Moonlight Rogue

Chapter Two: The Hunter Pack

I held a hand out halting Emma’s process. “Shh,” I ordered as I reached behind me and pulled out my sword. I motioned her to lean back against a tree and out of sight as I circled back the direction we had come. Not too far off I heard them. They didn’t howl, they didn’t snarl, these were professionals. It was only my own understanding of my home that made me aware.

It was the little things. The animals went quiet, not a screech of alarm, but just dead silence. The rustle of the grass told me it was more than a single tracker. They were being as quiet as they could be, but it still wasn’t enough to escape my detection. Based on the direction of the noises Emma should be safe where I left her. Meanwhile, I needed to get to higher ground.

Keeping the trunk of a tree between me and my eventual enemies I scurried up the smooth trunk and onto one of the thick branches. My sword was sheathed for the moment, but I was prepared to use whatever I needed to in order to stop this advancement party. I figured Emma would be okay, hopefully.

The streamed in two at a time their noses pressed to the trail. She had been so wrong about her importance to the pack or obviously, they wouldn’t have gone after her like this. They didn’t catch my scent, it would be almost impossible to, but they were hot on her trail. “Over here,” one called to the others.

One, two, three, four, five, I frowned as I counted them. Why send so many after one girl? That bothered me. I believed her story, but there was something more here and I was determined to find it out. I pushed myself back against the bark as I waited for them to make their move.

“I smell her.” One whispered.

“Yeah.” Another, what looked like the leader from my perch, strolled to the front of the pack a bounce in his step. “Oh, Emma, come out and play.”

She whimpered in response sending the crowd into a fit of laughter. I wanted to slap myself in the forehead. I hadn’t expected her to cave so easily. “Please,” she whispered her eyes scanning everywhere for help. She couldn’t spot me though.

“Aww, you don’t want to come back?” The leader questioned with a tilted head. “You don’t want to just get this all over with, Emma?”

She shuddered. “No, I just want to be left alone. Tell Mason I was dead or something when you found me.”

They started to laugh at her words again. “Tell him you were dead? Why Emma you know better than that. He’d want to see your dead body. You belong to the pack, in life or in death. Now, we’ve got a surprise for you.” His voice was nothing but a sing-song and I winced from my spot.

“A surprise?” She peeled herself away from her tree and made her way over to them. I could hear the hopeful strain in her voice. I wanted to slap myself again. This kid was going to give me a migraine at this rate.

“Yeah, you’re only a few years off from the service date, Mason is going to make a special exception and allow you to come to join us early. You still have to stay the full time of course, but that way you don’t have to just die pointlessly. Pretty good right? Mason is so generous.”

Emma’s eyes widened and again she shot quick glances around searching for me. She probably thought I had abandoned her at this point. “The harem?” her voice was a squeak. I couldn’t imagine her stuck in such a place. “He said I had to die, because of mama’s baby.”

“And now you don’t have to, Emma.” The leader had shifted from his wolf form into a human one. He slung an arm around her shoulders and I watched as she tensed under it. “I mean it’s your choice. You can either come with us and serve us well, or we can kill you where you stand and take your body back with us.” He grinned and licked the tears from her cheek. “Hmm, I love fresh tears.”

I sighed. There was no choice in this matter. I jumped down and landed, right on top of the asshole harassing Emma. My blade slid through his soft skin and into his heart. His body went slack and I retrieved my blade as I studied the others. The laughter in their eyes had died in an instant, only fury remained. The one that was apparently second in command snarled at his two comrades and came after me.

I pushed Emma once more out of the way as I ducked under the wolf’s heavy bulk. I sheathed my dagger and grabbed my sword. I jammed it into the side of the beast and it roared in anger more than pain as it whirled and snapped at me. I was driven back several steps where another wolf latched onto my leg. I snarled at the touch of fangs sinking into me. I took my sword and drove it into my hitchhiking wolf.

It spasmed for a moment before releasing me. I kicked its corpse away as I surveyed the last three. They were more apprehensive than the others. They had just witnessed the damage I was capable of and yet I watched as one glanced at the blood trailing down my leg and nodded to his partner. These assholes still thought they were going to win.

Emma was crying and flat on her butt on the ground. Once more she had pulled her knees to her chest and was watching us with shock and fear. I was doing my best to ignore her until I saw the wolf on the right dart for her. He raced across the grass faster than I could anticipate and he slammed into the child knocking her flat on the ground and several feet away. He gathered his feet beneath him and leaped, and I drove my sword into his mouth and out the other side of his head.

The remaining wolf stopped his attack at that. He took a step away, and then another before he was turning and running as fast as he could go. I was impressed with his speed really. I dropped my sword to the ground and grabbed my bow and threaded an arrow with ease. I lined up the shot and sent the arrow flying. I wasn’t surprised when it caught the running wolf in his haunches. He let out a shrill of pain but I knew what would happen if I didn’t act. Picking up my sword again I marched over to where he tried to drag himself to safety and executed him in one blow.

I returned to Emma who was staring around her in stunned silence. “Sorry, I can’t take chances with such a big pack. They could have killed you.”

Emma bit her lip and shook her head. “I get the first guy, but the others hadn’t done anything to me! Did you have to kill them? They had a family too you know, and not everyone in that pack is bad!”

I really hated kids sometimes. “Listen, they wanted to drag you back there and make you a s*x slave when you don’t even have parts grown in yet. There was no way I was going to let that happen. If any more come, they’re going to suffer the same fate.”

Emma was still frowning at me as she struggled to her feet. “I don’t think there will be more.”

I shook my head as I stared in the direction the wolves had come in the first place. “Rule number one of living out here, kid. There’s always more. I killed these guys, that means that they’ll notice them missing eventually and send more our way. After I drop you off I’m going to have to figure out where I’m going to go next. I can’t stay here for awhile, it’s not safe.”

“Drop me off?” Emma stomped her foot. “You’re still going to do that? I thought I could stay with you, and you’d keep me safe.”

“You’re not safe with me.” I shook my head. “I’m not a pack person, and you need a pack. You agree to go, I’ll go see what I can do to fix your pack if I can. If it’s too dangerous I’m not going to stay. If I fix it you can go back, if I don’t you’ll at least be with decent people who will take care of you the rest of your life and you won’t have to be sold into s*x slavery.”

Emma’s pout was legendary but she nodded. “Can you do me one favor,” she paused. “Make that two. One, will you please just not kill anyone you meet? I promise there are some good people in Mason’s pack, there’s a lot of bad but some don’t deserve that kind of death. Can you at least talk to them?”

I grunted. “You want me to talk to them before I kill them?”

She nodded. “Yeah, at least make sure they’re bad guys, you know?”

I rubbed the spot between my eyes with the pad of my thumb. Such a promise wouldn’t be too bad if it made this munchkin stay out of my hair while I tackled this impossible task. “Okay, sure I’ll talk to them first, happy? Now, what’s your second?”

“Your name, I’ve told you mine, and I don’t even know yours.” She frowned at me again. “You have to at least tell me your name.”

I chuckled. “Fine, I’m Morgan, now come on, Emma. We don’t have time for this, we’ve got a pack to get to before nightfall.”