@swarmsight
Gunshot cracked through the air like thunder, driving a nesting flock of birds from the trees in a frenzied cloud. Two more shots rang out, closer each time and echoing into the gathering dusk. The sound that followed was unmistakable: the whimper of a dog, or perhaps a wolf, in pain.
“Over there!”
“It went that way!”
“Don’t let it get away!”
The wolf sprinted through the undergrowth, narrowly missing trees and bushes as it went, panic starting to set in. She couldn’t remember which way she’d come from or how to make it back to the road but she ran as fast as she could. Pain seared into furred flesh, a red mess in her grey coat. Every bound shot white hot pain through her body but she couldn’t slow down. She could hear that hunters behind her, gaining on her. And all she could think to do was run.
Then all at once she broke through the line of trees, out into the wide open and no, no, that’s not the way she wanted to go. The wolf hesitated only a moment, but to turn back was certain death. And ahead... there, a trace on the wind. Dogs. People. Or was it just one person? Didn’t matter, whoever it was they weren’t the one following her with shotguns. And she couldn’t keep running. Fatigue was setting in and she could already feel her body wanting to give up and give in, to change back. And if she changed out in the open... she was a sitting duck.
The wolf made it a few yards into the open before letting out a deep, wounded howl, hoping at least the dogs would hear and maybe understand. She needed help and she needed it fast.