tears of the wolf (original version)

Tears of the Wolf: Chapter 3:
First Meeting – The Hunt

          Toura gasped in pain as his
shoulder blades shifted harshly under his skin.

          “Shit…,” he muttered, fighting to stay conscious as his
body changed against his will. At first, the transformation felt odd. His teeth
growing into fangs and the fine black fur on his body itched, but then the
bones started to change and move. It style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>hurt.

          ‘Girls ain’t got anything to
whine about.’ He always thought when he was still there. But then, his mind
faded into the abyss of the wolf.

          Blood.

          The beast moved through the light mist of the woods like a
shadow.

          Blood, the very air stank of it. It raised its head to
sniff at the air.

          There! A strong musk, a scent that smelled like blood and roses,
so strong it was overpowering.

          Its black ears perked at a sound, too soft for a human to
hear.

          A haunting howl pierced the night air. Ice and fear settled
quickly on the wolf’s mind and it ran for the thick bushes in recognition.

          Okami stood up in his bush cover,
startled as he heard a wolf howl from far away. He sniffed the air.

          ‘That’s the smell… it’s the same, but stronger. It’s
nearby! I can feel it!’ In his passion, Okami grabbed
his gun and ran to the source of the call.

          The black wolf sniffed at the air, slowly skulking,
cautiously, out of its hiding place. The smell was still there, but was much
farther away. Now, another smell filled the thick air, a lighter smell, fear. class=GramE>Prey. Need and hunger covered it’s
senses and it hunted.

          There in the clearing: a bull moose. Deep inside, it missed
hunting man in its earlier years. Hunting animal was too easy, the thrill of
the hunt nearly nonexistent.  Now, it
seemed it only hunted to fill the emptiness in its stomach. But there was
something inside him, a certain angry, feared revulsion when he saw a human.
That something told him that it was wrong no matter how good the flesh laden in
blood tasted. There was a voice inside that said “no!” So, it could only hunt
this way.

          The moose bent down to eat the luscious grass that coated the
woods’ floor when the wolf pounced. Its jaws closed around its throat like a
steel bear trap; it would not let go until its fangs were deep into the meat,
and take its long throat out. It watched the moose go down, its blood lust
growing. Satisfied with the size of its prize, it gorged.

          Okami stopped in his pace as he
smelled blood in the air. Panicked, he ran through the brush, not minding the
minute scratches on his bare arms, neck, and face. If the wolf had fed on
human, he would be too late to do anything about it. If it was an animal, he
could use that to his advantage and wait until the monster had filled itself
and was too sated.

          Okami stopped and kneeled behind
a large blackberry bush. Without making any sudden movements or noises, he
pushed back the branches.

          ‘There you are!’ Okami stared at
the large black wolf, feasting on its latest kill.

          ‘Dammit, it’s not the one. But,
it’s still a monster,’ he aimed at its flank and fired with precision.

          The beast howled in pain and snarled in Okami’s
direction. The hunter emerged from the bush and aimed again. The werewolf
stared at him placidly.

          Okami’s finger tensed on the
trigger as he lowered his gun.

‘Why won’t you run? Why won’t
you attack?’ The wolf continued to stare, waiting…

          Okami raised his gun and pulled
the trigger one last time.

End Chapter 3

I know, I suck.