The Pack

Chapter 4: Admitting Defeat

^He's in there. I can smell it^ the hybrid's eyes glowed red as he stared at the store. The windows were all boarded up and the humans inside were looking out. ^All three of them are^

^The game warden too^ The German Shepard growled. The brown leader jumped down from a rock and crept down the hill. The hybrid and the rest of the pack followed him slowly.

^We need to find a way in. Split up and search! Be wary of their guns^ the hybrid took off towards the back of the house while the rest of the pack surrounded the house to search.

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"I'm hungry mummy." Jonathan curled his lip in disgust as Dudley whined for food for the hundredth time.

"Can't he have something else to eat?" The woman asked. Jonathan shook his head.

"We only have so much food here and your piggy husband and son can't eat all of it!" The woman gaped as Dudley began to cry. Vernon glared at Jonathan. Jonathan turned back to the window when he heard a scuffling sound.

Suddenly, a humanoid head popped up to look in the window that wasn't covered by the desk. Its eyes bore into Jonathans and it swept its gaze around the room. When it saw Vernon, it began to snarl.

"Get out of here boy! Get!" Vernon swung a hand at the window, face purple in rage, but the hybrid snapped at the fist. Saliva sprayed on the window before it backed up. Vernon stared at it wide eyed.

"Told you it wouldn't be scared of you." His smug smile was cut off however when he heard a couple of gunshots and a dozen or so yelps. He raced to the front room. "What happened?"

"I got the leader." Mark grinned. "And some of the others. Look!" The strange hybrid and a few other dogs crowded around the bodies of the brown leader and the rest of their fallen pack.

"Shoot at them again, maybe you'll get a few more." Before Mark could even raise his rifle, the dogs fled. The hybrid took the lead. "Damn!" Mark frowned.

"Did anybody warn Mrs. Thomas?" The men looked at each other in shock. No one had even thought about the old lady! "We've got to go get her! They probably smelled her and that's why they left."

"You, don't eat anything! If I find one morsel of food missing you'll be sleeping outside tonight!"

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Mrs. Thomas set her purse on the counter as her chickens outside began to squawk madly. "I wonder what's gotten into those birds." She went outside past her car and scanned the area around the chicken coop.

Her eyes came to rest on a strange black human-wolf, snarling silently at her. "Oh Allah!" The creature let out a howl and took off towards her. She screamed and ran to her car. She just managed to slide inside and roll up the window when the pack of animals slammed into the car.

The hybrid, for there was no other word for it, jumped on the roof of her car and began to tear at the fabric. Not being able to find her keys, she honked the horn desperately. The hole in the roof was getting larger and she had just about given up when there was a loud bang, followed by a yelp.

"Mrs. Thomas!?" The dogs fled. Mark Bishop ran over to her and helped her out. "Are you okay? We need to get out of here."

"Hey Mark! Take a look at this!" Mark peered around at Jonathan who had his gun trained on a lump. A lump of black fur and skin. Mark's eyes widened as he walked around to look at the beasts face.

"I wondered where he was! I didn't think I got him." Just as he finished the thought, the hybrid growled softly and rolled onto his stomach. Mark stepped back as Jonathan tightened his finger on the trigger.

"Should I just shoot him?" Mark shook his head as pale green eyes looked into his own. He was pulled into the beast's memories and watched as the little boy was beaten, starved, locked up, then finally abandoned. "Uhm, Mark?"

"Lower your gun Jonathan." Jonathan did as requested and Mark squatted down near the hybrid. The hybrid watched him warily, but didn't growl or lunge at him. "He knows that he's been defeated."

"Mark."

"Get me the crackers from the glove compartment in my car." Jonathan raced off. "There there, now. You're a smart one, aren't you?" He waited until Jonathan returned with the crackers.

"Here." Mark took one out and held it out to the hybrid, who jerked back in a flinch.

"It's okay. I won't hurt you." He threw the cracker onto the ground by the hybrids feet. The hybrid gobbled the cracker up in mere seconds. He threw another one at him, and then another. Soon he had the hybrid eating out of his hand.

"Amazing." Jonathan whispered. "But we should get out of here before the other dogs return." Mark took ahold of the rope still hanging from the hybrid's collar.

"All right boy, think you can walk?" Blood was still seeping out of the bullet wound on the hybrid's shoulder, but the hybrid ignored it. He got to his feet with a groan and stood, holding his one paw off the ground. "Good boy."

"We're actually taking him with us?" Jonathan asked as they made their way back to the car. The hybrid allowed Mark to help up onto the truck and licked his hand in thanks.

"He's not too far gone, like those other dogs. He's just scared, tired, cold, and probably still hungry. He knows he's hurt and is willing to accept help from us. Besides, there's a boy somewhere in there craving for attention." The hybrid curled up as the truck began to move.

TBC