The moon hung high in the cloudless sky filling the small clearing with bright light. A herd of elk grazed lazily by a small pond on the eastern edge. Just beyond the treeline, crouched four creatures watching the herd intently.

Each of the creatures had long tails with muscular hind legs. Their torsos like that of humans, long muscular arms with daggers for claws on each finger. The creatures heads like that of giant wolves, long muzzles filled with razor sharp teeth. Long ears twitching side to side listening to the forest around them as their eyes remained unflinching.Three of the wolves fur coats were course and in varying shades of grey, with eyes of deep amber, while the fourth wolf had sleek fur of the deepest black and eyes like frozen blue crystals.

The largest of the wolves shifted slightly turning his gaze to the black one, beckoning him with only a small tilt of his head. "Vel, how many do you see?" The large wolf rumbled as the young one crouched low bedside him. Vel took a moment to look through the clearing again, two bucks, three doe, and three fawn.

"I count eight." The young wolf replied quietly. " The big one in the middle must be their alpha."

"Very good, boy." His father replied, "Now, which way is the wind traveling and how should we proceed?" he asked. Vel lifted his head slightly, feeling the air with his nose. "It's going east to west, so Thane, Brynn and I should go around the west edge and position ourselves as close to the northern side of the pond, while you come out the southeastern side. you can scare them right into us."

As he finished, he looked hopefully at his father who sat silent. "no." He rumbled after a few moments. "Your plan is sound son, but you are not strong enough to be a hunter. You will flush them to myself and your brothers." Vel began to speak but instantly stopped and shrank back from a single cold stare from his father, which meant to argue, was to challenge his title as Alpha. "As you wish father." Vel said apprehensively, as he turned south and slipped into the darkness of the trees.