As his claws dug into the soft grass, a soft rumble grew in his chest, one of contentment as he pawed at the ground instinctively, shaking his head, his mane flowing freely around him, Fox allowed a soft purr to break free before he loped off in his hunt for prey.
He’d slept longer than he’d wanted, the accumulated weakness of lack of food and his injuries sustained the previous day had more an effect than he would have liked. He preferred to hunt early but it was now late morning, and he would have to have his wits about him in case the rogues were also up and about. He wasn’t worried about one or two Wolves, he could deal with those easily, but if there was a pack of them, then he could be in trouble.
Fox used every one of his enhanced abilities as he moved stealthily through the forest. For an animal of his size, he was silent as a mouse, and so far, he found no sign of any other Shifters nearby. No new signs that is. There were plenty of old ones, both Pack and renegade, all over the damn place, so his senses were on high alert. His hearing was picking up everything all around, his eyes scanning the minutest movement, his nose taking in every scent from the wildflowers that were in abundance, to the scat of every creature that lived in the area. He could separate every single aroma, from the pleasant to the not so pleasant, and the downright nasty like the rotting carcass that was lying in the brush off to his left. Damn, that was rank.
His nose twitched at the stench as he pushed on past it and finally caught a whiff of a deer. Honing in on it, he veered off toward it and hoped no other predator was in the area. He needed this and didn’t want to get into a fight for his food. He was too tired, too grumpy, and too dang hungry. If anyone got between him and this deer he’d tear into them without a moment’s thought, and then go straight on and grab him some brunch. Yeah, that was his plan and nobody better get in his way. Not if they wanted to stay in one piece that is.
Swerving around a gigantic oak he caught sight of the deer, it was smaller than he would’ve liked, but it would have to do, and unfortunately it was on its own so he didn’t have the choice of going after another. Dropping to the ground he listened carefully for signs of the rest of the herd but they were nowhere nearby. Damn. He’d much prefer something larger than the one he was looking at, but needs must be met, so he crawled forward, staying upwind of the animal that was grazing lazily under the sun in the small meadow.
The sight was beautiful, the land he was on was stunning, and in another life, he might ponder staying longer, but with rogues prowling free and his funds low, Fox knew it was time to move on. But first he needed to feed. He was thin and growing weak from lack of food so this deer was his, and after he’d eaten he would try and find another before heading back to pack up and leave for good. As that thought entered his head, a vision of the white Wolf from his dreams of the night before slammed through his brain, causing him to pause and shake his head.
What the hell? He thought as the sight shimmered and faded slowly. You’re losing it. He told himself. Too long without food. He refocused on his prey who was none the wiser of his presence. Fox tensed his massive hindquarters, his muscles bulging in readiness for the sprint to close the short distance between him and the deer. His long legs would eat up the earth and he’d be on the beast before it knew it was even in danger. Just the way he liked it. He wanted a good, clean kill. One that was over as quickly as possible so he could devour it and get on his way to find something else to eat and sate his hunger.
The sooner he was on his way the better. The longer he stayed here, the more chance there was he’d run into those renegades again.
Launching himself forward, he sprang out of his hiding place silently, and was almost upon the deer before it was aware of his threat. He heard the moment it became conscious of him, its heart thudding wildly in its chest as its head whipped around, eyes wild with fear as its dainty feet skidded trying to gain purchase on the damp grass. That brief pause was all it took for Fox to take a flying leap and land on his terrified prey, his gigantic jaws encompassing its neck and snapping it as easily as a twig. As its blood gushed inside his mouth, the heady metallic liquid alighted his taste buds like a tasty wine as the body collapsed beneath him.
He wasted no time in ripping into the carcass, tearing it apart with teeth and claws, a delectable delight as he feasted on the young deer. Every part was consumed with relish, his favorite pulled from the beast and left until last . . . the liver. Once there were only bones and hide lying on the
