**CHAPTER XI**
The sun was well below the horizon, making now the perfect time to be out. The summer heat was really starting to show, and because of this, Jake had long since decided being awake and about in the daytime was not something he was willing to do anymore.
He was patrolling the edge of his territory again, keeping an eye out for prey or danger. He'd been extra vigilant these days, now that he was pretty much on his own; the little Hunter pup he'd met didn't exactly count as good protection.
From the street he leaped onto a parked car, and then proceeded to slowly scan the area with his eyes. He froze as he spotted movement ahead. It became immediately apparent that it was a dog, a big black one, and it was coming down the street right toward him. He lifted a lip in a snarl, but did not move from his perch. It seemed he'd be having an easy breakfast tonight.
The animal only stopped when it finally spotted him, and by then it was barely ten feet away. It began to bark, and Jake snarled loudly in response to the irritating sound. He readied to pounce, lowering his body to the roof of the car, but that's when he heard a shrill screech that took him completely by surprise.
He immediately sat up straight, and watched as none other than the little female Hunter came flying from an unknown hiding place, right at the dog. The canine was soon sent toppling with her, and he watched as she began shredding the animal with her claws mercilessly. The dog struggled and screamed in agony, and Jake could only watch the scene with growing amazement.
Never had he seen the little Hunter attack an animal by herself like this; always she would seek him out, and more often than not, share his kills. This was new.
Suddenly, the dog broke free, screeching in pain and terror the whole time as it tried to run in the opposite direction. Its belly was torn wide, loops of intestine falling out to be dragged across the pavement. Jake snarled and leaped, crashing into the injured canine before his little friend could reclaim it. He snapped the dog's spine, ending its life and the annoying sounds emitting from its mangled maw immediately.
He lifted his head and turned his gaze to the little Hunter now standing only about three feet away. She hesitated for only a second, before she recognized him and bounded over with a happy purr. After a brief greeting, they set to work tearing into the carcass together.
Not even a minute in, Jake paused, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He looked around, suddenly feeling like he was being watched. Looking over at the Hunter pup beside him, he saw she was still eating, blissfully unaware of anything that might have been amiss. It took a moment, but eventually hunger won out and he moved to continue eating as well.
((()))
The night was ending now, as could be plainly seen by the increasing light from the eastern part of the sky. Down in the dark cold basement of a storage building, Jake lie curled on a nest made from torn coats and flattened boxes in the corner, hidden from the heat of the day he knew would arrive.
He was alone, like he always was now. More than once he would long for the presence of his old friend, like now, as he struggled to keep warm. He knew it was worth it to be cold now rather than suffering through the heat later, so he wasn't going to try to find somewhere warmer.
Shivering softly, he curled even closer to one of the coats that made up his nest, closing his eyes tightly as he felt again that despair he'd gotten so used to these past few days. Even with his new acquaintance, he was still desperately lonely. Or maybe he just missed his old friend. It was hard to tell the difference; he'd never felt anything like it before.
A soft whimper escaped him, and over that tiny sound, he heard something moving about in the storage space near the place he'd gone through to get into this basement. Instantly he sobered up, and moved to press his back against the wall. He peered in the direction he heard the sound, wide-eyed as he tried to see through the darkness and pick out shadows in an attempt to decipher which one happened to be moving.
A low growl rose in his throat as he finally spotted something small moving in front of the shelf he'd made his nest behind. The shadow stopped, and he heard a very soft purr in response. Immediately he calmed down, recognizing that voice. He watched as his new friend crawled around the shelf, and peered in at him curiously.
He wasn't expecting it when she approached him, crawling up on his nest with him. He tilted his head a bit, watching her, and she met his ominous stare with a completely unconcerned one. Tilting her head down a bit, her face was mostly hidden in the shadow of her oversized hood as she got down and inched closer to him.
At first he shifted back away from her, and gave a short, low growl. She immediately halted her movements and turned her gaze up at him, fearful of reprimand. Jake would only stare for a moment longer, silent and unsure. When he did not growl or swipe at her, she resumed her approach. With only a couple inches to go, it wasn't long before she was pressing her face against his stomach, nuzzling up to his chest.
Jake tensed, and his inhuman eyes were wide as he watched her. He felt her little hand on his side, and it took him a moment to realize she was trying to get him to lie back down. With a soft grunt, he did what she wanted, his movements stiff and tentative. She went down with him, and cuddled up against him close, her arms curled up against her chest.
Slowly, he placed his hand on her hip, resting his chin on her hooded head as he stared off into the gloom of the basement. The strangeness of being this close to another was quick to fade, and the recurring pang of loneliness caused him to slide his hand to her back and pull her closer. She gave a soft whimper in response, and nuzzled up into his neck.
He closed his eyes and gave a soft sigh, feeling the fatigue start to take hold again. He sensed her fall asleep some time before he finally did, though, the shallow slumber wouldn't last long for either of them.
Jake awoke to the startlingly loud sound of his own enraged growl, and the feeling of the little Hunter pup still snuggled with him squirming a bit in fear. Right away he remembered he had dreamt about his old friend, and it hadn't been a good one.
The anger and sadness welled up anew, mixing with the haze of exhaustion that shrouded his being like a thick blanket. He dug his claws into the little Hunter, causing her to cry out sharply in alarm and begin trying to squirm away with heightened desperation. He snarled louder and hugged her so tightly against himself he actually cut off her breathing for a moment.
When he loosened his grip, she didn't try to escape again. He could hear her heightened breathing, and feel how tense she was, she was still afraid. He continued to hold her, growling softly, though his voice cracked and he felt his eyes start to burn, his vision blurring as they welled up with tears. This had happened only once before, and now he began to wonder if he'd been injured somehow, or if something had gotten in his eyes to make them do this. He did not once think to connect it with the pain in his heart.
His body began to shake softly, and the tears didn't stop this time. He held onto the little Hunter tightly, nuzzling into the top of her head, eyes squeezed tightly shut as if in pain. His breathing became ragged as this continued, and he kept holding onto the Hunter pup he was now practically holding hostage. He didn't want to be alone, not now, he couldn't let her go.
The little Hunter clutched onto him, and he could feel her claws' sharp little points against his skin every time she skimmed over one of the many holes in his hoodie. She purred softly, sometimes insistently, but all he could do was shudder and hold onto her tighter. It would take some time, but eventually exhaustion would overcome him and he'd fall asleep once again, this time into a dreamless respite.
When he awoke again, this time after a proper amount of sleep, he found her still cuddled with him. The darkness down here was so thick that he couldn't see a single thing, but he could still feel her, warm and soft beside him. He kept his eyes closed, as he gently ran his hand over her head, pushing her hood back slightly, feeling her blood and dirt matted hair under his thumb. He growled so low and deep in his chest that the sound more resembled that of rolling thunder; his own purr, of sorts.
The Hunter pup jerked awake with a soft squeak, tense, until she realized what she was hearing was an amicable sound. She then clutched onto his hoodie and pulled herself against him, giving a small purr in response.
After a minute or two more of this, Jake decided it was time to get up, and get some breakfast. The Hunter pup was quick to follow him, and they both exited through the wide open doors that led up into the alley.
The night was warm and the pavement was still hot beneath his feet, but above all, Jake caught a scent in the air that gave him abrupt pause. It was the distinct smell of another predator; rotting blood, mixed with something else he couldn't quite place.
He began to growl, and he sensed the pup behind him back up, almost retreating back into the safety of the basement. She gave a soft whimper, but he ignored her as he got down on all fours and crawled out toward the street.
Right away, he spotted the torn and badly mangled carcass of a deer lying in the middle of the street. All around it were blood splatters and pieces of flesh that had been torn violently from the body, and upon closer inspection, Jake saw bloody feet and handprints all over the area.
He knew what this meant; another pack of Hunters had invaded. He didn't know how many were there, but even just two would have been too much for him to handle alone. As he thought deeply on this, he noticed movement, and looked to see his little Hunter friend crawling forth to investigate the deer carcass.
At first he didn't take much notice, until she actually began attempting to pick leftover meat from the thing. For some reason, this sight angered him; scavenging off of what an invading pack had killed? It only proved further that he and his pathetic excuse for a pack was being kicked out of this territory, and worse, that they were accepting it.
Jake snarled loudly, and the Hunter pup leaped back with a startled cry as he mock charged at her. She looked up at him fearfully, and he only stared down at her with a disapproving glare. He then turned and moved off to begin his own hunt. Reluctantly, she followed him.
A/N: Sorry again guys, for the long wait. Been really busy, finishing up the summer. Honestly can't wait to finish this story, just to have at least one big, finished project around. I know a lot of you are upset about the plot direction, but I hope the ending will be satisfying anyway, for those of you who actually stick around, heh. Thanks to those who have stuck by and continue to review, it really makes me happy that you do so.