Inside the dusky mound, Strema had thus far managed to avoid violation. But only because Mackey was at the bottom of the pecking order. Saraz and Brile sat at the only exit from the small cavern that Strema was being kept in. They chuckled to one another at their small compatriot's attempts to mount the much larger she-wolf. Strema was getting tired, though. She'd come to the conclusion that this Mackey was indeed only part wolf, the rest was undoubtedly coyote. She knew she could kill the idiotic dog, but knew better. Once he was dead, his claim to mate her first was null. Then, Brile and Saraz were free to take her. And she wouldn't be able to stop them. For the tenth time now, she reached around to pull Mackey off of her back and then threw him across the cavern. He slid across the earthen floor into the opposite wall. Whimpering and panting to his companions, he reminded them of something Strema hadn't thought of,

"You guys do know the sooner I'm done, the sooner you get your turns, right?"

Brile and Saraz weren't the sharpest teeth in the bite, however,

"What are you meaning, runt?"

Strema swallowed nervously, and backed up against the wall. She didn't want to reveal her heritage to these guys. Human form would discourage them from doing what Mackey proposed, but she was also weaker that way. They might just kill her and be done with it.

"I mean, if you guys would just hold her down for a second, I could get this over with and then…"

"We'd have our chance. Yeah, I see what you're getting at. What do you think, Saraz? Should we help the little pipsqueak?"

The red wolf grinned in agreement. Strema prepared to change as all three approached her. Maybe in their confusion she would have a chance to dash out. Just as Brile opened his mouth to clamp down on her shoulder, Strema changed into a human. All three of her captors stepped back in alarm. In that split second of puzzlement, she shot out the exit and down the passage. Knowing it was only a breath's moment before they would be pursuing her, she reached for her bow, but it was gone.

"Damn, must have lost it somewhere in wolf form!"

Instead, she grabbed an arrow from the quiver and held it aloft like a dagger. She heard their panting and paws on the ground but could not see them. In hybrid form, she would be able to better sense them, but risked them reverting back to their prior mindset. Crouching lower to the ground and swallowing nervously, she prepared herself to fight to the death.

"Brile, take the left, Mackey, you're in the middle. We'll back her into a corner then go in for the kill"

Even though she was not even in hybrid form, Strema could still comprehend canine. She continued to back down the passage, facing her executioners. Suddenly, she heard muffled noises from behind her. And then a familiar voice yelled,

"Strema, come this way, quick!"