Have you ever been hunted before, like really hunted, like getting up early in the morning or even hunting at dusk? Or remember that childhood game of cat and mouse? Well, it is something like that, but it is more fun, and you will be in your wolf form. As a child, I loved taking part in that game with a mix of tags in my pack. We used to play for hours in human and wolf forms, especially in the summer. This is because we had nothing else to do but play all day until we fell asleep at the dinner table while eating dinner. If you have not been hunting before, you are missing out, especially when you get the "feel of getting up at the crack of dawn and having your stomach feel like fireworks going off due to being so excited." I love that feeling in my stomach, especially after having a few too many coffee cups and knowing I get to get down and dirty while hunting. Every year, there is a hunt with different themes. This year's theme is "The Wolf Hunt of the Night." We have diverse types of games for all ages, from children to adults, with different rules such as no biting, no fighting, no cheating, and dozens of other rules to keep the game safe and fun. The hunter's feast is one of the many celebrations leading up to harvest. It is always held on the weekend.

I woke up to a scream from the kitchen after my mid-afternoon nap from studying and finishing my projects. I immediately ran downstairs, almost tripping myself while flying down the stairs. Once I ran into the kitchen, I saw Hazel on top of Hunter with a knife to his cheek and screaming.

"I don't care what other rabbit you use, but you are not using my rabbit as bait for the hunt." She screamed so loudly that my eyes hurt.

"What on earth is the problem here?" "Can you please get off Hunter and give me that knife?" I asked her nicely and calmly.

"I asked nicely, and he said we would use my bunny as a chew toy for the hunting game," Hazel said while getting off Hunter and giving me the sharp knife, of which I have no idea how she got it.

How did you get a knife? "You know you aren't supposed to have one," Kaylie said, looking confused.

Well, I found it on the table. "Mommy left it there before leaving the kitchen with Auntie," Hazel said while looking away.

"The next time you shouldn't touch anything dangerous, what if you hurt someone or even yourself?" I told her while putting the knife out of reach.

Okay, then, is everyone ready for the hunt? "I heard it was a paintball or laser tag for the older kids, but it is just a tag for the younger ones," Kaylie said while fixing herself some breakfast.

"What if it's a family scavenger hunt, but with family teams?" Hunter scooped Hazel into his arms and gave her raspberries in her tummy.

"That would be so much fun, especially around the pack grounds and around town," I said while grinning and knowing Hazel would never hurt Hunter, especially when he is her best friend.

"What about a hunt?" I overheard Mom and Auntie talking about it being a scavenger hunt with a large team. We are like the royal family here. "I nominate Hazel to be the team captain, and she can even tell me what to do." "Colton walked in with Troy."

"I honestly can't wait, especially when this game leads to shifting into wolf form for the last part and it's nighttime," Troy said while grabbing Kaylie's candy bar from her.

"Does anyone know when it starts?" Hazel asked while sneaking to grab the candy bar out of Troy's hand.

I told them, "I am not sure, but Mom and Aunt said it's soon."

Over the years, the hunt has been random, taking place in various places like the woods or even in town. However, it is always planned before the big harvest celebration, which is always a town tradition. My mom told me that this year would be slightly different. This is especially true when it comes to safety for those running around in the woods at night. It can be extremely dangerous, especially with hunters and rogues running around trying to hurt or kill one of us. In recent years, the whole town and pack council have been on high alert due to a rogue who tried to kidnap Hazel at a harvest festival a few years ago. We never figured out why or how. However, we think it might happen again because she is close to becoming a full-blooded werewolf due to her first full shift. Hunting is one of my favorite times of the year when all the werewolves in the pack come together to celebrate our heritage and the beginning of the harvest moon, which is a special moon that only comes once a year on Halloween. The moon is always a bright color of red and orange, like blood. Anyone who wants to play can play, but you will have to be safe and follow the rules, or you will get hurt or even killed. There is a reason we must play it safe and follow the rules. One year, we almost lost one of our own to a rogue who trespassed on our land. He tried to kill a young girl while she looked for a toy in the woods. As a result, we have had extra warriors on standby around the pack's territory and even around town. My brother and Troy oversee security with Dad and Uncle Ian.

It was finally nighttime; the air was crisp and chilly, and the night sky was illuminated by thousands of gleaming stars. As you entered the town, you could see a variety of fall decorations, from pumpkins to banners of different booths that displayed food, drinks, and games of all sorts. The leaves fell from the trees and swirled around in circles on the ground, around sidewalks, and across the grass of the town center square. The sounds of people laughing and chatting around me bring a smile to my face, knowing everyone is enjoying themselves. I walked over to get some hot chocolate from the drink stand and heard someone saying:

What a beautiful night for cupcakes! Looking at his hot apple cider, Alecx asked, "Are you participating in the hunt?"

"Yeah, I am, but I need a partner for the teenagers around since Kaylie left me for some cute boy over there with the treats," I said while looking down at my drink and hoping he would say something that would make me smile.

"Well, I don't have a partner, and you don't either, so how about we both be partners and win the game?" He said it and smiled with a wink.

The Hunt is a game before Harvest Fest, which is a game where you play a scavenger hunt and find different clues for a big prize. The winning team will be the harvest king and queen. To keep people safe from hunters and rouges that hide in the territory's parks and town lines, you need to follow several rules. In recent years, there have been a few attacks and even an attempted kidnapping of my sister. "I told him while trying not to show fear."

"Oh, I see, and that sounds terrifying, especially when you get snatched like this," he said quickly.

grabbed me from behind and chuckled while holding me close to him while I screamed.

"Oh my god, don't do that." "You nearly scared me half to death," I said, trying to catch my breath.

"My naughty cupcake, do you need some CPR?" "I do have some bluff lungs," he said, chuckling.

"Perhaps I don't know." "Are you saying I need some mouth-to-mouth?" I asked him with a giggle.

"Maybe." "Oh yes, they are hunting," he said.

"Good evening, everyone, and welcome to another year of the hunt." This year, the council thought it would be fun to play hide and seek all over the town, but in teams. One person on a team will be the wolf, and the other will be the hunter. There will be some rules for the game to keep everyone safe and having fun. The rules are simple: if you get tagged by your partner, you must return to the square, and you are out of the game. You must stay on the territory grounds, and you cannot leave them during the game, no matter what. You can hide anywhere you like, such as in the town or even in the woods, but please be careful where you hide. The winning team will be this year's harvest king and queen. "Are you ready?" my mom asked.

"Yes!" Everyone in the crowd yelled.

"Alright, remember to stay safe and have fun." My mom told the crowd of players, "Ready." " Set. Go!"

"So, who is the wolf, and who is the hunter?" he asked, confused.

I will be the wolf, and you can be the hunter. I am proficient at this game, and I learned a lot from Kaylie. She was last year's queen. So, do you get the game and know the rules? I told him.

"I guess so." "You might as well escape and run and hide before I just tag you right here by tackling you to the ground and giving you CPR with some kisses," he said while wiggling his eyebrows at me.

"Nah, you can never tag me and close your eyes so I can go hide," I whisper in his left ear.

"Okay, fine, I will find you, and I hope you know I am proficient at tracking," he said while his eyes were closed.

As soon as he closed his eyes, I rushed right into the woods, and I knew the most appropriate place to hide. While walking on foot, I quickly shifted into my wolf form and accelerated so fast that a lightning bolt followed me like a superhero's flash run. While running, I heard many teams getting tagged and many people cheering, laughing, or even screaming. This was while either running or getting tagged by their partners. I rushed to my favorite place in the world and hoped he would not find me. About an hour later, I was hiding in my clubhouse near the pack house when, suddenly, I heard footsteps and some leaves with branches moving. I got so scared, thinking it was a real hunter or even a rouge that sneaked past the warriors. I thought it was about to hurt me or even kill me. I started panicking because I had heard rumors about previous attacks on pack territory by hunters and rogues. The sound was getting closer and closer. My heart raced so badly that it jumped out of my chest. I am glad my dad put a few guns in the clubhouse for protection and safety in something like this. I quickly pulled the gun out of the secret compartment and placed some bullets in the gun chamber. This was before the clubhouse door opened.

Suddenly, the door was flung open, and I saw someone in the doorway. I quickly put my finger on the trigger and switched the safety switch off. I aimed my gun at the doorperson.

"Whoa, what's with the gun, and are you seriously intending to shoot me?" "Alex," he said while holding his hands up in the air.

I thought you were a hunter or a rogue. Sometimes they come this close to the territory line, and I am sorry I scared you. "I had to be safe and on high alert," I told him while pointing the gun away from him.

I am sorry I scared you, and I told you I tracked well. I am glad my dad took me hunting as a child; I learned a lot from him. "Well, the good news is we can run and should get back to the town square and claim our victory," he said while smiling.

Yes, you are right, before my twin sends a search party out with the warrior's guards. "They can be scary, you know, especially when it comes to the safety of the Alpha and Beta families," I told him while putting the gun back in the hidden spot on the floor.

"So... what is the harvest festival?" "Apparently, everyone is talking about it, and I just want to know before I get myself into something that isn't fun," he said while we climbed down the wooden ladder.

"Well, it's a long-standing tradition where we celebrate our history and pack." "It's important, especially when you are part of the first family," I told him while we walked back to the town square.

About half an hour later, we finally reached the town square, where everyone cheered us on. I looked around for a moment, confused because I did not know if I had lost or won. While walking through the crowd and to the stage, everyone told me things like "congratulations," "you did it," "you won," and other things that I could not hear. Once we made our way up to the stage, my mom stood there with a big smile on her face with the crowns and sashes. For a minute, I thought she was pulling a prank on me by winning the game. I swear I have never been this scared before while walking because, knowing my brother, he likes to scare the living shite out of me by popping out of nowhere, grabbing me, and yelling "boo." Once I reached the stage, my mom grabbed me, pulled me closer to her, and said,

"Congratulations to my daughter Charlie for winning the hunting game." I am enormously proud of you, and I am so excited for you to be the harvest queen this year. This year, we are lucky to have received no intrusions from hunters and rogues into our territory. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves, and now we should celebrate with some food and drinks. However, first I need to crown the newly crowned king and queen. "Alecx and Charlie, will you please step forward and I will give you your stash and crown?" My mom told the crowd with a mic.

"Thank you, mom." "I promise I'll make you proud, and I love you," I said as she placed my crown on my head and slung it over my shoulder.

"Comrade Alex, I knew you would win." "I just had a feeling," she said while crowning him and giving him his stash.

"Thank you, ma'am; it was a lot of fun, especially being a newcomer to the town and the hunting game," he said and smiled.

"Okay, Mom, you should probably try to find Hazel before she eats all the cookies," I told her with a small push away.

My mom said, "Oh, sorry, we'll talk to you later and have fun with the kids," and she walked away.

"So, queen, would you like to be my date for the harvest festival even though I am the harvest festival king?" He asked and grabbed my hand.

"Hmm. I would have to check with my boyfriend to see if everything is okay with him. "You know, you can make others jealous," I told him, laughing.

"Oh, wait, you have a boyfriend." "I didn't mean to ask you out or make you feel like you did something wrong," he said, pulling his hand away, feeling sad.

I said with a wink, "I was joking." I do not have a boyfriend, and I would love to be your date at the harvest feast.

"Oh, thank you." You scared me for a minute, and, well, I think we should eat. "Get a bite of something to eat with some drinks," he said.

Yeah, I will tell you. "Are you ready to leave?" I yelled as I ran to the food and drink area.

Alex and I spent the rest of the night talking, flirting, and, of course, hanging out with other players. We spent all night together until bedtime. He took me home and kissed me before I got the chance to say, "Thank you for playing the game and spending some time with me." His kiss made the hair on the back of my neck stand up with a small electric spark that went through my whole body. As soon as he left, I ran into my bedroom, jumped on my bed, and closed my eyes, replaying what just happened.