CHAPTER 05 - EASY PREY

I reached the highest possible point as nightfall approached, scanning the area below with my eyes in search of any sign of the wolf that was hunting me.

I knew that the countdown had already ended some time ago, and I heard soft branches breaking on the ground, unable to determine if they were coming from the beast that was searching for me or from another animal in the forest.

Likewise, I tried to calm my breathing until a deep, menacing voice echoed through the wilderness: “AAAA, little human, you're more cunning than I imagined, masking your scent!” A sinister laugh followed, “You've made things more interesting!”

I covered my mouth when I realized that its heavy paws were rapidly approaching me. I prayed in my mind, begging any available deity to make me invisible to my mortal enemy. “I'm going to find you, little mouse!” His growling and amused howl indicated he was clearly reveling in his games.

I attempted to climb even higher, fearing being seen. My feet slipped on the branch, causing it to crack. The crunchy sound reverberated through the forest, sending a chill down my spine. I hoped that his thirst for capturing me would distract him from the sounds emitted by the environment.

“I FOUND YOU, MY PREY!” Suddenly, I leaped from the branch, watching him effortlessly climb the tree. His movements were agile, his sharp claws digging into the trunk, keeping me a few meters away from the werewolf trying to reach me. I imagined those claws piercing my entrails, and the thought sent shivers of fear down my spine. I reached into my pocket and pointed the dagger in his direction.

“I won't die without a fight, do you hear me?!” I shouted a final promise. “I'll be strong for Conan!” I exclaimed, praying to my parents and my sister to grant me strength from wherever they were.

“Ah, human, that's exactly what I want. Fight until you wither away in my mouth, like a desperate deer fighting for its life!” The beast's eyes were dilated, almost black, and its fur stood on end. I had never seen such a large wolf—a wild beast salivating for its helpless prey. In the blink of an eye, he reached the branch that supported me. We were at least eight meters high. I edged closer to the end of the branch as he approached with subtlety.

“What's your escape plan, little bunny?” He snarled with his canines bared.

“Don't come any closer; I won't hesitate to hurt you with this!” I raised the stiletto in my hand, pointing it at him.

He laughed at my defensive posture and leaped over my body, forcefully bringing us to the ground. We crashed into some branches that cushioned our fall, but when we hit the ground, my head struck the grass, causing my senses to spin. The ruthless Alpha clamped his jaws around my already injured ankle, making me gasp in pain. He began dragging me through the forest, leaving a trail of blood pouring from my leg between his sharp teeth. I attempted to lift my body to attack him with the stiletto, but the head pain caused me to fall again, nearly passing out. I started kicking him with my other leg, forcing him to respond with more pressure in his bite. Meanwhile, my back was being scratched by the rocky and branch-filled ground. I grabbed a stone that had been knocked aside and kicked it with my free leg, making him look at me. I threw the stone directly at his snout, forcing him to release my leg and back away, as he shook his head and pawed at the injured spot.

Blood flowed from his snout, creating drops on his fur and threatening to stain his mouth. He stood in front of me and sat down, smiling. The blood made him even more menacing, and he ran his enormous tongue over his nose, tasting his own blood.

“Human, human, do you want to suffer before you die?” He growled through his teeth.

“Why don't you devour me right now?” I screamed. “I'd rather you kill me here and now than take me back to Conan and make him listen to my cries of despair as you devour me.”

“Is that what you're worried about?” He laughed. “You don't fear the pain of death?”

“I fear leaving an innocent like my nephew in the hands of a psychopath like you!” I pulled my injured leg, assessing it. The pain was unbearable, and my flesh was exposed. I wanted to scream and cry in pain, but I couldn't give in. I took off my shirt and wrapped it around my ankle, improvising a bandage and tying it. Contrary to what I had imagined, the wolf in front of me examined me without stopping my actions. His gaze was analytical, running over every inch of my body. Strangely, his eyes lingered on my breasts, partially exposed by the light lace bra. He stayed there for a few moments until I gathered the courage to taunt him.

“Now you're looking at me in a predatory way, but both give me chills!”

“Don't be conceited, humans. Maybe this is the only place with more flesh to savor when I devour you!” he said fiercely, threatening to bite me again.

“If you wanted me dead, you would have let those cemetery wolves kill me or would have killed me by the tree. But you're dragging me through the forest back to the cabin. Why?” I was intrigued. “Your threats didn't match your actions; you wanted me to feel fear, and I sensed there was a plan behind your actions.”

“I see that your resemblance to your sister goes beyond appearances,” he finally declared, transforming back into a man. “His beauty was indeed surreal; if it weren't for the agonizing pain and his thirst to kill me, I could have admired his sculpted body.”

“Now you're looking at me in a predatory way, human!” There was audacity in his slightly curved lips.

“Don't be condescending, Alpha King.” I ignored him, shrugging off his disconcerting comment.

He approached without asking for permission, picked me up in his arms, and began walking toward the cabin.

“Let me go! Weren't you going to devour me?” I squirmed, trying to break free from his strong arms, to no avail.

“You can crawl back with a broken ankle, or I can carry you in my mouth like a dead carcass!” There was an intensity lurking in the depths of his eyes that I couldn't decipher. I resigned myself to being carried, returning to the cabin, when he simply threw me to the ground.

“Ouch...” I complained. “Where's Conan?” I looked around with concern.

“He's not here anymore!” He stated it coldly.

“What did you do to him?” I tried to get up angrily, but the pain was too much, forcing me to stay where I was. “You gave your word!” I reminded him.

“He's fine and safe!” Finally, a wolf at the cabin entrance declared himself—the same one that had threatened me earlier.

“What do you intend to do with me?!” I exclaimed, trembling.

In the background, I heard distant howls coming from the forest, sounding like a pack of wolves announcing their arrival.

“What's happening?!” I shouted, looking at the Alpha, who was staring at the wolf that had been at the cabin's door.

“You, my prey, served as bait to lure your accomplices!” He replied sarcastically. “Accomplices? I have no accomplices, I've already told you... That's why you didn't kill me.” I looked at the Alpha, who had a bizarre fury in his eyes. “That's why you dragged me and left a trail of blood in the forest; you wanted them to sniff me out and find me!”