Hunger Awaits
Chapter 5

Kendra's POV

I awoke shivering under a blanket of fresh snow. I couldn't move and I knew that the snow was still falling. "You have to get up Kendra," I said out loud to myself. I tried to sit up, but the moment I tried to move my leg the pain shot through my whole body. It was so intense that I instantly felt sick to my stomach. I laid back feeling defeated and helpless. I never thought that it would end this way. It wasn't going to end this way, I thought to myself. My will to live started to take hold and I made myself slip into a crawling position. I pushed everything out of my mind except the will to live and started to slowly crawl. There was a fallen tree just a few feet in front of me that had some branches above it. I knew that if I could just make it there I might make it through the night. I kept crawling, fighting my bodies instinct to just give in to the pain. I looked up ahead of me and stopped crawling. I was frozen in fear as two yellowish eyes looked at me from the dark. I had no idea what was there, but I knew that it had to be an animal of some kind. My fear heightened as I heard a low growl come from the dark.

I laid there paralyzed in fear hoping that whatever animal was there would just go away. I kept my eyes on the eyes in front of me, and soon the eyes started to move forward towards me. I started to crawl backward, as the black wolf that had caused me to crash stepped forward. His eyes stayed focused on me the closer he came. I couldn't crawl anymore the pain was becoming unbearable. I started to feel around me for something to protect myself with. The wolf got closer and my hand found a big rock. I quickly grabbed it and hurled it at the wolf. It hit him in the snout, making him stop and shake his head. The wolf looked back up at me, but this time his eyes were full of anger. I knew that if I didn't scare him off I was going to die. I reached again and found another rock so I chucked it at the wolf again. This time it hit him in the head and he yelped in pain. He started to come towards me again but stopped and looked behind him. He growled then looked at me again, then he looked back behind him. He looked back at me one last time and then took off. I let out a sigh of relief but then the pain came back making me fall into the darkness again.

Matto's POV

The snow was falling harder now and I knew I was running out of time. "Anything yet?" I let the question fill my head. Soon the responses from my brothers filled my head.

"No, nothing yet. There is something though." My curiosity filled my head.

"What is it?" Jace's voice came through this time.

"The scent of an unknown wolf in the area. It isn't a wild wolf either. I think it is a Rogue male werewolf. He isn't from around here. Matto, He is dangerous and he is looking for something." I already knew it was the same wolf from the other night, and I already knew he was looking for her too.

"Where are you?" I couldn't stop the anger that came into my mind. I soon heard the low howl from Jace and ran that direction.

I was just about to him when I caught her scent. I immediately turned and started to follow the scent of her. The closer I got the more of her scent filled my nose, then I soon picked up the scent I was hoping wasn't even close to her. I walked up to a tree line and her scent was strong, but so was his. I looked through the clearing and saw the black wolf standing inches from her. She was throwing rocks at him and he looked ready to attack. Suddenly he turned back looking towards me. I let out a low growl and he turned back to her, then back to me, then back to her before he took off. I was about to chase after him when I saw her fall back to the ground. I knew I had to get her to safety first, then I could deal with the other wolf.

I walked forward and looked down at her. She lied on the snow cover ground in front of me. Shivering and barely alive. I stared at her, curious about this simple little life before me. Her scent was all I could smell now. From the moment I had laid eyes on her in the lodge back at the ski resort, I knew that I had to have her. She shivered again and I noticed the smell of blood. I looked her over and saw her leg was bleeding and probably broken. I had to get her somewhere warm fast. "I found her. Head to the cabin. I will meet you there. Have a bed ready and medical supplies. She is hurt badly." Koda's voice entered my head.

"Shouldn't we take her back to the resort?" I growled making her stir a little.

"I would, but the storm is to bad. The cabin is closer. Just do as I say." I shifted back to my human form and quickly picked her up holding her close to my warm body. I quickly made my way to the cabin trying to keep her as close as possible without hurting her more.

The more I held her fragile body the more I knew that I couldn't let her go. She was barely clinging to life and for some reason, I was afraid to lose her. I don't really know anything about her, just her name, but somehow that was enough. The cabin came into sight and I picked up my pace, as I burst through the door I yelled out for everyone. Tenaya was the first to my side, ushering me into my room. "Come on Matto. We will put her in here until the storm passes. Koda! Hurry up with that splint and first aid kit." Koda rushed in the room with the first aid kit and a splint. "Ok everyone out. I need to work if you want her to make it through the night." Tenaya said as she ushered Koda and me out of the room. She had studied with the tribe's medicine man when we were still living with the tribe. She was no doctor, but she was Kendra's best chance at the moment and I trusted her.

After a few hours, Tenaya finally emerged from the room. "She is stable and I set her leg, but she will need a real cast soon." I nodded and went into the room. She looked so peaceful and yet so broken at the same time. I found a chair and pulled it up next to the bed. I was exhausted, but I didn't want to leave her side. I heard the door open and Tenaya came in with a blanket and a bowl of stew for me. "You need to eat and get some sleep. Jace and Koda told me about the Rogue wolf." She looked over at Kendra and smiled. "I know what it is you sense in her and I think you are right. When I was working on her, the bones in her leg had already started to heal." I looked at her confused and concerned.

"How is that possible? I sense something, but how could she not know? I mean we all had shifted by the time we hit puberty." Tenaya shook her head.

"I'm not sure, but it could just simply be that she has never had the urge. Think about it Matto, we all grew up around the tribe and others like us. Maybe she just hasn't had anyone around her that brought it out of her." She left the room and I sat there staring at Kendra. Could it be possible?

Kendra's POV

Dream sequence

I opened my eyes and I was still in the woods, but I wasn't alone. I looked around and saw the yellow eyes in front of me again. The black wolf came out towards me, but this time I saw what scared him away. He looked back behind him and I heard another growl. Then I saw a grey wolf emerging from behind the black wolf. The black wolf quickly ran off, obviously afraid of this new wolf. I knew I should be scared as well but I wasn't. The grey wolf approached me and something in his eyes told me I was safe. He gently laid next to me, the warmth radiating from him. He stayed next to me but didn't take his eyes off the tree line. I had started to drift off to sleep again when he let out a low growl startling me. I opened my eyes and instead of the wolf, I saw Matto's beautiful face.

"Kendra stay with me." He said as he reached his hand out to me. I took it and he helped me stand up. My leg was no longer broken and the scenery had changed to a gorgeous opened meadow with lilacs everywhere. The scent of the lilacs filled my nose and suddenly I realized that there was another scent in the air. I turned to Matto and soon realized the scent was coming from him. He had a musky but sweet smell all wrapped in a particular scent that just drew me closer to him. He smiled at me softly then walked a little bit in front of me. I watched as he suddenly changed from the sexy, gorgeous human man that I knew into the beautiful grey wolf. He approached me and put his head into my hand. I could feel something inside me trying to come out, a feeling that I had never felt before. At first, it scared me, but as I looked down into the eyes of Matto I just let my body accept the feeling. Suddenly I was on all fours and covered in a warm white fur. "Hello, my love." Matto's voice entered my head.

End dream sequence

My eyes opened a little and to my surprise, I was in a bed in a room, but it wasn't the hospital. Where was I? I thought to myself. I looked around and soon saw the face that I was longing to see. My heart was crying out for him, but my mouth wouldn't open. His eyes were closed and he had his hand close to mine, so I reached for it. His hand was warm and felt good in mine. I gently squeezed it and his eyes opened immediately. "Kendra, you are ok. You hurt yourself pretty bad so I brought you to our cabin. The storm was to bad to take you to the hospital tonight." I finally willed myself to make the words come out of my mouth.

"It's ok Matto. You saved my life. Thank you." He nodded and smiled at me.

"There is some stew. Are you hungry?" I shook my head.

"No, thirsty though. Can I have some water?"

Matto nodded and quickly left the room. When he came back he had some water and following close behind him was a beautiful woman. Oh my, was this his wife or girlfriend? The woman walked over to the bedside and smiled down at me. "Hello Kendra, my name is Tenaya I am Koda's wife." I was confused.

"Who is Koda?" I looked at Matto and then back at Tenaya.

"Oh, I'm sorry I just assumed that you had met everyone already." Matto looked a little frustrated.

"No Tenaya, she actually hasn't met anyone else yet. Hell, she barely knows me. Now can we let her get some rest." Tenaya looked a little embarrassed and quickly left the room.

"Matto Who was she and who is this Koda?" He smiled.

"So curious, they are my family. Koda, Tenaya, and Jace. We are all from the same tribe and live here together." Oh, that makes sense. I thought to myself. Suddenly I felt very tired so I closed my eyes again. The same dream replayed in my head.

Matto's POV

She closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep, and I couldn't help but watch her. She was so intriguing and yet I knew that I was going to have to let her go. Jace had already radioed back to the resort that we had found her, and would bring her in when the storm lifted. That only gave us until morning. The storm had already started to move out, so by the time morning came, it would be clear enough to take her back. I could already feel the pain building in me at the thought of letting her out of my sight, but I had to. She knew nothing of this world yet, and it would be selfish of me to bring it out of her before she was ready. I sat back down next to her and held her hand. Something told me that this wouldn't be the last time I would see her.