|Chapter 3: Confusing Thoughts|

Trista was sleeping peacefully beside me after another long day of hunting. While she had hunted I had got up and tried walking. I couldn’t walk very far. Despite my bragging the night before, Trista had really pushed me to my limits. She was quick on her feet but that was all I was about to admit to her.

As she slept it gave me time to really think. When she was awake there was always the possibility that she would hear me thinking about her and that’s the last thing I wanted her to know.

Really, in all honest truth, I think I may have imprinted on her.

I have no flippin clue why! Or why I didn’t feel the same way before. I’ve known Trista for the better part of my life and we were even werewolves together but I never felt the need to stay close to her and keep her safe. Not like I did now.

When she left me to hunt I found myself worried that she wouldn’t come back.

But then I would realize that that wasn’t what I was worried about. I was fairly certain that she wouldn’t leave but what if something else restrained her from coming back? What if she met a hunter or a vampire in these woods. Would she be able to defend herself? Would she be able to call out to me for help? I doubted it. Since she had that… disability.

I puzzled over that fact for a while. What was wrong with Trista anyway? She was a werewolf like the rest of the pack, she transformed the same way, she wasn’t the only female- I paused in my thoughts.

She wasn’t the only female; she was one of two. What if Trista wasn’t the odd one out?

I jolted in surprise as I noticed that the resting she-wolf beside me was no longer resting. She was, in fact, looking up at me with a blank look.

I tried to argue back. She shouldn’t think of herself as an accident. ‘You can’t know that! Maybe females are supposed to have the resistance that you have and Leah’s really the freak. Like that would surprise anyone.’

She snorted as she stretched out her paws. I had never noticed what a pretty shade of brown her fur was. A cinnamon kind of color; like her human hair.

The tone in her voice told me that the conversation was over. Reluctantly, I stayed quiet but I silently vowed to myself that I would hear her so-called “theories” one day or another.

Trista stood up and shook her fur as she said, ‘I’m going hunting again. Anything that you want in particular?’

I shook my head.

She snorted again before turning to run.

For one crazy moment, I wanted to tell her to stop. I wanted her to stay beside me instead of running into potential danger. I didn’t care so much for food as long as I knew that she was safe.

But then she was gone before I could do anything. I thought of calling out her name but quickly fought the urge away. She couldn’t know about this. I wouldn’t let her find out. I still wasn’t sure what had gotten into me. I sighed and lay my head down on my paws. I felt so confused.

My ears and head raised up in surprise. She could tell that I was upset? But I thought that she couldn’t read into my thoughts.

I did as she said and it was true. I could see the forest running by me as I hunted the scent of fresh meat. I could feel the adrenaline of the hunt and my mouth was watering with anticipating juices.

But suddenly I wasn’t in the forest anymore. I was alone in a dark little house. The curtains were drawn on all of the windows and the doors were locked. I was backed into a corner and curled into a ball. I felt completely crushed and completely alone. She was gone. She wasn’t coming back. He didn’t care. He doesn’t notice anything beyond himself. I felt so many things all at once. Anger, grief, anguish, hatred, loneliness, helplessness, hopelessness. It was almost too much to handle and then… the door unlocked.

In the next instant I was back in the cave with a massive headache. It felt like a steel door had been dropped on top of my head. I tried to talk to Trista, worried that something had happened to her.

She was growling. I could hear her with my sensitive ears and I could sense it through her thoughts as she answered me.

‘What’s going on?’

‘It’s just a group of hunters. Nothing I can’t handle. But you getting in my way will not help me so just stop talking for a while.’

‘Trista-’

‘I said shut it!’

I tried reading into her mind and saw what she saw instantly. I was crouching behind some bushes watching half a dozen men examine the ground. All of them were carrying guns and from what I could hear, they were searching for a large wolf that had been sighted in this area. They were discussing what a wolf skin that large would be worth.

Unconsciously, I started to growl in time with Trista. If they thought for a moment that I would let them hurt her…

‘Psh. Suit yourself.’

A gun shot was heard to accompany Trista’s cry of pain. I jumped to my feet and immediately started sprinting towards her scent which was mixing with the scent of fresh blood. She had been shot; no doubts about it.