Finding Rose

The sun was setting and Samuel was making promising gain towards his ghost. Not to much longer, and he was making his way through thick brush before her scent had him stop at a clearing. He stood there looking at a clear cut. The heavy machinery belonged to a company that was well known for deforesting, and stood there taking in the massive amount of levelage that once was filled with lush evergreens and pines.

sniff~ sniff~

He took in deep breathes.

"You were here for some time ghost." He stated. "This must be where home was. How long have you been out here?" He thought

He still didn't understand why a shifter of all people would shift so long. Surely she would make a more comfortable life in her human state he thought. Her scent was still strong, and eventually followed it to a bed that was made in the tall grass.

"The scent is still so fresh. I can't be too far behind her." He said

He looked around the bedding to see any signs of dead prey, since he hadn't seen any bones or dead carcasses while tracking her. He knew that she would be hungry and was probably out scavenging for food. He continued to follow her scent which pulled him further away from the clear cut, but then started to go back towards the town.

"Hmmm. Nothing here hu?" He questioned.

He looked at the path that would take him back home, and started following her scent. At this time the moon was high in the sky and cascaded a dim light over the land. He continued tracking, and there was barely any evidence of other wildlife. He did however come to find a couple squirrels and what looked like a rabbit, sprawled and gutted in the brush.

"Ok little huntress you found something." He smiled knowing that she was able to find something.

However it was evident that she and he weren't the only one to make there way through this brush. He was picking up multiple scents. He took in deep breathes, and aimlessly scouted the forest floor for tracks.

"Shit. Coyotes.....what the fuck are they doing here?" He thought to himself.

Coyotes don't typically wonder on wolf territory. But she wasn't on hers. And by the looks of it this was a pack.

"That clear cut probably scared all the prey. Who knows how long they have been scrounging for food. Weeks perhaps. And from the look of it they caught her trail and she's alone. I can't be to far! Go Sam......go!"

He took off in the direction of their tracks, and ran as fast as his legs could take him.

...........

He had to have been running for the better part of an hour, until he was able to hear the commotion in the distance.

"Come on, come on, come on..where the fuck are you?" He said panicking.

pant~ pant~

"Blood." He said to himself.

He found himself looking around at the desolation sprawled over the forest floor. The sound of an epic battle could be heard just over the ridge, and bared his eyes on 4 coyotes who were either laid to rest or seriously injured. He quickly made his way over the ridge, and saw his ghost fighting for her life. Covered in blood, it was 3 against one. He quickly lunged, and while she was focused on one he went for the others.

He took a fearsome leap, and while in mid air grabbed one off her back, sending Samuel and the coyote tumbling . He grabbed the coyote by the nape of the neck and thrashed his body before releasing him. Before the coyote could even managed to get up, Samuel went for the kill shot and striked the neck applying his full power instantly killing it. Rustling around sent him about 30 feet, another 30 feet he had to quickly make up for.

She was still working on the one, and let out a hurling growl, as he noticed the other had her by the leg. He ran up and bull rushed the one at the leg, knocking them all down the ridge. On the way down, she ended up being thrown into a tree and continued to roll down the embankment. Samuel got up as fast as possible to take either one. He glanced over at her and she didn't look to be moving. He could tell she was panting hard and too exhausted at this point to continue fighting. She was done, and it was up to him to finish them off.

He moved in front of her as she lay motionless, and bared a low rumbling but yet powerful growl. He took one look at the pair and knew which one was his target. He was going to go for the alpha, and he knew this fight would end swiftly.

Samuel was slightly bigger than his ghost, and it looked like she was able to put some damage on their foe. Neither was backing down, and this was purely for survival.

The alpha charged Sam, and it's first instinct was to go for the throat. Doing so required it to lower it's head and was about to pounce up from underneath Sam's face to get a hold.

"Hmph." Sam grinned.

Samuel read the desperation in the alpha' s movement and with out a second to waste, he propped up on his hind legs and brought his body and full weight on top of the coyote. His size was incomparable. He gazed up to the other coyote.

"Watch." He said.

Looking back down at the flailing alpha, who was pinned on his back, he took his canines and placed the coyotes face in his jaw. Taking in its snout, he then clomped down with all his might till he could hear the bones crack, and the cry decipitate. All while looking at his final opponent up ahead.

Releasing his trophy, essentially sent the final coyote running for the hills...literally. He stood there and watched as it ran with it's tail between its legs, before he turned to her. Slowly walking up to her, he was able to gage what the damage was.

She was covered in blood. Her white coat barely showing. He shifted back to his human form to better assess the wounds.

"Jesus girl.....you put up a good fight, there's no lying about that." He looked around. "We cant stay out here, and from the look of it we aren't to far from town." He said to her.

He used comforting words, to put her at ease. He slowly ran his hands down her side and on her belly making sure none of the wounds were fatal.

He could tell her leg was broken, but figured it would heal in about a day or two. He wasn't going to leave her here for that long, as it would just call other predators. She was able to pick up her head a little bit and looked Samuel in the eyes. She whimpered from the pain and exhaustion.

"I'm gonna have to take you home with me. We can't leave you here in this state or else something else might find you." He told her.

She had no energy left to spare. She was tired and laid her head back down, closing her eyes. He gently picked her up, and made his way back into town.

"Frig, this would be so much easier if you would shift." He huffed to himself.