Months earlier…
Gaston got off the docking, fixing the leather strap on his shoulder which held the long gun he prepared for the hunting.
"It's going to be really cold up there. Are you sure you want to hunt alone?" Asked the captain of the ship.
They both stared up the whitened mountains of Ural where Gaston would be headed.
"I got few things to take my mind off. I can't do that when I'm with the gang." Gaston said. "I'd be out in three days. More than that, maybe I'm dead or eaten."
The captain of the ship, Jasper, chuckled. "If we come back in Moscow without you on board, do you think the gang will let us off? My crew and I will be incarcerated underground until we forgot our very own names. So, no, I'm going to have someone follow you a day after you leave."
Gaston let out a scoffed. "Where is the fun in that? I'm gonna be hunting animals."
"Yeah. Animals. The big and wild ones. This place has been preserved that top predators thrived in the woods. I don't understand the hobbies of billionaires. You love risking your lives just like your other cousins." Jasper shook his head and then turned to his men. "Hey! Careful with that! We don't want to eat battered fruits in days! These men really called for beating.
"Do your stuff here. I'm leaving." Gaston said.
"Don't turn off your tracker, Gaston! Ural is wide!" Jasper called out when Gaston left to the entrance of the forest.
Gaston only raised his arm and waved twice in response which made Jasper shook his head. "I am so old to cater these kids in their expedition. Maybe I should just retire." He murmured.
"Retire when you're dead." Said one man who stood beside him.
Jasper glanced at his son who stood rather taller than he was. "You follow after him after twelve hours. You can trace him, yeah?"
"Piece of cake." Anton said.
"Bring weapons with you. I already warned Gaston of the timber wolves ruling the Ural now but that kid won't listen. Those animals are vicious and growing quite large these days." Jasper said, checking the rope of the boat secured in the capstan.
"Didn't you know that Gaston's hunting the alpha of the pack?" Anton raised to his father.
"What?" Jasper stiffened. "Is he mad? I though he'd be after some jaguar or puma. Atleast those hunt alone."
"Nope. He said he's going to the den and make the alpha one of his collection." Anton said.
"That lying son of gun. He's going to die." Jasper shook his head.
"That demon won't be easy to get rid of father." Anton said.
"Wolves hunt in pack. He'll be easily surrounded. Those animals are cunning and intelligent. Even season hunters won't stand a chance to them if they decide to hunt for you." Jasper said.
"That might be true. But we're talking Gaston here. The dubbed Anubis in the gang since he's a good judge of everything that it seemed impossible to trick him. I'm sure he'd managed. It's a showdown of wolves."
"Anubis is a jackal animal."
"No, father, Anubis, the god of death, is a wolf." Anton said proudly.
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Gaston set camp beside the river. He didn't even hesitate to set a fire to warm while he did so. He caught two large fishes before the sun sets in the horizon. He made sure to have rested his back on the large deposit of boulder and facing the fire where he'd be protected from other animals to attack him out of his peripheral vision.
As his food was cooked by the fire, he heard many noises around but were mainly drowned by the raging flow of the river water. He ate his food with an alert eyes as the bushes started to wrestle a bit before it calmed down.
He knew he was being watched but didn't know in what direction or what animal. He had a keen sense of smell but he can't tell the one watching him now in the darkness. That animal earned his compliment for making him guest for hours already.
If it were jaguar, tiger, puma or any of the large cats, they won't be waiting for hours and would attacked him before the sun down. But this hunter was patient enough to observe him. As he chewed on his meat, he scoffed at the knowledge of finding traces of wolves residing in the area.
If it will be just another wolf, he won't be satiated. He wants the leader of the pack and hung its head to the array of animal heads collection that he hunted before. It gave him the satisfaction to stare at them as he sipped on his wine. It made his blood felt alive.
Living a life as a gang leader, Gaston's life became a bore and almost like a routine. Even amidst the operation where gun shots were exchanged, he felt too drowsy to even retaliate. Just like his other cousin, they always want to find other ways to entertain themselves.
The life which everyone deemed exciting and full of edge had became dull for everyone in Ivanov's clan. As the life in the gang was a family's business, everything was handled without much attachments to it. Killing was easy. Like one could just slaughter a person like an animal in the shelter.
Hunting is different. Animals, specially predators, would try to fight back for its life unlike those babbling idiots caught by the gang. Mostly, they'd be on their knees, begging to be spared from death.
His train of thoughts was cut off a bit as his eyes caught the pair of yellow eyes in the darkness of the bushes from the other side of the river. It was observing and untamed. His blood boiled in anticipation, guessing that he might have found his little trophy right there.
"I shall let you live tonight, boy. Tomorrow, I won't be merciful." He uttered with a devilish grin across his face.