Sloane's panicked thoughts trailed off when the Lycan stopped a few paces from the base of the tree.
He still didn't glance her way. Instead, he idly kicked at something.
Sloane squinted slightly, and only then did she realise she'd dropped her satchel in her haste to scale up the tree.
The small, leather carrying bag lay idly at the base of the tree, and was now underneath the Lycan's foot.
Sloane's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach.
Map, guidebook, calming pills... everything she needed to stand a chance at surviving this damned woods were all inside that satchel.
Without it, she would be well and truly lost. And by extension, dead.
As the Lycan crouched down and began sifting through the contents of the satchel, Sloane gulped.
Her heart thudded against her ribcage, hands clenching and unclenching.
If she made herself known now, there was every possibility he would rip out her throat.
In fact, that was the most likely scenario.
He didn't look that much older than her in his human form, but being a Lycan made all the difference. They aged quite differently to werewolves.
And she'd seen his other form for herself. Killing her would be as easy as swatting down an annoying fly.
But if she didn't make herself known, she would lose the items she'd been given.
Without them, she would walk straight into red marked territories as she'd just done.
How long could she be lucky enough to survive by chance?
The Vice Chancellor had been clear on the fact that this hunt had no rules. The girls had snatched satchels earlier from their weaker counterparts. How would she convince a Lycan not to steal hers?
While she still struggled internally, the Lycan had finished his search and stood up to his feet, her satchel clutched in his right hand.
He turned, and began heading away from the clearing.
He was leaving! And taking her satchel with him!
If she did nothing now...she would never be able to find her way out of these woods!
"Wait!!!!" Sloane cried, before she could stop herself.
She scrambled down from the tree, but her sudden movement made her miss her footing, sending her tumbling down to the ground with a loud and unruly thud.
A quiet 'Oof' escaped Sloane's lips, pain radiating down her spine.
Had she forgotten to mention, that alongside all her natural disadvantages compared to the rest of her kind, she'd been born a clumsy mess too?
Sloane peeled herself off the ground, groaning in pain as she stood to her feet.
The Lycan stood in place, staring at her with a baffled expression.
Sloane couldn't blame him. She'd be baffled too if prey came tumbling from the skies of their own will.
His striking appearance left her tongue tied. It was difficult to get used to. Sloane averted her gaze quickly.
"Uhmmm...that's...mine..." Sloane stuttered around the terror in her throat, gesturing at the satchel with a trembling hand.
She maintained the distance between them.
Not that it had done the boar any favors.
All it would take was a single lunge and those powerful limbs she'd seen earlier could probably take the Lycan as far as the exit of the woods.
He didn't need to be a part of this hunt at all.
The Lycan slowly lifted a hand, and pointed a finger to himself, as if asking if she was speaking to him.
"I... I...need that..." She continued shakily, "If...you don't mind..."
'If you don't mind?' she thought to herself, 'Really, Sloane?'
'Of course he minded. He had a choice set of sharp teeth to do all the minding.'
Perspiration dotted her forehead, despite the chill of the night breeze. If her heart shriveled anymore than it already had, she swore it would be the size of a pea.
He lifted the satchel questioningly, his brows furrowed slightly. "I don't see your name on it, kid."
His tone was tinged with annoyance, like he couldn't believe she dared. "And even if it was 'yours', what has that got to do with me? You were busy enough, cowering up in the trees. It's in my hands now. That makes it mine."
She winced at that. So he did know she'd been there all along.
She gathered her wits.
Dying now, or dying later. There was really no difference.
"With your logic... just touching anything, gives you ownership of it?" She murmured, "If I touch you, do you become mine?"
The Lycan quirked a brow. "Shall I let you test that theory?"
Sloane quickly shook her head. There was absolutely no way she would be risking her neck to go over there where he could reach.
At least now, she could try to make a run for it, if he suddenly went berserk.
"What I'm trying to say is...that's not how... things work, where I... come from."
"Well, that's how it works around here, kid. Get used to it." The Lycan shrugged,
He turned to leave but Sloane quickly took a few steps forward.
The Lycan paused, throwing a glare over his shoulder.
"Don't tell me, you plan to follow me around until I give it back?" He demands, his tone now amused, "You do know, unlike you prey that get to avoid the danger zones with your elaborate maps, predators travel through the red marked zone on purpose?"
Sloane fidgeted in place, keeping her gaze fixed on her feet. She'd figured out from earlier that the predators needed to gain points by hunting down the dangers of the woods.
Their mission probably wasn't to get to the other side, like the girls. They already knew where the exit was from the start.
But they needed a certain number of points to get through it.
"I'll stumble on them without...my map anyways." Sloane muttered in response.
The Lycan scoffed, "You're courting death, kid."
"You're barely a few years older. If I'm a kid, what does that make you?" Sloane mumbled underneath her breath,
"What did you say?!" He demanded.
Her eyes widened. She didn't think he would pick up on that.
Sloane shook her head quickly, lifting both hands up in a gesture of surrender.
"Nothing!" She squeaked,
His eyes narrowed, scanning Sloane from head to toe. Shaking his head, he reached into the satchel, pulling out the pouch of calming pills.
"Stay out of my way, kid." He warned, tossing what was left in the satchel to Sloane. "And we just might cross paths again at Eclipsera."