Secret Lives

Chapter 20, Last Night

Chapter 20

‘You answer something first.  How did one of our own end up teaming up with a hunter in the first place’?

My initial judgement was right about this wolf; he was clever in who he would trust.

The way his eyes darted between myself and Mitch like he was expecting something to happen did not go unnoticed.

‘Sonya left the hunters, and has been helping us out ever since.  We’re looking into an old friend of hers, I’m sure you can guess the rest’.

The way the female wolf shrank away from my gaze, her eyes shifting to the ground like she wasn’t paying attention bothered me; her fur gently brushing against the side of the man’s leg.

‘I still reckon you two are on a suicide mission but who I am to stop you?  Hell, my name’s Vince, this here is Rosy’.

Being able to put a name to the face made the atmosphere calmer but I could sense Vince was still on edge.

Giving a brief nod to Rosy, I noticed how she saw my small movement, her already small form shrinking further behind Vince.

Mitch was quick to make a friendly exchange, pulling the backpack close around his shoulders, the men settling in like they were best buddies as I waited for some sort of command or something.

Lifting my nose to the air, my fur began to bristle.  Something was coming and had both my wolf and myself unsettled and the way Rosy curled around Vance, I was sure she could sense it too.

The hunters had started searching; it would only be a matter of time until they found us…….

‘Sonya; we’re sticking with these guys for the meantime, follow me’.

Trotting to catch up, I could see in the corner of my eye, a small brow raise on Vince’s face as I began to scan the area ahead expecting someone to jump out.

Head now held high I didn’t bother to pay attention to whatever the guys began talking about, words about wolves and packs or something.

It seemed we were now following the wolves tracks roughly, another scent hitting me as I ducked my head down now sniffing the ground to see if I could figure out exactly where this wolf was headed.

The scent was all too familiar, my wolf picking up on it before I could as I stopped hearing the others stop to question me before I let out a low snarl.

‘What is it Sonya’?

I noted that way Mitch didn’t ask out loud; that small fact telling me he knew we’d come across someone bad.

‘Your friends were being followed by a hunter; he’s heading this way now’.

Now shutting out the trio behind me, I knew Mitch had warned them as I prepared for battle, this whole scene seeming so surreal as I realised this was me only weeks ago I was about to attack.

Moving slowly forward as I crouched into a stalking position, I knew how these wolves fought and I knew how this wolf would attack me.

The hunters acted on surprise, a small technique the humans had taught us well as I simply waited for the wolf to take the bait and charge at the people I was about to protect.

Sensing him coming closer, I did not hesitate to halt his tracks, my body flying out from the scrubs as I took off in a forward movement, my eyes already catching sight of him up ahead.

I was right to think this wolf acted on surprise, his body moving out of my way as he glided past almost gracefully, the shiny metallic of the collar he wore reminding me he would soon be followed.