Interstellar
6

By midday, the rain had stopped and Leon, with a couple of other wolves, set off into the woods. He had not seen Nova since slipping into her suite in the night, or his mate for even longer. He was anxious and brimming with anger, a combination that could only be cured by physically draining himself dry.

“Cohen, Elise, scout ahead. I saw elk this morning across the river.” The pair shifted and ran off, their feet silent against the damp ground. Leon picked up their clothing and threw it into the knapsack across his back. He then turned to look at the preteens behind him. “Once we reach the river, you will practice your tracking skills to find our scouts. Salem, you will track Cohen. Laken, you will track Elise. They will stay together at first, but their paths may split as they near our prey. Let’s go.” Leon stayed behind his children as they ran further into the forest. They were not shifting yet, but their senses were heightening by the day.

Elise was the first to spot the elk grazing along a tree line in the distance, the sparce forest creeping up the side of a mountain. The landscape had turned into rolling hills with grasses tall enough to disguise the wolves. Cohen followed Elise’s gaze and softly huffed. They split, each planning their approach from opposite sides. They moved as whispers through the tall grass.

Leon’s children found the river by following tracks, however after crossing the tracks would soon disappear into a field of dropseed, the dense grass appearing to move in waves in the wind. The river was narrow at this crossing, one the pack frequently used to catch salmon, and the kids were able to easily jump across a path of flat rocks to reach the other side with Leon just behind.

“You did well following their paw prints, but now it’s time to use your noses.” Leon scanned the distance and observed slow-moving trails in the field ahead. He could smell the elk but could not yet see them. He observed the kids raising their noses to the wind and breathing deeply. “Should we continue together or split?”

Laken was the first to respond, “We stay together! They didn’t split up at the river, so neither do we.” Leon was proud of his daughter’s quick assessment. What she lacks in size, she makes up for with her senses.

“I was gonna say that, too, Dad!” Salem asserted.

Leon ruffled his son’s hair and grinned, “Then you should have said it first. Let’s keep moving.” Leon watched the kids dart into the grass, tall enough to brush their shoulders, and kept low as he followed. He did not need to see them to know they were headed in the right direction. After a few hundred yards, Leon could tell the paths were about to split.

Laken was the first to backtrack. not only had the scents changed, but she no longer heard her father behind her. She turned and saw him standing 10 yards back. “Salem,” Laken growled, “it’s time to split. Do you know where Cohen went?”

“He kept going straight, right, Dad?” Salem turned to his father, who shook his head. Disappointed, Salem focused on his surroundings before pointing to his left, “He circled that way.”

“Correct. Laken, which way did Elise go?” Leon watched his daughter point toward the tree line to her right and then sweep her arm to indicate she would follow the edge of the prairie's grasses. “Good, good. Keep going!”

The kids mimicked the pincer technique taken by the older wolves. After 20 minutes the kids reached their scouts. Leon had taken the direct course, staying between his children. He shifted, grabbing his clothing and knapsack in his mouth, and trotted toward his daughter. He passed her the belongings, bared his teeth at his scout, and returned to his position in the depths of the field. He released a low bark and continued toward his prey, confident that his scouts were falling into formation.

Salem had a better view of the hunt from his spot in the grass. His sister was against the outside curve of the tree line. he watched his father, so large and powerful, break out into a sprint a few meters from the herd. Leon barreled toward a large elk with a lame leg. It ran toward the forest, only to face Elise’s snarling maw. The pair flanked the animal as it attempted to escape, separating their prey from its herd. Cohen headed them off and leapt forward, tightly grasping the elk’s lame leg in his mouth, significantly slowing the creature. Leon was the first to snap around his prey’s neck, bringing it to the ground. Elise bit down from the other side and shook her head, her mouth filling with blood. In less than a minute the creature was limp. Salem screamed his excitement and ran toward his father. Laken followed suit and met up with the hunters just after her brother.

Leon and his scouts shifted back once Laken arrived to hand out their clothing. The creature was large, too large to carry back intact, but easy enough to carry in pieces. Leon dug through his knapsack and removed a large hunting knife. he made quick work of field dressing the carcass before breaking it down into manageable sections. It would take a few trips, but Leon was confident in the ability of his betas. On their last trip, he sent his children to return to camp with the scouts.

The hunt had helped with his anger, but Leon could not yet bring himself to return home. He imagined walking into his house, the guest suite empty and missing Nova’s scent. It was worse than the thought of facing her and whatever fury she had to direct his way. There were no positive outcomes of returning home, and the thought was enough to make him scream. A painful howl echoed against the mountains. he couldn’t describe why Nova was different than the other women who had joined his marital bed, but he knew the feelings she brought out in him. He wanted to protect her, to fight her battles, to get vengeance for her past heartaches. He wanted to live in her - heart, mind, and body. She was bright like a summer day, bringing him warmth and bountiful beauty. She was soft, like a dandelion in August, but he dearly hoped not as fragile. He craved redemption in her eyes, but knew it was not deserved.

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