They camped that night by a large boulder, leaning themselves against the bumpy surface as shelter from the ravaging wind. They all slept badly, the three humans huddled together, Mateo lying alone.
The next day was bitterly cold and Mateo could hear Devon's teeth chattering as he struggled to make conversation.
"Fuck I wish I ran hot like you," Devon bit out, turning round to Mateo, "Do you even feel the cold?"
"I feel it," Mateo replied, "It just doesn't affect me as much."
"Must be nice," Devon grumbled and pulled his hoodie tighter around his face, "I'm going to have earache for days."
They managed to find a rocky outcrop for that night but they had run out of meat already. Kashvi tied Mateo to a gnarled boulder and checked the wolfsbane on the ropes.
"Still holding," she muttered, standing up. "Devon, you'll have to stay here whilst Ruby and I go try and find something for dinner."
"Is it dark already?" Devon asked, squinting up at the sky from where he was sat with his knees drawn up to his chest.
"Yes, just stay here and don't move," Kashvi instructed.
"As always," Devon sighed bitterly, scraping his fingernails along the hard earth.
The wind made it difficult for Mateo to scent anything and he lost track of Kashvi and Ruby after a few minutes of them leaving the camp. He wondered if they would manage to catch anything? It would be difficult enough for him in these conditions.
Devon looked like he was listening to the girls' movements, waiting until they were out of earshot before he asked, "What are the Meat Markets?"
Mateo raised an eyebrow, "What does it sound like?"
Devon pulled a face, "So how do you determine the price of...meat...I mean do you have like 'grade A human'? Tender rump steak?"
"Something like that," Mateo sighed, "I don't go there very often."
"Vegetarian huh?" Devon grinned. "Knew you were a softie."
Mateo growled, "You're only allowed to buy if you've been awarded certain honours, access to the Markets, it's like a reward for doing your job well."
"Do you not do your job well?" Devon smirked.
"Evidently not."
There was a pause, then Devon continued, "Are all humans eaten or do you use them as slaves as well?"
"Slaves as well," Mateo recalled the bruised and battered faces he had seen back home. Cubs would point and stare at the purple blotches on human faces like it was a novelty. It was, werewolves didn't bruise.
"So how do you determine who gets to wait on the table and who gets to be on the table?" Devon asked, drawing the wolf fur up around himself and shivering, "I mean, hypothetically - would I be meat material or..."
"You have magic inside you, so no werewolf would consider eating you as meat," Mateo replied grimly.
"I wouldn't taste nice huh?" Devon giggled.
Mateo huffed, "It's more symbolic than that, but no, you probably wouldn't taste nice."
"So I'd be a slave....or would I just be killed?"
Mateo looked up at the boy, "You'd be a slave."
You have that look that werewolves like in their slaves...pale, young...tempting.
Suddenly, a shrieking howl rose up in the distance. Devon's heart spiked and Mateo tensed, leaning forwards, his ears pricked.
"Mateo? Did you hear.."
"Sshh," Mateo looked around, peering into the blackness, he couldn't hear or smell the girls but that howl...
"Was that a wolf?" Devon was shifting his position now, shucking the fur blanket down and sitting up on his hunches.
Another howl rang across the plains.
"No," Mateo gritted, "it was a Chimera."
"Shit. Shit. Shit," Devon scrambled upwards, placing his palms back against the rock, "Are Kashvi and Ruby nearby?"
Mateo shook his head and inhaled deeply, "Can't smell them."
"Shit!" Devon gasped.
The howl started up again, but it was louder now and Mateo caught a whiff of something that smelled like battery acid filling his nostrils.
"Devon - it's coming closer - you have to untie me. Devon?"
The boy's heart rate was rocketing, thumping erratically in his rib cage, his breath was coming up in short, sharp gasps. It sounded like Devon was having trouble getting air. Mateo smelled acrid fear coming off him in crashing waves.
"Devon," Mateo said as calmly as he could. Devon doubled over to crouching on the floor, scraping at the ground.
Mateo could hear the Chimera now, the gurgled spittle-filled snarling and the scratch of claws on dirt.
"Devon, you have to untie me. For fuck’s sakes get up!" Mateo started to panic, if the Chimera reached their camp it would kill both of them and there was nothing Mateo could do about it.
He struggled against the ropes but Kashvi must have strengthened the hex again and the fibres seared his skin and his lungs felt crushed and boxed in.
Mateo breathed out slowly and looked at Devon.
"Devon - listen to me okay, all you have to do is get up, okay, do you think you can stand for me?"
Devon made a pained sound but lifted his head, he staggered slightly as he rose to his feet as if he was disorientated.
"Okay that's good - now can you hear my voice?" Mateo asked as Devon stood there, swaying. "Devon! Can you hear the sound of my voice?"
Devon nodded slowly, sweat trailing down his temples. Mateo swore as he heard the rasping breaths of the Chimera, it must be only a minute away from them now.
"Okay, start walking to your right, just follow my voice, come towards me," Mateo instructed.
Devon stumbled but managed to pick his way across the campsite towards where Mateo was tied up. Mateo waited until Devon was almost on top of him before he said, "Okay stop walking, now just crouch down and you'll be right in front of me."
Devon lowered himself, his pale face was inches away from Mateo's and his breath was panting on Mateo's skin.
"Okay - undo the ties Devon."
Devon flinched and hesitated.
"Devon it's me or the Chimera - I'm the only one that has a chance against that thing now undo the fucking ties!"
There was a sharp intake of breath from Devon before he started to fumble for the ropes.
"Hurry up..." Mateo groaned, he could even see the Chimera now, silver eyes flashing in the darkness. It snarled ferociously as it spotted them.
Devon jerked and whimpered as his fingers slipped on the knots.
"Devon no, it's fine - it's not that close we've got another minute." Mateo lied, urging the boy on.
Finally, the ties on Mateo’s hands fell free and he jerked them down to start undoing his feet whilst Devon reached up to unhook the rope around his neck. It wasn’t a moment too soon as the Chimera came crashing into the camp. It was missing half of its hackles in a bloody rip, revealing multiple rows of razor sharp teeth.
Mateo leapt up and pushed Devon out of the way, sending him sprawling towards the rocks. He still couldn’t change into Alpha form but he raised his own lips and roared as loudly as he could.
The Chimera emitted a high pitched screech and threw itself at him, claws bared and aiming for his chest. Mateo narrowly dodged, spinning to the right, managing to slice a messy blow to the Chimera's underside.
The creature screamed again and skid across the dry ground, letting up a cloud of dust. Mateo jumped back and tensed for the next strike before he realised that the Chimera was hurtling towards Devon.
Mateo snarled and barrelled into its side, cutting it off half way and slamming both of them against the ground. There was a crunch of bones and Mateo wasn't sure which of them it came from but the Chimera slipped out from underneath him. The muscles along its back were already ripped to shreds, it must have been in a fight before it had come across them. Bloodied sinew hung in congealed clumps from wrinkled skin.
Mateo winced as the creature landed another blow, hitting him in his freshly healing injury. It was definitely Mateo’s own bones that broke this time, with a loud sickening crack.
He howled in pain and jack-knifed forwards, sinking his fangs into the Chimera's neck, ripping his way round the toughened flesh to the soft underbelly of its throat. There was an explosive gurgle and it was over. The Chimera slumped, dead and gutted at his feet. Mateo choked and coughed out a lump of foul tasting flesh, spitting the blood on the ground beside the body.
Mateo turned round and saw Devon stood plastered against the rock face, his unseeing eyes darting around the campsite.
"Devon," Mateo croaked hoarsely before starting to walk towards the boy. Suddenly, there was a whooshing sound and a whack of pain speared through his spine. Mateo looked down to see an arrow head emerging from his torso.
He howled in anger and turned around, only for two more arrows to find their mark and fly, thudding into his front. They were laced with wolfsbane and darkness was already clouding his vision. Mateo could hear Devon shouting and then all was blackness once more.
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