The change ( his mate)

Chapter 5: Stalking

Grayson

I watched Lara get safely on the bus before leaving. I hadn’t realised it until now, but I was starting to enjoy going to class and seeing her. I don’t know why I’d asked her to meet up and see a movie, it had just kind of slipped out.

I had never spent any personal time with a human before, but she intrigued me, I’d never come across someone like her before, she was shy and kind, but I’d seen that fire in her eyes and knew there was more to her.

Behind the bus stop there was a woods, so I walked in there making sure no one saw me. I walked for about fifteen minutes, going deep enough in to be hidden and then I found a private spot behind a tree and some bushes and began the change.

It hurt like hell, but I’d been doing it all my life and it was like second nature to me, I barely felt it anymore and I always completed my change faster than the rest of the pack.

When I was done, I stretched my body and shook myself. I padded along the dirt, silently enjoying the night and its smells. The wind rustled my fur and with it carried the scent of food. I followed that scent further into the woods until I came across two rabbits grazing on some grass. My stomach rumbled. I lowered my body, slowly making my way closer to them. I kept downwind so they wouldn’t smell me and I made sure not to tread on the fallen leaves.

I kept my head low down and stalked my prey as they bounded over to another patch of grass. When I was close enough I rushed out and pounced on the rabbit closest to me, I grabbed it with my jaws, startling the other one into running off and leaving its friend to its fate.

I killed the rabbit in my jaws quickly and ate hungrily, I was starving, it had been too long since I’d had raw meat and I knew this was not enough to sate my wolfish diet, but Leo was right about taking risks so close to humans, for now this would have to do.

When I was done eating I stood up and padded along further in the woods, it was almost pitch black, the stars and the half moon the only light. I started running, expelling all the pent up energy in my body from not changing for so long.

It felt good, the soft dirt under my paws, the wind whipping through my fur the faster I ran, the only thing that would have made this more perfect would be running with Leo and the pack, it was never the same running alone. When I’d spent enough energy I slowed down and got to work. Putting my nose to the ground I sniffed around for any hint of another werewolf.

There was nothing except the faint traces of a fox, a couple of deers and a carcass nearby. I kept searching all along the woods until I was back where I had changed. I wasn’t expecting the mutt to have been in wolf form, but even hiding out here in human form wouldn’t disguise his scent. Clearly he wasn’t using the woods to hide in.

I went and changed back to human form and pulled on my clothes. I was better with the wolf side of things, but I think I was going to have to try and think more like a human to understand where he might be hiding and stalking his prey.

If I was wanting to stalk humans in human form where would I hide? I thought about it and looked around. The bodies were close to the college. I’d seen on the news people being warned to be careful near this area, they seemed to think it was a stray dog on the loose.

It was risky me changing in the woods, I knew it wouldn’t be long before the police decided to come searching them. I’d have to find somewhere further away next time.

The road with the bus stop was deserted and there was a long path both ways, too open though, so I kept walking, looking around for a place it would be easy to stalk and watch people. I crossed the road walking towards the college and stopped at the fence next to the second building on campus.

It was right next to the entrance and I went inside and walked down the side of it. Here would be my choice, it was secluded, a narrow gap and there was nothing down here, no reason for anyone to come walking down.

I looked around and sniffed, hoping no one would come along and wonder what the f.uck I was doing. I rounded the corner and was knocked back by the over powering strong scent of cologne, it was so strong it hurt my nose and I knew it was the mutt.

He wasn’t here now, but he had been earlier, I would guess less than four hours ago. Humans wore enough to hurt my nose and give me a headache, but this was too much, like he’d dumped the whole bottle on himself, that’s what let me know it was a mutt, only a mutt would know to cover his scent strong enough that another wolf wouldn’t pick up on a werewolf nearby.

How he walked around without a migraine was beyond me. Self denial at its finest. Ok, now I knew where he had been hiding I had a lead, he was definitely targeting college students.

I’d come back tomorrow during the day and keep a lookout, although he was more likely doing it when dark fell. I didn’t have to worry about my own scent lingering as mutts rarely if ever used their heightened sense of smell.

I walked to the apartment and called Leo as soon as I kicked the door shut. “You were right,” I said as soon as he picked up.

“Good evening to you too, Grayson.”

I collapsed onto the sofa and said, “sorry.”

“Did you go for a run?”

“Yep.”

“Good, now, what were you talking about me being right?”

“The mutt is hanging around the college, stalking students. Didn’t see him, but he did the trick they usually do, dumped a whole bottle of cologne on himself. He’s been hiding down the side of the building and watching people.”

“Be careful, Grayson.”

He knew me well enough by now that it wasn’t concern for my safety, he meant be careful how I went about killing the mutt and disposing of his body.

“I know. I’m going to have a look around tomorrow, but it will probably be evening when he shows up.”

We spoke some more and then i finished the call and climbed into the shower.

The rest of my night was boring.

When I woke up the next day I found I was right. The mutt wasn’t at the college yet, I’d have to be patient and wait. Patience isn’t my strong suit, so I distracted myself by changing into some gray sweatpants, trainers and went down to the small gym they had on the ground floor of this apartment building.

I wouldn’t have if it meant being among lots of humans, but it was always empty whenever I passed it. I looked around making sure there were no cameras inside and then I began my workout. Being a werewolf meant extra strength, I didn’t want cctv catching me lifting weights heavier than the worlds strongest man could.

I spent an hour in the gym and cooled down by going for a jog outside. I avoided the busy streets, sticking to the stretch of green they had at the back of the apartment building, there were one or two people walking their dogs, but that was fine, as long as I stayed away from the dogs.

I was good as I did my third lap, but then the man let his dog of the leash and it ran over to me curiously. As always with animals, it began barking frantically at me, the scent of fear hitting my nose as the dog smelt a more threatening predator. A wolf.

The man was far enough away I was able to discreetly snarl and growl at the dog a warning, this dog had more sense than others and backed off, giving a small whimper and running back to his owner who shouted over an apology.

I ignored him and made my way back to the apartment to shower. I redressed in some jeans, a white muscle fit t-shirt and pulled on a light grey hoodie, zipping it halfway and left to grab some lunch.

I couldn’t cook for s.hit, so I loaded the basket with cold meats, bread, butter, some fruit and whatever else would be easy to eat without much food preparation. I grabbed a couple of steaks for dinner, those I could cook easily enough. I grabbed more food making sure I had enough to fill me up and keep my wolf self happy, then I went and paid.

Two teens were sat past the checkout waiting for their mother to pay for the shopping, and I tried to ignore the outrageously inappropriate things they were saying about me and what they’d like to do.

I didn’t look their way when they tried giggling and being loud to gain my attention, finally their mother was done and they left, now all I had to deal with was the cashier as she tried to make batting her eyes and chewing her gum some sultry look, all the chewing did was grate on my nerves.

Her perfume was bitter and sharp, hurting my nose and already threatening to leave me with a headache if I didn’t leave soon.

I packed my shopping while she played with her hair and tried making small talk with me, I grunted most of my reply’s, and when another female employee came over to see if she needed any extra help, my lip curled into a sneer of contempt at them both and their faces dropped.

The cashier blushed as she scanned the rest of my things while the other employee had quickly disappeared. Leo said I had to behave in public and appear normal, he said nothing about my manners or hiding my lovely personality. I grabbed my bags and strode out of the shop glad to be away from them.

I ate my lunch, called Leo and tried not to keep looking at the white clock on the wall as the minutes slowly ticked by.

When it was seven I left. Class wasn’t until eight, so it gave me an hour to look around for the mutt. When I reached the college, I wondered if he’d caught my scent after all because he wasn’t lurking down the side of the building. Unlikely. I kept looking. Sniffed the air as discreetly as I could and caught the faint scent of another werewolf. I guess all that cologne had given him a migraine.

I followed the scent onto the college grounds, ignoring the flock of girls that smiled and giggled at me as they passed by. The scent led me past the first college building and onto the field. There in the far distance I saw a man leaning against the fencing watching the college.

He turned his head, noticing me storming over to him and he sniffed the air catching my scent, eyes growing wide he turned and high tailed out of there. I ran to catch up with him, but he had too much of a head start.

I gained up a little, but by the time I jumped the fence and ran down the street I’d lost him. It was busier here with people and he’d used the crowd to lose himself and his scent, my nose was assaulted by too many different scents to be able to find his. Once or twice I caught it, then I’d lose it again.

I snarled and cursed in frustration and slammed my fist into the lamppost beside me, denting it. I was lucky no one saw that and I quickly walked back to the college. I might have f.ucked everything up, I should have stayed downwind and crept up on him, but the instinct to chase him was too much. F.uck! He might never come back now, might even find a new place for victims.