In Search of Myself

Part 1

"Here doggy, doggy." A soft sadistic voice cooed from nearby in the trees. I trembled silently and pressed my back against the rough tree bark behind me. I heard footsteps crunch on snow off to my left and I tucked my tail between my legs and resisted the urge to whimper. I knew if I made a sound that Breccan would be on me in an instant. The Alpha's eighteen year old son was just as cocky and narcissistic as his father. I feared for the day he would succeed his father to become Alpha. He would probably take after his father. Cassius was a cruel Alpha. 

He had the views that if you weren't strong you were worth nothing. He was sexist and women in his pack were treated like slaves. All but his precious wife, Merissa. She was treated like a princess. If she found something she didn't like about you then it would prudent of you to cower in fear. From the outside she was a dainty queen who seemed to only be concerned about superficial matters. Truthfully she was a cold ruthless bitch who wasn't above blackmail and treachery to get her way. 

I slowly backed up through the forest stepping on melting snow piles to avoid making sounds. Breccan had been bored of terrorizing the pack and decided it was time for some of his favorite game. Wolf Hunt. It was basically a game of hide and seek, with much more grievous consequences if they find me. Breccan and his friends against me. I started off with a score off fifty. For every minute I made it my score went down one. Once they found me they would give me one cut with a knife for every point I had left. Needless to say, it wasn't my favorite game.  

As a werewolf I healed quickly enough for it to not have lasting effects but who would want to be deliberately cut. Certainly not me. I threw my all into this game. Cassius helped Breccan make up the game the day after we arrived here. I have gotten good at Wolf Hunt but so has Breccan. I never escape unscathed. My attention was brought back to my surroundings when I heard breathing approach me. I quickly bounded away but my paw hit an unexpectedly deep snowdrift and I tumbled over.  

I quickly sprang to my paws and came eye to eye with a man. I held my breath as we stared at each other. It was Mark, who was one of Breccan's friends. He had shaggy blonde hair that always was tousled. He had hazel eyes and was currently sporting an indecisive expression. I waited to see what he would do, hoping that against all odds that he would let me go. Please. I begged him in my thoughts. I had caught him giving me pitying looks when no one was around before. His face smoothed out and I waited anxiously to know his decision.  

I let my breath out in a humph of relief as he slowly brought his finger to his lips and backs away and vanished into the depths of the forest. I hadn't known any of Breccan's acolytes had any good inside of them. It was nice to know they had a week link. I had approximately thirty minutes left of the game. I trotted to the South where the trees thickened. This would hide me more efficiently and also hinder their human forms if it came down to a pursuit.  

I stood still when I recognized a barrage of scents coming towards me. Lee, Jordan, and Breccan were heading my way at a steady jog which meant they had probably discovered my tracks. Damn. I growled slightly and loped off at a steady ground eating pace. I passed a bush and my tail snagged. I yelped in pain as a tuft of my fur yanked out and was left on the thorn bush. My momentary distraction cost me a lot of ground and they were fast catching up to me. I lengthened my strides into a flat out sprint. I weaved through the trees trying to throw them off. 

A hill crested in front of me and I leaped straight to the tope to conserve time. Until I tumbled down a fifteen foot drop I hadn't noticed that the other side of the hill sloped in a steep decline. I lay on my side at the bottom breathing heavily, winded from the impact. Before I could catch my breath the boys peered at me from the top of the hill. A few seconds later almost synchronized three thuds sounded as they jumped down around me. I climbed to my paws still breathing heavily. I glared at them. Lee averted his brown eyes from my green ones but Jordan gave me a cocky smirk as he retuned my eye contact.