Rejection

Chapter 10 - Trust

---Kyle's POV---

The soft thudding of paws hitting the floor made my ears swivel before the sound stopped. I dared to glance to the side from where I was crouched in the foliage, eyes meeting with the two Alpha males and their Betas heeling a few steps behind.

Looking back ahead, I huffed a breath as I realized the deer hadn't noticed the extra additions. I knew that Tristan had said that if I were hungry, all I had to do was ask, but I'd rather hunt for myself.

My leg no longer hurt and it was time to put it to the test anyways. I've been roaming the woods for a suitable prey for a good while, ignoring other wolves that were on patrol. They had kept a close eye on me but seemed to realize what I had been up to, as they had kept quiet.

And now it seemed that I had an audience for the upcoming hunt. I had to bite back a growl, feeling my stomach roll slightly as the familiar hunger gnawed at it. I was used to trying to ignore it, especially close to pack wolves but I couldn't let this opportunity slip.

Besides, if I proved I was capable of feeding myself, they would realize they could let me go with a clear conscious. My paws were digging into the soil as my body reacted on instinct, darting after the small deer.

The pain in my leg was minimal, allowing me to simply pursue the deer without having to try and run it down. I kept close on it, hearing the other wolves give chase and unintentionally joining in on the hunt.

Grumbling to myself, I slowed down, letting the others give chase to the deer while I huffed and turned back towards the pack house. I knew it was just in their instinct to help in the hunt but it irritated me.

Even more annoying than that was the fact that I was still hungry. I heard a crunch of leaves and swiveled my ears, glancing behind to spot the massive grey wolf that was silently following me.

Drake.

I huffed, choosing to ignore him as I sniffed at the floor to pick up another scent. I didn't waste all that time lying in ambush, simply to go home hungry and being forced to beg for food scraps.

My ears perked at the slight scuffle in the foliage, body freezing when a fat hare hopped into view. It nibbled at a strand of grass before shaking out its front paws, licking at them to clean his fur.

A small meal but it'll do just fine...

Slowly, I inched forwards, eyes on the prey as it cleaned itself before pausing. The second it kicked the floor and bolted, I was after it, hearing Drake in hot pursuit.

Hares were tricky to catch and this time I appreciated the presence of another wolf, for the hare didn't know that Drake wasn't interested in the hunt. The mere bulk of the wolf was enough for the hare to be blocked off, avoiding his presence.

It hooked and weaved, nearly tripping me up twice when I came close enough to snag a tuft of its fur between my teeth. I skidded through the dirt, digging my claws in as I turned as quickly as possible before running after the hare.

Drake was observing closely, letting out a surprised bark when the hare darted beside him, forcing me to jump over his massive frame. It spooked the hare, which quickly jerked to the side but shrieked when I managed to snag its hind leg between my teeth.

Shoving it to the ground, I quickly ended its life with a bite to its fragile neck, dropping it to the floor as I panted. My leg was radiating with pain but I had never felt so successful as of that moment.

The surgery must've fixed some of the issues because I would've bailed out of the hunt a lot sooner in the past. Lying beside the hare, I panted for a while to cool off and catch my breath, glancing at Drake as he simply sat down and observed.