113- The Hunt Beneath the Snow
POV Lunara Grimwald:
“I’ve never eaten raw meat,” I confessed, trying to decide whether I felt comfortable with it.
Even though I was transformed, the meat would still be in my stomach when I returned to my human form.
“There’s always a first time,” he replied, determined to feed me.
I tried to feel nauseous, but my wolf seemed ravenous—almost desperate to be fed by him, as if it were a primal need. As strange as it seemed, since we had eaten before leaving home, I believed it was something tied to mating and heat.
He ran ahead of me and I followed, sinking into the snow with my heavy paws. The sensation of freedom embraced me, hit me hard, and filled me with a feeling of wholeness.
I was happy; my wolf was happy.
Running beside him felt right—it was a special moment. We circled the trees endlessly. He threw himself against me, biting my ear with sharp teeth, not hard enough to hurt. I rolled onto the ground, lying on my back, and licked his neck.
“I won’t be able to hunt anything if you keep distracting me like this,” his voice thundered inside my head.
“It’s not my fault if you’re a distracted alpha,” I teased.
He ran his tongue along the fur of my neck and rubbed his snout against me. I stood and followed him, trotting happily just to be transformed.
He suddenly stopped, becoming sharp and alert. He raised his snout and sniffed the air.
“Stay quiet, little wolf. I’ve just found our prey.”
The playful atmosphere around us vanished. Edric turned into a true predator, moving without a sound. He hid behind the thick trunk of a tree and peeked out, locking eyes on a deer a few meters away.
I sat beside him and waited, careful not to scare the prey away and ruin his hunt. He advanced slowly, each movement meticulously calculated.
He crawled through the snow, stealthy, taking the stance of a born hunter. His gray fur was dusted white, full of ice crystals, and he kept slipping between trees as he drew closer.
The deer seemed oblivious to us, standing among the trees, unaware of the imminent danger. It was large and young, with deep, black, expressive eyes.
I sat back on my hind legs, watching from behind the tree, invisible to the animal.
Edric got close enough. He leaped into the air, throwing himself onto the deer. When the creature realized the threat and tried to run, sharp fangs tore through its throat before it could escape.
Edric growled, snapping the deer’s neck and throwing it to the ground. Its blood stained the white snow, and the metallic scent filled the air. The animal’s eyes fixed on nothing—lifeless.
The alpha released its neck and moved to its belly, biting into the skin and tearing it open. He turned to me, his golden eyes locking with mine.
“Come eat, little wolf,” he ordered.
Hesitant, I walked toward him, leaving a trail of paw prints that would soon be covered by the falling snow.
I stared at the torn body, the vital organs spilling from its abdomen. The snow around it was painted red—a grotesque, animalistic painting. I sniffed, and instead of nausea, I felt desire.
Edric, noticing my hesitation, placed a paw on the animal, holding it down, then bit into the flesh, ripping a piece from the abdomen and tossing it in front of me, pointing with his snout.
“Eat.” The command came before he sank his teeth into another piece, chewing and swallowing with satisfaction.
I ignored my prejudice and took the piece he’d thrown at me, chewing and swallowing. To my surprise, the taste was incredible—perhaps even better than cooked meat. I felt the blood slide down my throat; the raw flesh was tender, melting in my mouth. My stomach welcomed every bite.
“Hmm... I like this,” I murmured.
“I don’t know how you managed so long without feeding on raw meat. Sooner or later your wolf would need it—it’s almost a necessity,” he said, chewing on the deer’s entrails.
He picked the best pieces for me, tossing them at my feet so I could feed. Edric was determined to make me eat, just as he had said.
“Are we going to do this every time I go into heat early?” I asked.
“Maybe. The need isn’t mine, it’s my animal’s. I can’t control it.”
“Well... my wolf feels satisfied being fed by you, so I guess our animals agree on that,” I admitted.
“Then we have your answer,” he said.
I licked my lips, removing the excess blood, and looked around, admiring the tiny insects flying above our heads and the birds perched on the high branches.
“Are you satisfied now?” he asked. I wagged my tail.
“Yes. You hunt so well—you’re a perfect alpha provider,” I sighed, sounding like a flirtatious bitch.
He straightened proudly, pleased by the compliment, as if I had inflated his ego.
“I’ll hunt much more for you yet.”
“You’ll spoil me.”
“I’m your mate, your companion, your alpha. It’s my duty to keep you safe, satisfied, and well-fed,” he declared firmly.
Everything was more intense when we were transformed; all senses sharpened. I inhaled deeply, absorbing his scent of fresh pine and damp earth, realizing it was even more perfect than I remembered.
“You smell good,” I said.
He made a sound that would have been a laugh if he were in human form.
“So do you, little wolf. Isn’t it amazing how much keener our senses are when we’re transformed?”
I barked softly in agreement.
It was liberating to be transformed—and even more satisfying to have him by my side, to see him hunt for me, to feel protected by him, as if nothing in the world could touch me.
I had felt vulnerable in my animal form, which was why I’d avoided transforming for months. I was afraid of being caught by Alessio, hurt by a hunter, or wounded by someone else. But beside Edric, those fears shrank into meaningless shadows.