Page 6 of Monster's Hunt

There had been no sign of a storm when I left the house that morning, or even when I ate my late lunch, but I couldn’t deny the fact that there was one breathing down my neck now, and no chance of me making it back to the house. Already, fat drops of rain were falling, and it had grown so dark I could barely see past the edge of the trees.

With no other option, I put my back to the mountains and ran for cover. The darkness beneath the trees was only broken by flashes of lightening, and I slowed my pace so I wouldn’t trip. Wracking my brain for somewhere I could take shelter, I realized I didn’t even know where I was since I’d walked farther than I ever had before.

The temperature was dropping as the storm grew fiercer, and with the clouds and darkness hiding any glimpse of the mountains, it would be easy to get lost. Stumbling around in the woods, soaking wet and freezing, did not sound like a good way to end my birthday. The trees offered some protection as I tried to head in the direction I thought I’d come from, but the wind was tossing the branches, sending random falls of raindrops to chill me.

Gritting my teeth and forcing myself to keep moving in as close to a straight line as I could, it wasn’t long before I had to concede defeat. It was so dark I couldn’t see my feet, and each shower of rain that broke through and wet me stole more of my warmth.

Pausing with my hand against the trunk of a giant tree, I tried to blink back tears. It was hard to make the decision to stay where I was instead of trying to push on to find shelter, but I had walked for the entire morning and into the afternoon, and I had no idea I there were any homes out this far.

Another crack of thunder overhead made me jump before I crouched down next to the raised root jutting at an angle from the old trunk. Back tucked into the corner they formed, I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them to help hold in my warmth. It wasn’t safe to keep going, and this was the best shelter I was going to find.

Sniffling, my gaze darted around at each creak and shuffle I heard as I strained to see what was around me. My head beginning to throb with the strain, and I finally squeezed my eyelids shut, ducking my head to lay it on my arms. I could only hope the tree that protected me would stand strong through the storm, and any predators in the area would be more worried about staying warm in their dens than looking for an easy meal.

Ignoring the warm tears rolling down my cheeks, I forced myself to take slow, deep breaths as I listened to the sounds of the storm. The occasional stray burst of raindrops still hit me, but the trunk of the tree protected me from the worst of the wind, and my exhaustion crept back in. Shivering and trying to ignore the feeling of being watched, I eventually drifted off, too tired to fight the pull of sleep.

Chapter Five

De’drik

Iwatched the omega huddled against the tree. I had been hunting when the sudden storm formed overhead, forcing me to give up the chase and head back to my camp. I’d come to the clearing just in time to see the female run for the trees.

I debated what to do as I watched her. She clearly didn’t have shelter, or at least none she could make it to in the dark since humans didn’t have good eyesight, and I hadn’t scented anyone else with her before the rain washed away any chance of smelling anything. I knew there was a human village nearby, but finding an omega alone in the woods seemed too lucky to trust.

But I couldn’t leave her to suffer through the storm.

Standing from my crouched position, I rolled my shoulders and flicked rain from my ears. I had been alone for many seasons and generally liked it that way. Once I’d done my part on the lodge for the new omegas in the clan, Vir’doth’s tale of a great water and strange human settlement had drawn me to this new territory. I hadn’t been looking for an omega, but I couldn’t walk away from her either.

Letting out a huff, I made my way to where the female huddled, making sure she could hear my steps so she knew I was coming, though the noise of the storm made it hard. At least the darkness would hide my form from her long enough that I could try to convince her I meant no harm.

When the little female didn’t look up, I cleared my throat, but there was still no response. Crouching a distance in front of her, I reached out to tap her shoe, but heard a snore rise from where her head lay on her arms.

Huffing again, I shook my head. Foolish female falling asleep in the middle of the forest, with no way to defend herself. Didn’t she know there were monsters here?

I laughed at myself before gently tapping a claw on her shoe. When she didn’t wake, I tapped again, before reaching farther to grip her ankle and giving her a gentle tug. The omega’s skin was chilled, and she mumbled a bit, but was clearly still asleep.

Not wanting to waste more time in the rain than I had to, I decided just to pick her up. It was a risk since she could wake and panic, but perhaps she wasn’t waking because she was ill.

The human was tiny compared to me and seemed to weigh less than the deer I had been hunting. I could feel the bumps of her ribs even through her clothing, and I frowned at what it could mean.

Was it illness, or neglect?

The stories I’d overheard from the omegas my clanmates had claimed proved humans didn’t cherish their omegas the way they should. Though the female stirred and mumbled in her sleep again, snuggling into my chest and pressing her breasts against me in a way that sent heat through my body to wake my shaft, her eyes remained shut.

Shaking my head, I strode in the direction of my camp, saying a prayer to the gods that the omega didn’t come down with a fever. Her dress wasn’t too wet since the trees had protected her from most of the rain, but I didn’t like how cold her bare arms felt against me.

I began to trot through the trees, trying to get to shelter faster. I couldn’t run as fast as usual while carrying the female, but I made it to my little camp just as the deluge really began, the rain too heavy for the leaves to hold back any longer. I’d found a shallow dugout at the base of the cliffs along the edge of the mountains, and while it wasn’t the same as a cave, it kept the rain off and gave me a dry spot to sleep when I wasn’t hunting.

I tucked the omega into the skins I’d used as a bed. She tried to cling to me, but she was too weak and uncoordinated in her sleep to resist when I untangled her fingers from my fur. Building up the fire to ward off the chill in the air, I tried to figure out how she ended up in the forest alone. She could have been searching for the vegetation humans ate, but she was quite far from the big village beside the river.

I studied her as she slept. She’d curled up on her side, making herself appear even smaller. She looked and smelled old enough to have gone into heat, but there was no claiming mark, nor the scent of an alpha on her. Either she hadn’t cycled yet, or something had prevented her from being claimed.

I saw her shiver again, but I had nothing left to cover her with. My kind didn’t feel the cold the way humans did, and I only had the few pelts I’d brought to help pad the ground when I slept. I had nothing left to offer other than my body heat, but if she awoke to me looming over her, she could panic.

The firelight played on her pale skin, her dark hair making her flesh seem even more colorless. Her face had a delicate shape, with a sharp chin and a thin nose, and I caught myself wondering what color her eyes were.

I pulled my gaze away from her, trying to ignore my straining erection. I hadn’t come in search of an omega, and while she was tempting, I wouldn’t take advantage of her while she slept. Once she woke, I’d make sure she was okay, then…

I wasn’t sure.

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