It was now evening. Max transformed, but the pain he passed through previous times came easier. "Keep your breathing steady. Listen and feel. Don't let your mind get in the way. You think too much. The wolf doesn't think, Max, it knows." Kael said.
As part of the training, they were tracking a deer. Max could smell it clearly now, since his senses had heightened. His instincts told him it was close, and it was maybe 200 yards ahead.
Kael signalled Max to move. "Go Max, now!"
Max hesitated. Nevertheless, he started sprinting across the woods. The deer sensed danger and started running with full speed. But then, something happened. Max stopped running, giving the deer a chance to flee. He felt guilty about the deer he was hunting.
Kael later appeared beside him. "Why did you stop?"
Max was panting. "It felt wrong."
Kael was surprised. " Wrong? To hunt? You're a predator Max, that's what you are now. It's now part of you, so you better embrace it."
" But I'm not a killer." Max responded.
Kael got angry. "Well you are now. The wolf doesn't kill for pleasure, it kills to live. You must learn to accept it. If you don't, you're a danger to yourself and everyone around you."
They stood in silence for a while. Finally, Kael turned to the road that led to the camp and began walking. "Come. You've trained enough for one night."
The pack was waiting for them when they returned. Lyra was there, sharpening a long knife as she sat on a fallen log.
"So?", she asked Kael. "How did he do?"
"He hesitated." Kael responded. Lyra rolled her eyes. "Fine. But when there is a full moon, he won't have to hesitate anymore. The wolf would take over him, whether he wants it or not."
Max frowned. "What happens when there is a full moon?"
Lyra gave him a pitiful look. "You'll find out soon enough." Then she went back to her tent.
Kael came later and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well done on your first hunt. But be prepared for what comes next."
"What comes next?" Max asked curiously.
Kael's expression changed. "The hunters."
Later that night, Max sat around the fire, thinking about the hunters that Kael mentioned. Lyra stepped out of the shadows suddenly. "You're afraid.", she simply said.
Max didn't answer.
"You should be", Lyra added, with a grim smile. "The hunters aren't like us. They kill for power, and they also see us as monsters."
"What are they?" Max asked.
"Humans." Lyra said. "But not ordinary ones. They know all about us, and they've killed countless wolves of our kind."
Max was shocked. "Humans hunt us?!"
Lyra nodded. "With silver and fire. To them, we're nothing but beasts to be put down."
Max looked at the campfire. If what Lyra was saying was true, then he has become a target.
Lyra stood up, brushing dirt off her hands. "Get some sleep pup. You'll need your strength." She then walked away.
Max sat around the fire for a little while and then went to sleep.
The next morning, Kael woke him up before dawn. The forest was still dark.
"They've found us", Kael said quietly.
Max's expression changed. "The hunters?"
Kael nodded once. "We move now. Quickly!"
As they ran through the forest, Max could hear the distant sound of metallic click of weapons being loaded. The hunters were close.
Kael turned to him. "You wanted to know who you are, Max? Well you're about to find out."
Then came the first gunshot.