Fending Off Against Hyenas.

AQUA

I felt them before I even saw them.

The moon cast a haunting glow over the forest as I sprinted through the forest, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Some hyenas behind me closed in, their snarls and growls echoing through the trees. My heart pounded in my chest, matching the rhythm of my frantic footsteps.

Branches slapped against my face and arms, but I couldn’t afford to slow down. The hyenas’ eyes gleamed in the darkness, their hunger palpable. I stumbled over a root, barely catching myself before I fell. A low growl reverberated near me.

Oh no.

Fear surged through me, but I continued to retreat until my back hit a tree. Gunnar led the majority of the pack of hyenas away from me as a decoy when we split, but some of them managed to catch my scent and chase me instead.

Now, I was going to be their food in a matter of seconds.

My hand found a large rock, and I gripped it desperately, my body preparing to defend itself as soon as one of them made a move. I knew there was no way I was going to survive this one, but that didn't dampen my survival instincts.

When one of them lunged at me, I instantly flung the stone in my hand at it. The hyena fell to the ground with a pained cry while the rest retreated with a cautious gleam in their eyes.

Yeah, that's it. I felt slightly encouraged by their reactions and grabbed a few more stones as I forced myself on my feet.

In a couple of seconds, another hyena made a move on me, but I managed to fend him off too. I sensed their growing determination and knew that this plan wasn't going to work in the long run.

“Damn it, Aqua!” I scolded myself. “Think. Think. Think. Think...”

My eyes fell on the big redwood tree behind me, and a plan instantly fell into place. After a few breaths, I threw all the stones at the hyenas and instantly made a beeline for it. The hyenas immediately threw themselves at me, but I was a faster climber. One of them leapt up, its jaw snapping at my ankle before it fell to the ground.

I screamed. “Bloody hell!”

My arms and legs trembled as I climbed higher, just out of reach of the snapping jaws below. The hyenas circled the trunk, their eyes never leaving me. They howled in frustration, leaping and clawing at the bark. I straddled a thick branch, panting heavily, and tried to calm my racing heart.

Now that I had reached the highest branch I could possibly find, I felt safe knowing that they couldn't reach me. It was just a matter of outlasting them until Gunnar arrived, so I had to survive no matter what. The hyenas’ snarls grew louder, more insistent, as if they sensed my plan.

As the adrenaline in my body slowly drained out, I found myself growing weaker than usual. It was probably because I hadn't eaten much before I left the Wind Ridge Pack, and now I had used up all my energy to fight for my life.

But if I was feeling this way, then didn't that also mean that Gunnar would be feeling much worse?

Worry gripped my heart as I peered down, checking to see if the hyenas were gone. After some minutes, a large number of them had already left, but the ones who remained behind seemed very persistent and hungry.

The urge to find Gunnar grew insistent until it nearly consumed my mind. I had no freaking idea why I was feeling this way, but my emotions right now were tumultuous, constricting the air flow in my chest.

I needed something to drive these animals away from me, and I needed to do it fast. My eyes scanned my surroundings, searching for anything I could use as a weapon until it landed on a broken branch dangling a few inches from my head.

Carefully, I reached for the branch and grabbed it with all my strength, feeling it give way under the pressure. I threw the branch down. The stick fell on a nearby hyena's head, causing it to howl in pain.

The rest instantly backed away.

Seeing their reaction, I searched for another nearby branch to use as my new makeshift weapon when I heard a distant yet familiar howl pierce through the forest.

Wolves.

They emerged from the shadows of the forest, their eyes glinting with deadly focus. Relief and shock washed over me when I saw Gunnar following them. His eyes glowed, their blue lights bewitching me until I didn't notice when the wolves formed a protective circle around my tree.

“Just stay there, Aqua.” He commanded as a low rumble spread across his wolves. “The wolves listen to my command, but that doesn't mean they won't see you as the enemy too, so don't move.”

“A-Alright.” I gulped slightly, my fingers curling around the branch I was staying on. The tension in the forest multiplied tenfold as the wolves and hyenas faced each other.

I knew a battle was inevitable.

When the fight finally began, Gunnar immediately climbed the lowest branch and reached for me. The wolves moved as one, their unity and strength overwhelming the disorganized hyenas. Teeth clashed, fur flew, and the forest floor became a battleground.

My mate buried my face into his chest once he wrapped his arms around me. His scent drifted into my system, drowning all the ferocious sounds that echoed around me. I felt safe and protected in his arms even though I was pretty sure the world was possibly crashing around me.

“Don't worry, I'm here,” his voice was so rough, yet soothing, pulling me deeper into the overwhelming darkness that consumed me. “You won't be harmed as long as I'm with you.”

Dear heavens, my heart just did a triple backflip and a forward one when I heard him. For some weird reason, I knew that he meant it and I believed him. His presence felt the piece of puzzle that my brain and body had been missing until now.

My eyes grew heavier until I had no strength left. I scumbled under the pressure and murmured with my conscious breath. “Thank you.”