Read Online Hunted (Riley Cray) by A.J. Colby - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: A.J. Colby
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the edge of the forest behind our chalet, slipping into the shadows with ease. It wasn’t my forest, but the tangle of scents that filled my nose were familiar and comforting. The sweetness of pine surrounded me, overlaying the crisp scent of fresh snow and a clear, cloudless sky. Beneath it all was the dark, musty scent of damp earth and rotting leaves, and deeper still the mouthwatering aroma of small furry bodies filled with blood that would pulse hot and coppery against my tongue.
My paws flew over the ground, kicking up snow and dirt, as I moved through the trees in a flash of fur, letting the wolf override everything, pushing away my fear and fury. The wolf wanted to hunt, but I just wanted to run, to have the ground slide by beneath my feet. I cut through the trees, moving over rocks and downed trees as if they didn’t exist, the wolf’s acute senses letting me fly.
I ran until the sounds of civilization were just a memory, until the stink of humanity no longer invaded my nose, and the worries of my human life had been stripped away by the cool wind rippling through my fur.
When I came to a stop, my heart was hammering in my chest, and my heaving breaths curling on the air. Lifting my nose to the sky, I closed my eyes, letting the sounds and the scents of the forest surround me. They flowed over and through me as if I were as much a piece of the land as the rocks and trees that stood as silent sentinels.
I caught a scent, first as a faint whisper on the breeze, growing stronger as I focused on it. It was the scent of living flesh, hot blood flowing beneath warm fur, a strong heart beating with vitality. The smell of deer flooded my mouth with saliva, stirring my need to hunt. Hunger burned through me, savage and fierce, clawing at my gut, fueling my muscles into motion.
I moved through the trees, the silent ghost of death, closing in on my prey. By the time the poor beast realized that its death was looming, it was too late.
My jaws snapped shut like a steel trap, closing over the pulsing thump of the deer’s heartbeat in its broad neck. Corded muscles moved against my teeth and tongue, flexing with frantic spasms. The weight of my body crashed into the deer, my momentum taking us both down to the frozen ground where it kicked and thrashed in a futile attempt to dislodge me. The creature’s breath whistled desperately beneath the crushing force of my jaws.
The thrill of the deer struggling beneath me was almost orgasmic, my heart pounding faster, harder, until it felt like it might explode in my chest. And then it went still, its legs ceasing their desperate kicks as its heart beat one last time.
Releasing my hold I stepped back to regard my kill, red mingling with the dirt and snow churned up by the deer’s fearful kicks. Somewhere deep inside the human part of me lamented the poor animal’s death and admired its majestic beauty. The wolf, however, simply wanted to revel in its victory and sate its hunger.
I tore into the belly of the deer with unbridled hunger, hot juices covering my snout, filling my mouth with the nectar of life. I lapped voraciously at the fount of blood, slaking my thirst on the deer’s life force. All thought of my human life was gone as I feasted on hot wet flesh, gorging myself on all that the deer had to offer. As always, the human part of me was disgusted by the act of devouring a fresh kill, the meat still hot and juicy between my rending teeth, but the wolf reveled in it.
Once my hunger was sated I found a dark hollow beneath a downed tree, its overhang sheltering a nest of leaves from the elements. Crawling into the small space I curled up, tucking my nose underneath my tail, and let the excitement of the hunt fade away. Bone deep weariness crept over me, drawing me down into the darkness of the wolf’s dreamless sleep.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE SHADOWS WERE lengthening and fading to blue when I awoke in the hollow of the fallen tree, my
My paws flew over the ground, kicking up snow and dirt, as I moved through the trees in a flash of fur, letting the wolf override everything, pushing away my fear and fury. The wolf wanted to hunt, but I just wanted to run, to have the ground slide by beneath my feet. I cut through the trees, moving over rocks and downed trees as if they didn’t exist, the wolf’s acute senses letting me fly.
I ran until the sounds of civilization were just a memory, until the stink of humanity no longer invaded my nose, and the worries of my human life had been stripped away by the cool wind rippling through my fur.
When I came to a stop, my heart was hammering in my chest, and my heaving breaths curling on the air. Lifting my nose to the sky, I closed my eyes, letting the sounds and the scents of the forest surround me. They flowed over and through me as if I were as much a piece of the land as the rocks and trees that stood as silent sentinels.
I caught a scent, first as a faint whisper on the breeze, growing stronger as I focused on it. It was the scent of living flesh, hot blood flowing beneath warm fur, a strong heart beating with vitality. The smell of deer flooded my mouth with saliva, stirring my need to hunt. Hunger burned through me, savage and fierce, clawing at my gut, fueling my muscles into motion.
I moved through the trees, the silent ghost of death, closing in on my prey. By the time the poor beast realized that its death was looming, it was too late.
My jaws snapped shut like a steel trap, closing over the pulsing thump of the deer’s heartbeat in its broad neck. Corded muscles moved against my teeth and tongue, flexing with frantic spasms. The weight of my body crashed into the deer, my momentum taking us both down to the frozen ground where it kicked and thrashed in a futile attempt to dislodge me. The creature’s breath whistled desperately beneath the crushing force of my jaws.
The thrill of the deer struggling beneath me was almost orgasmic, my heart pounding faster, harder, until it felt like it might explode in my chest. And then it went still, its legs ceasing their desperate kicks as its heart beat one last time.
Releasing my hold I stepped back to regard my kill, red mingling with the dirt and snow churned up by the deer’s fearful kicks. Somewhere deep inside the human part of me lamented the poor animal’s death and admired its majestic beauty. The wolf, however, simply wanted to revel in its victory and sate its hunger.
I tore into the belly of the deer with unbridled hunger, hot juices covering my snout, filling my mouth with the nectar of life. I lapped voraciously at the fount of blood, slaking my thirst on the deer’s life force. All thought of my human life was gone as I feasted on hot wet flesh, gorging myself on all that the deer had to offer. As always, the human part of me was disgusted by the act of devouring a fresh kill, the meat still hot and juicy between my rending teeth, but the wolf reveled in it.
Once my hunger was sated I found a dark hollow beneath a downed tree, its overhang sheltering a nest of leaves from the elements. Crawling into the small space I curled up, tucking my nose underneath my tail, and let the excitement of the hunt fade away. Bone deep weariness crept over me, drawing me down into the darkness of the wolf’s dreamless sleep.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE SHADOWS WERE lengthening and fading to blue when I awoke in the hollow of the fallen tree, my
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