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Rated: 13+ · Book · Fantasy · #1802635
Dark fantasy/ romance/ paranormal. /work in progress
‘Steady, steady now.’



I breathe in slowly and exhale even slower making sure I remain silent. The Gripper was in my crosshairs, but it was turned too far to the side. I couldn’t get a clear shot with it turned. It sniffed the air, raising its head in the direction of the bait we’d laid out.



It took one step in the direction of the bait, and fearfully jerked back. Lowering itself into a crouch; it eased back.



‘Damn!’ I took my eye from the scope and eased my night goggles down very slowly as not to make a sound. I heard the twig snap to my right, and forced my vision on the Gripper. It drooled as it squinted its eyes straining in the direction of the snap.



‘Please don’t let it be one of the team.’ I barely whispered the prayer to my parents’ god. Looking in the direction of the noise; I was stunned. It was a Lycan, crouched beside our bait, sniffing at it. It sniffed the bait, then the air, then in the direction of the Gripper. I swallowed hard, it had turned its fiery red eyes in my direction sniffing.



I looked down at the trail. I knew if it pounced on me I was dead. If I ran, the Gripper would be after me as well. My heart pounded in my chest. My options had been removed for me. I had become the bait for two monsters. If I tried to contact the team, the beasts would hear any noise I made. As I see it I had two choices: I could cower, and wait for which ever one found me first to kill me, or I could try to take one of them out before I died. Like I said, no options.

I’d never been one to cower. The reason I hadn’t gone with my parents’ was the raging rebellion within me. The reason I’d survived this long was because I’m a survivor. Well, that’s not about to change now. Clenching my jaw tight, set in determination I slowly turned back, zeroed in on the Gripper. I’d made my choice alright, I’d rather be ripped to shreds by a Lycan than allow the slow poison of a Gripper to drive me to madness until I became one myself.



No, I would not succumb to the macabre madness. I raised my night goggles and got it in my sights again. It sniffed the air warily, facing the direction of the Lycan. I had to risk it.



I used my clicker once. It’s head snapped briefly in my direction, then turned sharply back. It happened so fast I couldn’t believe it. One minute it was there, the next it was gone. Ten feet behind where it had been, the Lycan was on top of it ripping it to shreds. It didn’t feed off of it. The Lycan shredded it, then spit the pieces of flesh out.



I sat in shock, waiting for it to pounce on me next. It looked in my direction, then turned and sped off. It was like a blur, it moved so fast. I could hear it baying as I eased myself down the trail. Why had it left me alone? And how did it know not to eat the Gripper?



I replayed my file twenty seven times that night before I caught it. If what I think just happened is true, there is hope for our survival.

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