. Some had abandoned their habitat entirely. The caged prey-animals on the outskirts of the city no longer offered any challenge for the wolf, nor any pleasure in the kill. They were also becoming increasingly better defended by the men that lived in the surrounding villages.

As a result, the wolf had taken to ranging through the stone buildings and paved streets of the town, in pursuit of more challenging prey. He would now take the occasional Bulldog or an unattended carriage horse. Whenever possible, he would stick to the shadows or move amongst the trees of the parks and green areas. Avoiding the detection of man was quite easily done for the cunning beast. If the slightest scent or sound indicated the approach of someone, he could fall onto all fours and lope away at a terrific speed. If needed he would leap high onto buildings and move across the rooftops. His long claws and powerful legs provided all the purchase needed for climbing.

It had been far too long since the wolf had last eaten and the insistent hunger was upon him yet again. The wolf moved through the darkened streets silently. He had the scent of a cart horse and followed along as it moved across the cobbled road. However, he dared not take the animal while the man sat astride the carriage attached to it. After a few more kilometers, he gave up the pursuit to look for more suitable prey. He followed the fading tracks of a pack of stray dogs into an abandoned alley, but was frustrated to find them long gone from the area. It was possible that no sufficient food would be found this night.

The previous night, he had raided the London Zoo. The high iron bars had initially perplexed the wolf. They were stronger and taller than any of the wooden fences he typically encountered. As he circled the zoo, he eventually found a nearby tree that allowed him to jump the spiked fencing. The scents of many new and strange animals excited the wolf as he wandered among the enclosures.

Many of the larger animals seemed too costly to kill, like the fierce-looking hippo that was over three meters long and weighed nearly three thousand kilograms. Its hide was tough, not to mention it was mostly submerged in a pool of water as it brandished its fearsome tusks. The wolf was also tempted by the large male African elephant. Eventually, he was put off by the almost ten thousand kilogram weight and approximate four-meter height of the thing. The animal also had large tusks and would put up a vicious fight.

He finally settled for taking the striped female zebra that was slumbering in her roofless enclosure. The white and black animal awoke as the bulk of the wolf landed nearby after leaping the fence. She had less than a few seconds to scream and attempt in vain to flee, before the powerful jaws of her attacker ended her once peaceful life. The warm flesh sated his bloodlust. The wolf was able to devour the carcass almost entirely before the night watchman approached on his regular rounds, whistling a tune and swinging his lantern as he walked. The wolf was gone before the watchman knew what was happening.

On this night, the wolf was lurking amongst the tall beech trees in the park of a particularly poor area of town. He abruptly caught a familiar scent—the Master! He was nearby. The wolf ran across the gentle grass in the park and reached the border of the street. Ignoring all caution, the wolf continued to move towards the scent. His movements were brazen in the late hour of the evening and emboldened by the deserted silence of the road.

The wolf was only three meters away from the source of the smell when he stopped and realized his mistake. No, that was not the Master. His scent was there faintly, but it was overlaid onto a mate. The young female. She had recently been cast out from the pack. The stink of shame was upon her. He briefly considered taking her for his own mate, but that would displease the Master. Instead, he retreated behind the bushes and followed her silently, to see what she would do.

Sibyl had been distraught over the breakup for what had seemed like weeks. She could not get over the pain that Dorian had inflicted on her. The bitter tears fell like rain from the sky, leaving dark streaks to mire her otherwise pretty cheeks. A thousand thoughts whirled through her foggy mind. Foremost among them was the confusion and disbelief that her Prince Charming had shunned her. These were followed closely by a terrible emptiness in her heart, and an obsessive replaying of what she had done wrong.

She was so grief struck that it took several moments for her to remember how dangerous it could be to walk home alone in her neighborhood at night. The streets were eerily empty, but she had the nagging feeling that she was being watched. She came to a stop and turned slowly to look behind her. She could see very little from the dimly-lit lamps along the sizable park. She quickened her pace, fear temporarily replacing her wretched sadness. She thought she heard a sound behind her and turned around to look once more. This time, she could just make out two dark-red, glowing eyes. They were watching her amidst the trees and she could see the hazy outline of an enormous, black shape.