His Ensnarement

Hunger for the flesh he means. My heart was thrumming so hard I feared he’d hear it. But the tree was dense and good at masking such sounds.

“Samantha!” He barked. “Have it your way! But don’t forget it’s me. I know everything about you. There’s nowhere you can go, nowhere you can hide that I won’t soon find you...

 
He’s right.
He does know too much about me.

How could I be so careless? Foolish, foolish girl! I cursed myself.

My stomach growled and I cringed. Cradling a hand to it and holding my breath for fear his head would pop through the hole and demand I come out.

I won’t. I decided right then and there. And he can’t get me out.

I sat in that tree until long after I knew he’d gone. He’d likely be doubling back to check around my hut. He’d often told me scared creatures will typically run home at the first opportunity. Which means that’s where he’ll be waiting.

My stomach growled again. And my cheeks puffed as I held my breath in panic.

Nothing. I was safe.

I remembered we’d discussed the elderberries earlier but never gone. I haven’t eaten since yesterday.

And with the Mating Moon, my appetite would be in full swing. Then my stomach will really begin growling.

I needed to get food in my belly or hiding would be no use. It was bad enough that my female scent would be heightened with the moon’s rising. Sending all the males into a sexual frenzy.

They’d tear down the tree to find me, once the moon was at full height, if they caught my stomach growling.

I crept up to peer from the hollow. Nothing.

I slipped from it like being born. Serpenting to the ground before letting my toes unhook from the ledge and drop me to my hands. I rolled to my feet and looked around cautiously.

No Jaecar.

 
In the tree, several branches above the hollow, Jaecar was crouched on a limb.
Elbows braced on his knees as he waited for me to come out.

Knowing he’d not be able to pull me out of this particular tree. He twirled a leaf behind his fingertips. Letting it float down behind the tree once he saw me twining from the entrance. He braced himself on the branch. Ready to hop down. But knowing startling me too quick would just drive me back into this tree or another.

He was a shadow on my heels as I forewent the elderberry bushes, knowing it was possible he’d be laying in wait there too.

***

I headed straight for a stand of shrubs where I had a small snap box tucked under, filled with dried meat for snacking as I checked my traps. I snatched a handful and heard the skid of something heavy and felt something catch my ankle.

I looked down as I was drug a distance. Starting to be leveraged up was only stopped by Jaecar’s fist catching the rope and holding it down. Keeping the large trunk behind him from toppling down and leaving me swinging.

Easy prey for the pack later.

Please don’t. I sent him a pleading look. Brown eyes huge with desperation.

“H-how’d you know?” I blurted.

He shrugged. “You’d not go back to the hut. Because you knew it’d be the first place I’d look. So I eliminated that from possibilities. I knew you’d still be hungry but wouldn’t go to the elderberry bushes since we’d discussed them this morning. That left only one other ready supply of food. He nodded to the bush behind me.

I fumbled in the moss for a rock and hurled it at him.

He purposefully let go of the rope and I went another foot up. Only my shoulder blades on the ground when he caught it again. “Now does that really seem wise?

 
I glared at him.
“What are you doing, Jaecar!

He twirled his wrist in the rope and slid close enough to turn me and crouch by my face, lowering my feet and lifting the log behind him. “I told you what I was doing. Did you really think you could run? From me?

“I really think none of this can be happening. It’s not right! You can’t have me! You don’t even want me!” I floundered.

His brow knitted as he slowly turned until his head was nearly as upside down as mine to give me a quizzical look. “Are you mad or blind?

“This is nonsense!” I tossed my arms.

“What, persay, is nonsense?

“All of this!” I rolled sideways to snatch the dagger from his hip. Slitting the rope on my ankle in a single motion and landing on my feet. The meat still gripped in my other hand.

He calmly stood and gave me a cautioning look.

“I’ve warned you once. You’ll not get another from me.” He purposefully shook his head.