Rapture

Dinner

The Alpha takes a step towards me, and I take a step back.

"What do you want from me?" I ask again, raising my voice as loud as I dare.

"Plenty of things." A grin spreads in his bristly stubble, his four men echoing his amusement with ominous chuckles. "I'll tell you all about them in our way to the pack."

He raises his knuckles towards my cheek, and I take another step back.

"I'm not going with you!" I say, my muscles trembling in fear.

"Are you sure, would you rather we do it here?" He steps forward again, and my back hits the tree behind me when I retreat.

His hand raises again, and reaches my cheek this time. His fingers are gnarled and rough, with nails thick like claws even in his human form. I cringe against the tree.

"Krey," One of the men holding torches behind him speaks up.

"What is it, Ralph?" The Alpha grunts, shooting an irritated look over his shoulder.

"Look at this girl. No way she's the one who beheaded George." Ralph answers. Krey looks over me, and frowns.

"Guess you're right. Who's with you here girl?"

"I don't know..." I answer, and Krey's gaze hardens.

He wraps a handful of my hair in his fist, and presses my face hard against to the tree. The twisting pull at the roots of my hairs and the humiliating grind of my cheekbone against the white bark brings tears to my eyes.

"I'm done fucking playing!" He rasps at me; his spittle spraying my face. "Who else is living here?"

"I do." It's his voice that answers.

The pressure against my face relents, and I can look around to see what the werewolves are staring at.

He is standing straight with a huge white stag slung over his shoulder. The impressive animal's skull is split between eyes frozen dead in fear; leaking streams of red into pure white fur.

"What have you done..." Krey talks to him, and I feel his grip loosening about my hair. I glance at his face and see it twisted up in horror. His eyes shocked, nailed to the beautiful stag. "Mulha... The Great White Stag... The spirit guardian of our woods..."

"Yes." He replies, scarred arm unwrapping from around the stag, letting it drop to the earth.

"My dinner."