J U M P E R

C H A P T E R | T E N

As she rolled out of bed the next morning Kieran had an odd feeling in her gut. She couldn't tell if it was good or bad, only that it felt off. She tried to ignore it as she pulled on her boots and a thick flannel. She crept down the stairs and pulled a hat over her ears and slipped her jacket on. Kat came down a few moments later and they left.

The grass crunched beneath their feet as they walked to FHQ in tired silence. Kieran hadn't noticed how stressed she'd been the past week and it was catching up to her.

They met Tammy inside the basket room and gave her a silent greeting. Once they were back outside Kieran took a deep breath of the cold morning air. It had snowed the night before and everything was covered in a patchy blanket of white. They walked up the mountain trail when the rest of that morning's shift had made it outside.

There wasn't much to gather so late in the year so the three of them grabbed whatever they could find. They walked farther up the path to a grove Kieran had never been to before. The odd feeling in her gut intensified.

"So, Tammy," Kat began casually. "You'll never guess what today is." Kieran rolled her eyes.

"What day is it?" Tammy asked.

"It's our dear Kieran's eighteenth birthday."

Tammy looked to Kieran with a wide, excited smile. Kieran tensed when it changed into a teasing grin. The elder turned to Kat.

"I wonder what the chances of her having some fun tonight will be." Kat barked out a laugh and Kieran's cheeks flamed red.

"None," Kieran muttered in embarrassment and walked ahead.

Tammy and Kat laughed after her. They each branched off in a different direction to see if there was anything useful this far up the trail. So far, nothing.

Kieran's head whipped up as the sound of something heavy falling echoed in the trees. Kat and Tammy's light conversation stopped; they'd heard it too. Kieran noticed a shadow move in the dim light between the trees and stood to get closer. She stooped as it happened again.

"Kieran get—"

Tammy's warning came a fraction too late. A sandy coloured wolf darted out of the treeline, teeth bared, and pounced. Kieran was knocked flat on her back, her breath leaving her lungs. She heard rather than felt the figure on top of her shift. She beat his chest savagely, trying to get away. He delivered three swift punches to her left eye, breaking the skin. She screamed, loud and desperate, before she was silenced by a fist to her mouth.

Two howls went up simultaneously and whoever was on top of Kieran paused to snarl at Tammy and Kat.

The thundering of paws sounded through the trees and Kieran prayed it was the guard. It wasn't. Three more wolves broke into the clearing and two of them went after Tammy and Kat. Kieran took a breath before balling up her fists and driving them into the man's crotch. She screamed again and tried to get up. As she did so she tried to ignore the fact that she'd just punched a naked guy in the groin.

The unoccupied wolf turned to Kieran and snarled. As he was running at her another wolf jumped out of the trees and tackled it to the ground. More wolves arrived, swiftly outnumbering the four attackers.

A loud crack ripped through the clearing and the wolf on top of Tammy ran. Kieran bolted to her friend, angry tears stinging her eyes. Tammy's neck had four puncture holes all gushing blood.  Her neck was bent oddly, and her face was fixed in pained fear. She was dead. Kieran screamed and tried to hold on to Tammy as she felt hands trying to pull her away.

"Kieran, we have to go. We have to go," Kat told her.

She eventually pulled Kieran up and together they abandoned the clearing and ran down the trail. Dead bodies and trampled baskets littered the ground as they ran for home. A howl came from behind them and Kat sucked in a breath.