Free Web NovelChapter 38: Hunting Rules
Thor’s POV
There was a rule to hunting that I had always enjoyed—the quietness of it, the stillness that wrapped around the forest like a second skin, and most importantly, the patience required to catch prey. It was a slow, deliberate art. One that demanded control over instinct, over hunger, over impulse.
It was the one thing I enjoyed so intimately that I doubted there could ever be anything else.
So, imagine my surprise when my gaze landed on her face, and instead of the usual instinctive recognition, the word that echoed in my mind was not prey—
—but mate.
It was unsettling.
She was more beautiful than the women I was used to, but that was not what caught my attention. Beauty was common enough, fleeting, unimportant.
No—what set her apart was her fragility.
It was in her eyes, wide and uncertain, as though the world had already taken too much from her. It was in the slight curve of her shoulders, drawn inward as if she were trying to make herself smaller. It was in the way she moved—careful, hesitant—as though she were breaking from the inside out and simply trying to hold herself together long enough to survive.
Axel wanted us to let her go. I could tell he was interested. Rex too, though he hid it better, burying it beneath his usual cold restraint.
But to me, the answer had been simple.
She was prey.
And prey was meant to be killed.
It would have been easier—cleaner—to end it quickly and move on.
She was weak enough to break before she was even truly broken. Logically, the safety of our pack mattered far more than her life ever could.
And yet... when the Luna asked, I agreed.
Why?
Because I was intrigued.
Unexpectedly, irritatingly intrigued. Enough to let her live. Enough to want to understand what it was about her that unsettled me so deeply.
Still, I was not surprised when she proved to be a traitor.
Axel had been devastated—torn apart in a way I had never seen before. Rex had been furious, his anger sharp and consuming, burning through everything in its path.
But me?
I felt nothing.
What was there to feel?
It was expected.
In a world of predators, she had never stood a chance. She cried easily, bled easily, bowed her head to anyone who pushed hard enough. Weakness like that did not survive—it collapsed, it betrayed, it broke.
I had only hoped it would not happen so soon.
But even I could be wrong.
And I was.
I was wrong—and for that, I paid the price.
People I knew, warriors I had fought beside, members of a pack I belonged to... died. A great many of them.
And there was nothing I could have done to change it.
"Thor! Thor—for the goddess’ sake, are you even listening to me?" Axel’s voice cut sharply through my thoughts.
I turned slowly, dragging my attention back to him. He stood a few paces away, glaring at me.
He was naked, covered from head to toe in blood, steam rising faintly from his skin as his body continued to heal. He had taken down a manticore in his wolf form—alone.
The creature lay not far behind him, its massive body still, its thick hide split open in several places.
Manticores were among the largest beasts we hunted. Heavy, slow-moving, but dangerous in their own right. Their skin was tough, resistant to blades, and the three horns protruding from their heads were long, curved, and razor-sharp.
Still, the reward made the risk worthwhile.
They weighed nearly five times as much as a cow. Enough meat to sustain a large portion of the pack.
"Where the hell is your mind?" Axel snapped. "We need to find Rex and kill the manticore he’s chasing before heading back with our kill. Hopefully the other hunting teams have had just as much luck."
I nodded once, tightening my grip on the sword in my hand.
It was more for appearance than necessity—useful only if we encountered humans this close to pack territory.
I preferred my teeth.
"Fine. I think he went this way."
I lifted the sword slightly, pointing toward the left as I inhaled deeply. The scent of blood lingered thickly in the air, but beneath it was something else—something unfamiliar.
A faint frown crossed my face.
"We should hurry," I said, already moving. "I smell something else."
I didn’t wait for a response.
I dashed forward, my feet barely making a sound against the forest floor as I followed the trail. Behind me, I could hear Axel’s footsteps—heavier, louder, less controlled.
I suppressed the irritation that flickered briefly through me.
Inefficient.
My focus returned to the scent. Rex’s trail was clear, but it was layered—blood, manticore, and something else that scraped uncomfortably against my senses.
Something familiar.
My grip tightened around the dagger at my side.
I quickened my pace.
We were werewolves—Alphas. We healed quickly, faster than most creatures in existence. But that did not make us invincible. A grievous wound could still kill.
It did not take long before the sounds reached us.
The clash of bodies. The roar of a beast. The snap of jaws.
We broke through the trees just in time to see Rex.
He was in his wolf form, his massive white body matted with blood. At first glance, it looked as though he had been dipped in it entirely. freёwebnovel.com
And worse—most of it was his.
The manticore was bleeding too, deep gashes carved into its hide, but Rex had clearly taken significant damage.
Axel didn’t hesitate.
The moment he reached my side, he shifted with a guttural groan, bones snapping and reforming, flesh stretching and reshaping until a massive wolf stood where the man had been.
Then he lunged.
He crashed into the manticore, claws digging deep as he aimed for its eyes—the most vulnerable point, but also the most dangerous to target.
I remained where I was.
Still in human form. Watching.
While they fought, my role was clear.
To observe.
To listen.
To ensure that no other predator lurked nearby, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
I would only join if it became necessary.
If they began to lose.
But as Axel tore into the creature with reckless force, I found myself narrowing my eyes slightly.
"Why can’t he just do something normal?" I muttered under my breath.
He was letting anger guide him again. Letting it cloud his judgment.
That path led to death.
The correct approach was control—detachment. Precision.
I listened carefully, my ears attuned to the smallest shift in the forest. Which was why I heard it. A sound behind me.
