Page 21 of Sohut's Protection

Hurrying back to where she had even more bones stashed, she grabbed what was left and began distributing them.

She was almost done when, suddenly, Wawa had stiffened on her shoulder, his gaze focused on the bushes ahead of them.

A cold chill went down Cleo’s spine.

She didn’t question it; she just moved in the opposite direction, heading for a foliage-covered ledge that overlooked this section of jungle.

That ledge was the one spot before the intruder came too close to her home and she prayed he’d turn back before then.

Running as quickly as her legs could take her, she dashed through the undergrowth.

Her bare feet moved over the uneven ground with ease, having had many months for the soles of her feet to harden. She didn’t pause to take a breath before she climbed atop the ledge, crawling on her belly as she settled herself.

And she was glad she didn’t falter because her gaze soon caught blue.

The frickin’ alien was heading her way.

4

The scent of the creature was growing stronger and Sohut stopped to inhale deeply.

Now that the scent was stronger, he could definitely say it wasn’t anything he’d ever smelled before.

Pausing, his ears perked as he scanned the area again.

Something white against the mud-orange earth caught his eyes and his gaze zoomed to the piece of bone protruding from the ground.

Moving over to the animal’s remains, he crouched and ran a finger against the whitened bone.

It was old and judging from the part of skull he could see, it was the bone of a great tym.

This tym died a long, long time ago.

But that wasn’t the problem.

The problem was that the only thing that could kill a tym in this jungle was a spined creature.

Pulling on the bone, it dislodged from the earth easily, a little too easily, and he turned it over in his hands.

The tell-tale teeth indentations left by when the spined creature buried its maw into the tym’s head were still there.

Frowning, Sohut paused to study the bushes around him.

He hadn’t scented any spined creatures. At least, not since he’d crossed that invisible barrier days ago.

If there was one, it had to be higher up on the mountain.

Setting the bone down, he stood, his tail swishing low on the ground behind him.

This was the point when many trackers would turn around and leave.

A spined creature wasn’t something to play around with and he would gladly live his life without ever encountering one.

Still…

Taking a deep breath, he sniffed the air again.

The alien creature’s scent was still there.

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