In the wilderness, under the moon, a figure, a blur, raced.If one were to glimpse it, they might say it was an animal or maybe a human. It was both and neither.
It was Fenris, running on all fours like a wild beast. His knees and feet shifted, broke, and reformed in ways no human body could.
This speed. This energy. This power. The wind tore past his face.
Being hunted was a burden he couldn't escape, but this made it all worth it.
"Time for some altitude," Fenris said.
He leaped toward a tree. His claws, both hands and feet, sank into one of the thick branches. He pounced again and again, rustling leaves and shaking the entire tree down to its roots whenever he landed wildly on a new one.
He didn't make every jump, but that was fine. It would have been too easy if he had.
Every time he fell, he found another tree and leaped once again, jumping toward the farthest branch he could find.
This feeling of invincibility he had whenever the moon was out, what was the point of it if he didn't test it and push how far he could go?
He jumped to branches several tens, even dozens, of meters apart.
He never wanted this to end.
Sadly, his fun was coming to an end.
He felt his energy being drained. With a heavy heart, he looked up. The moon's radiant figure was slowly fading.
Dawn had come.
"Damn," Fenris cursed, landing on the sandy ground.
Checking the map, he was glad to see he was close to Luna's hometown. A distance that would have taken someone on horseback several days had taken Fenris just hours to complete.
"Only an hour's walk to get there. But first…" Fenris said, holding his growling stomach.
"Running always gets me hungry."
He listened, shutting his eyes for maximum effect.
There was constant tapping and hopping in a rapid pattern.
"A jackrabbit. No, too small."
He listened again for something a little bigger.
He heard a powerful, gentle purr mixed with a snore.
"A bear."
Fenris considered hunting it.
"No. From the sound, it's most likely a grizzly. I'm hungry, but not that hungry."
He listened some more.
Gentle walking. Slight dripping of water.
"A deer!"
Fenris stopped using his enhanced hearing and walked toward where he had heard it. Hearing was one thing, but it wouldn't help him catch his prey.
Scent was another factor. Smelling deer droppings in the morning was just something he had to do to get breakfast.
He halted after walking for half a mile.
He spotted the deer drinking from a pond. Fenris crouched as quietly as he could, hiding behind the tree.
The deer's hearing was exceptionally sharp—not as sharp as his, but still good enough to spot him if he made a single misstep.
He prepared himself, bringing out his claws and fangs.
He took a step forward. He mistakenly stepped on a branch.
The deer's ears twisted. He was spotted. The deer dashed away. Fenris leaped toward it.
He landed on the deer and tumbled with it. It fought for its freedom, but it was useless.
Claws were thrust into the deer's neck, restraining and killing it. It didn't take long for the deer to stop moving.
Proud of his successful hunt, Fenris chowed down with his razor-sharp fangs, ripping the flesh and feasting on the deer's meat, bones, and internal organs, leaving nothing but the antlers and the hooves.
Walking away, he wiped the blood from his jaws. His carnivorous nature as a werewolf allowed for such things. No need to waste time making a fire to cook.
Looking at the map, he arrived at the town. It didn't have a name. Most towns didn't, unless a noble family had claimed it as their own.
"Now, where to look?"
Normally, Fenris would be cautious when talking to humans, but right now he couldn't give a damn about being careful. Every villager he met, he questioned—relentlessly pulling them aside with no concern for how he came off.
Mothers shielded their children from him. Men wanted to tell him off, but Fenris' murderous glare scared them away.
Hours passed, and not one of the villagers was familiar with Luna's description.
'Did she lie to me?' Fenris thought, disheartened.
He would have to try again tomorrow. He looked to the sky—it was getting dark. Not a problem for him, but the villagers would be returning home by now.
Or…
Moments later, Fenris found himself at another tavern, also bustling with an annoying mix of voices and music.
'What are they so damn happy about anyway?', he thought 'Maybe it's the fact that they aren't being hunted.'
'Or the fact that they have family and friends that love them.'
'Yeah, probably those things.'
He continued to ask around, or at least tried to. Anyone who was singing or dancing was too busy being drunk—or already unconscious.
Someone threw Fenris a key at his table.
"Your room's ready for ya," an overweight barkeep said, smiling.
Not responding, Fenris reached for the key but was stopped by a smaller, gentler hand placed on top of his.
"I haven't seen you around here before," a blonde woman said. "I see you've rented a room. Perhaps you and I can…"
The woman stopped. She felt a chill in her bones. All her hair stood on end, and goosebumps appeared all over.
Her eyes locked with Fenris's, and it was terrifying. His gaze was dark and cold. The woman felt like she was in a cage with a wild animal.
"I… I'm sorry."
She stood and walked away, not looking back.
The barkeep laughed loudly.
"Looks like we got a lady scarer over here. Why didn't you give the poor girl a chance? You may not be the finest maiden, but she's alright."
Fenris didn't respond. He stood and walked away.
"Pyros' Flames, the kid doesn't talk much, does he?" the barkeep said, saddened.
Getting to his room, Fenris observed it as he usually did whenever he was in a new environment. It was a bit bigger and better than he expected—clean floors, a not-too-big bed, and even a two-pane window with the moon clearly on display.
Such rooms would be reserved for the most expensive prices.
"This town must not get a lot of visitors," Fenris remarked.
A hot bath was prepared for him beforehand—a kind gesture from the barkeep. Usually, extra coins would be asked for such a service.
'Or maybe I already paid.'
After taking a bath, he lay shirtless on a slim bed, toying with a wolf pendant—something he had for as long as he could remember.
Closing his eyes, trying to sleep, he saw her again: the mysterious woman.
Her face had blurred over time, but he still remembered some things. Her hair—curly, just like his. Her soft skin and her voice.
"I love you, Fenris,"' she said softly.
And one more thing—her scent: lilies.
His eyes grew heavy, and he drifted into a deep sleep.
He awoke, descending the tavern's stairs and leaving as quickly as possible.
"Hey kid. Did you see the bath I—"
The door slammed. The barkeep sighed, disappointed.
Fenris was done asking people for descriptions—it had proven to be a waste of time—but he wouldn't give up the search just yet.
He walked around the town, not aimlessly. If Luna had been here, maybe he could find her scent, no matter how faint. It was a long shot, but he would try anyway.
He sniffed carefully, but he was yet to find anything familiar—until he did. Not Luna's scent, nor one he had known for long. Someone was following him.
"But from where?", he whispered. "Maybe the inn"
Fenris kept walking. The person behind him followed. Now he had no doubt that he was being followed.
From the steps, he deduced that the person was a woman. At first, he thought she might be a hunter, but he neither smelled steel nor heard it rattle.
Besides, hunters rarely if ever traveled alone. So who was this woman? He had to find out.
He went into an alleyway. The woman followed. He ambushed her.
Both arms were tightened around her shoulders, and she was slammed into the wall. Fenris wanted to rip her apart.
But he froze. Her face stunned him. It was familiar and at the same time foreign.
"Luna?",