Page 18 of Raven

My breath caught in my throat as Tia came into view once again. The moonlight filtered through the leaves above, casting a soft glow on her fur. She had stopped running, standing gracefully in a small patch of light. As I ran towards her, she turned to face me and we were soon running side by side, our paws pounding against the earth, matching each other's stride.

In these moments, anything felt possible.

But then everything changed.

Without warning, a ball of muscle and energy slammed into my side, knocking the wind out of me and sending us tumbling into a cold stream below. Dazed and disoriented, I desperately clawed at the earth for purchase and pushed myself up from the water's depths.

Stephen was already at the edge of the stream, shaking water off his vibrant orange fur as he let out a boisterous laugh. Hisplayful demeanour made it clear that this was not an attack or a warning growl.

He was just being a shithead.

Tia leant over the edge to get a better look at us. I hauled myself onto the bank, my ears pinned back and my eyes locked on Stephen, who hunkered down with a mischievous glint in his eye. I shook my head and snarled at him, but he didn't back down.

With fierce determination, I lunged at him, wrapping my massive paws around his middle and nipping at his neck with all the strength I could muster. Waves of energy emanated from both of us as we engaged in this rough play-fight.

I refused to back down, even though maybe I should have. But Stephen knew the risks and still chose to challenge me. Like everyone else in our pack, he had choices to make.

When the moment came, he chose to roll under me, using his own momentum to knock me over. Claws scraped across my stomach in a raw, burning sensation that sent shivers down my spine. For a moment, we were tangled in a fray of limbs and fur, teeth flashing in the dim light.

And then we broke away.

As I scrambled back onto my paws, Stephen leapt up, his body arched with explosive energy as he prepared for another attack. But instead of lunging at me again, he raced past me and into the thick brush of the forest.

His abrupt retreat left me panting heavily and blinking in confusion. What was he playing at? But then he emerged from the shadows, prowling up beside me. One look at his grinning muzzle told me everything I needed to know—this was just part of his game he loved so much.

I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to Tia. My heart pounded in time with hers as our eyes met. Her gaze wasfilled with pure mischief as she sat on her haunches, watching us with interest. She was loving this.

Suddenly, she bounded forward, nipping playfully at Cade before nimbly dodging his retaliating snap. Her tail flicked in amusement as she ran towards me, inviting me into their game with a challenging growl.

And like a fool besotted, I took on her challenge head-on.

I sprinted after her through the trees, matching her pace stride for stride. Suddenly, she darted off, attempting to lose me among the towering trees and dense underbrush.

We chased like this for what seemed like ages—running, slamming, fighting—until it morphed into a hunt. Not of us, but of the wildlife. Hunger gnawed at our bellies, and our animals craved sustenance. Thankfully, the Fell was teeming with rabbits, moles, and the occasional deer if we were fortunate. That night, we were not. We managed to catch six rabbits between us. As we hunkered down to eat, I brought over a squirrel I’d snagged as it made a dash for a tree, dropping it in front of Stephen and displacing his rabbit.

My turn to smile.

Stephen snarled at the sight.

I turned my back and walked away.

After we ate and cleaned ourselves up, we made our way to the clearing for our clothes and shifted back. I think all of us bore some mark or another—a cut here, a bruise there from the fight. They’d fade. By the next day, they’d be all gone.

“Not bad playing there, McCulloch, though you’d have been in real trouble if I’d got serious on you,” Stephen said as we dressed.

I pulled on my jeans, fastening them. “We all know you’re all talk, Davies. Keep telling yourself that, any time, anywhere.”

Stephen ran a hand through his dark hair. “I’ll just send my sister to do the work for me.”

“Oh, because you’re scared?”

Stephen laughed at the banter as he pulled on his t-shirt. “You know, you're all big talk, but I doubt you're big enough to back it up.”

“Are they always like this?” Tia whispered to Cade.

“The problem is, if I take you down, I’m stuck with all the whiny tigers thinking I’m their new alpha. That’d never work. Plus, it would throw all of Society’s hierarchy into chaos and destruction. The whole system would crumble.”

Stephen raised an eyebrow. “So, no challenge because of societal structure?”

---