Chapter Six- Hunting

Thoth awoke the next morning still in wolf form and with Isis asleep, also in wolf form. The two of them had played long and hard and, while he was aware that their sounds were a bit loud, he hadn't really cared. He hadn't played with another werewolf or wifewolf since the days when he was with his mentor and he was happy that Isis suggested playing together.

He heard a low growl and looked at Isis to see her teeth bared. Her forepaws thrusted out a little and her tail twitched. She's dreaming, he thought. He studied her body movements and concluded that she was hunting. A normal dream for a predator. He saw her breathing change before her eyes blearily opened. She blinked, looked around, and then focused on Thoth. "Just a dream," she said, sounding disappointed.

"Good dream?" he asked as he changed to human.

"I was hunting as a wolf," she answered as she became human too. "I was stalking after a rabbit before chasing after it. I…killed it and then I woke up. I hadn't hunted and yet I moved as if I had hunted at least once before."

"I would be willing to take you hunting if you like," Thoth offered. "I find it quite thrilling."

"I'd like that. Maybe tonight?" Isis suggested. "I'd like to hunt for real."

"It'll also be your third night as a wolf in a row," Thoth noted.

"I like being a wolf and I feel I need to experience the different aspects of being a wolf like hunting and playing." Both stood up.

"Speaking of playing, perhaps we could do that after hunting."

"Sounds like a plan. I love playing."

"I do too." Thoth tilted Isis' head up before leaning down and giving her a loving kiss before breaking it and preparing for the day.

Isis emerged from the house to see that there appeared to be more guards than usual and wondered as to why. Thoth also noticed the increased guards but said nothing as he went to open his stall. His nose flared as people passed his stall and the scent of fear wafted up to him. He found this curious as he had no idea why the people were afraid.

Isis couldn't smell the emotion, but she could sense the mood of the crowd. She approached a guard who knelt before her. "Mistress Isis," he said.

"May I ask why there are more guards?"

"Some citizens reported to the night shift the sounds of wolves and fear for their safety. Master Mahad received the pharaoh's permission to increase our presence to protect the people."

"Wolves?" she repeated.

"At least two were heard, but there could be more. Night shift will have more guards than usual tonight."

"Very well. Carry on." The guard resumed his patrol and Isis bit her lip. The sounds she and Thoth had made last night had scared some people and resulted in more security. We were just playing, but no one else knows that. She calmed herself as she moved through the crowd, the people parting to let her pass. She headed to Thoth's booth where she saw mild confusion in his eyes.

"Isis, I am smelling fear," he whispered, knowing she would hear him.

"You can smell fear?" she asked, intrigued.

"Yes. It develops over time. I just don't know why there's fear."

"I do. The sounds we made as we played were heard and the people reported it to the night shift. Mahad got permission to post more guards for day and night shifts."

Thoth moaned softly. "I had thought we were a little loud but I was more interested in playing."

"We can play out in the desert after hunting. We can go far out where we won't encounter anyone."

"Yes, we will definitely do that." He gave her a smile and a nod as she continued on her way to the palace. He had sensed that she was special the day they met and not because she was a priestess. She exuded a calm demeanor that put him at ease and had prompted him to speak about himself, albeit in a guarded way until the day he bit her. Being a werewolf was a big part of himself and it had been a relief when he finally revealed it. When she spoke of sensing I was hiding something that prevented her from trusting me that was when I knew that my decision to turn her had arrived. I knew I had to move fast when I struck and I succeeded. She was angry that I bit her and I understand that I had lost her love, albeit, briefly. If I had to guess, I think her preconceptions of werewolves frightened her and probably made her unsure about the man she thought she knew. Her first change clearly changed her mind and our interactions before that brought her love for me back.

I think Isis is bringing me back to the innocent werewolf I had been when I was first bitten. My mentor boasted of being a dark one and that all of our kind end up becoming dark. He had also boasted of how many he had turned and how many he had killed and eaten. I recall being horrified at what I was hearing. I felt sick when told how I would be on the full moon.

I vividly recall my first cycle. I felt awful about what I did while my mentor was gleeful. It was the second cycle when I became dark and reveled in my actions. And yet, I never bit anyone until now. Isis is my mate and she will be with me forever. We can keep each other from being dark outside of the cycle.

The night was cool and the sky was clear, but Isis paid it no mind. She was sniffing the ground and the air as per Thoth's instructions as she tried to find prey to hunt and kill. She would scent something and ask Thoth what it was. Their distance from home resulted in smelling other animals. Thus far, she had smelled coyotes, snakes, and jackals.

"Is it hard to hunt rabbits?" she asked at one point.

"For a beginner, yes. But with practice, it becomes easy." He lifted his nose and breathed deeply. "Smell that, Isis? It's a camel."

Isis copied him and a different smell filled her nose. "A camel, hmm? That sounds like the perfect target for a beginner."

"Oh, it is. The wind is in our faces, so it won't smell our approach."

"Good." Isis slunk close to the ground and padded off in the direction of their targets, becoming highly aware of her movements and the way the wind blew. She breathed in the camel's scent and grew excited from it. This is what it must feel like to hunt, she thought. The tension, the stalking, and following the scent of prey.

The scent grew stronger and Isis unsheathed her claws, kneading the sand to quiet her approach. She licked her chops and gave a very low growl. She heard the camel speak but nothing else. She refrained from making any more sounds as she crept closer. She took a deep breath to calm herself before charging toward the camel. It saw her coming, cried out in fear, and bolted. She chased after it, but it seemed like it was getting away.

A black wolf then leaped in front of it making the camel stop and rear up in fear. Isis snarled as she leaped toward the camel and landed on its back as it set its forelegs down. She dug her claws into its fur before latching onto the neck and giving the killing bite. The camel collapsed to the ground and two wolves howled in triumph.