The Hunt Ch. 04

As the car weaves through the country lanes, you gaze along field after field, thinking about what it is you are hoping for. What you want to find when you reach your destination. You just know that if anyone is going to understand the way you have been feeling or the emotions you have been trying to process, it could be the people here.

You stare out at the road ahead, determined to find logic in the decisions that have brought you this far. You allow your mind to wander back over the past few days, reviewing them one by one. Firstly, your chase from a few nights ago, the fear, intensity and excitement of being tracked, hunted. Then the results of said hunt, as your predator ravaged you, took you, for everything you were worth. You felt the heat radiating from your crotch as you thought over it all again. Then you remembered the almost withdrawal you had felt, unable to bring yourself to orgasm since then. In your desperation, you had turned to online forums, even starting to consider the possibility of werewolves. Then in an act of utter despair, you went out looking for your hunter, eventually finding a wild animal and allowing yourself to get scared and run home.

Almost by instinct, one hand lifts from the steering wheel, passing over your arm and onto your opposite shoulder, then drifting up over your neck, feeling the faint scars from his bite. You feel so stupid, you have to get passed this! You were even allowing yourself to visit this nature reserve, a wolf sanctuary, telling yourself it will help you to get over any fear of wolves. Deep inside, you feel that there is more to this than what you are admitting, you just couldn't come to terms with the truth yet.

As you pull off the road, onto a gravel track, you pass into woodlands. As you descend deeper and deeper into shadows from the trees you start to feel trepidation at what you are doing, then the woods open up to a group of fields surrounding a farmhouse with a few outbuildings and a barn. You pull up to the farmhouse, confused. You can't see anything even remotely to indicate that this was a nature reserve at all. You pull out your phone to check the website, finding no signal in this area. This doesn't surprise you, you had barely seen another car for the past hour on your way here.

You get out, wandering across the clearing as the sun trickles through the treetops to light the trees ahead. Just then, two young wolves emerge from the woods, running and jumping over each other as they enjoy the morning sun. You feel your eyes drawn to their strong legs and muscular torsos, watching their sun-dappled bodies stretch and flex as they circle each other.

You look up around the farmhouse yard and at the outbuildings, looking for any sign that you may be at the right place. Just as you begin to consider turning around and going home, you look to the door of the house and see a man standing on the front porch, watching you, examining you.

As you walk toward him, the man descends the steps to the yard and you get a better look at him. Back in the city, you wouldn't have looked twice at him but as he gets closer, he reaches out a hand to greet you, and you see that he towers over you, being nearly a foot taller than you. You begin to look closer, seeing a striking face, his mouth and cheekbones shaded with a thin layer of stubble. His scruffy hair framing the piercing eyes as they seem to look straight through you. You suddenly notice his outstretched hand and realise you have been staring silently as he awaits you to meet his hand with your own. You rush forward, taking his rough-skinned hand in yours, as he takes hold of you. You form a mental picture of those hands pulling you in, holding you, gripping you tight and his face closing in on you.

You realise he has been talking and you cannot even recall a word of what he has said to you, so you try to focus on him just as he comes to the end of his welcome.

"...so, I was glad to get your email, but I have to admit, I'm a little confused as to how our little reserve may be able to help you at all?"

You suddenly remember your email from last night, explaining your desire to research the wolves and learn more about their mating habits and their physiology. You just used the article you found on their website to refer back to, hoping that was enough to gain you time to quiz the staff and experts here and hoping that it may help you. You didn't expect any further questions. In fact, you were more hoping you would be the one to ask the questions.

"I was just reading your articles on your site and had a few questions about the wolves, their mating rituals, physical attributes, things like that? I would hate to impose at all"

You feel your cheeks flush as you speak. You can't explain it, but you suddenly feel yourself becoming more introverted. Something about the past few days and being this close likely brings about the shyness that you feel taking over your usual confident, outgoing demeanour.

The man's eyes scan over you as he considers your words, seeming to weigh them carefully in his mind. You hold your breath as you examine him, wondering what he could be thinking. When you saw the photos of this sanctuary online and now being here, you didn't even think about who would be working somewhere like this. Now, with him standing in front of you, you cannot believe that this is the man to control these wild beasts you have been studying online. His frame, barely over 6 feet, seemed wiry under his plaid shirt. You recognise the signs of long, powerful legs disguised under his jeans leading down to a pair of worn leather boots, dust from the road ageing them.

"When you're ready, we will take a tour around, have a chat about how we work and hopefully you will get to meet some of our pack"

You find your words catching in your throat, causing your voice to falter as you speak up to answer him.

"Uhh, Yes. Please?" You rush to clear your throat before continuing. "That would be perfect"

As you follow your guide deeper along the path, you feel yourself drawn to him, watching his movements to establish where to go, what to do. You feel a need deep inside you. A need that is growing to learn more about him, his history, and why you seem content to follow blindly when you are near him. An uneasy balance grows within you as you find yourself fighting to keep your concentration on what you came here for. You find your head bowed as your eyes burrow into the shirt pulled taut along his back and shoulders. He shows you around and you start to wonder what it is that is drawing you to him.

As you both walk back through the retreat towards your car, you pick up a nuance of sweat through the air, you notice the dark patch on the back of his shirt and all at once, the smell floods your nose. Your steps begin to match time with his, and you feel your mind drifting to his face, his arms, those eyes from when you met. Before long, you begin to ache to gaze into those eyes as your nose fills with his scent.

Just as you start to feel comfortable, you realise you are walking with your eyes closed, just keeping pace with him. Cursing yourself, you open your eyes and look around, not recognising any of where you are as you approach a small barn, set just at the start of the forest. You turn your head to glance around, hoping to find any sign of other people, but you find nothing but the clearing you began your day in.

His footsteps slow as you emerge through the trees near the barn, and you hear him speak.

"So, what really brought you here today?" his voice stays barely above a whisper, but you don't miss a word. "I have seen that look on your face before, it's a look of fascination."

You look up and realise he has been watching you as you walk together.

"...I...Uhhh...What do you-"

"Just ask what you want to know, it is going to eat you alive if you leave without getting the answers you came here for"

You begin to wonder if he can sense your thoughts. A defiant streak runs through your mind as you raise your head to look him in the eye.

"I'm not sure what you mean." You mumble out as you struggle to keep eye contact with him.

He slides his glasses off his face, his steely-blue eyes meeting yours as he calmly closes the distance between you. He gets closer, his musk takes over your sense, your head drops, your eyes close. You sense him standing in front of you, then his breath grazes over your cheek and shoulder and you feel him in your ear, his voice now gruff, slow, and deliberate.

"If I see you in those woods again, you will be mine."