HUNTED-Chapter 431: Golden Egg (1)

Keira stared in shock at the butchery in front of her. Most raced ahead out of the tunnel and into the fields towards the forest while the rest fought each other. Many crumbled to the ground, and the victor would then tackle another down or chase after the others.

"We need to go."

Keira barely registered Ahren’s demand as a man started to approach them. No, not them; his attention was beyond Keira. She followed his gaze and only then remembered the guy who’d been beaten up by the guards was on the ground, struggling onto his hands and knees.

Wait, this man, he wasn’t going to… Keira gasped and stepped into his path upon seeing his claws extend. He stopped and narrowed his eyes at Keira.

"Are you really going to attack someone while they’re down?" She said, repulsed by his intentions.

"He’s useless. Might as well take out competition." The man looked her up and down and scoffed at whatever he saw. "You don’t understand yet."

"If he is so useless, then he will lose anyway. There is no need to lower yourself to such a cowardly act." Keira braced herself as the man’s eyes glowed in response to being called a coward. The air grew thick with tension, crackling with the threat of violence as he stepped closer, fists clenched, ready to strike.

"No…" A croaky voice behind Keira rasped. "I won’t." It was followed by a coughing fit.

Keira glanced at the guy behind her who’d managed to get to his feet, if only a little unstable. She cringed at the wheezing in his voice. His glasses were askew, his face bruised, lips busted up. His light-brown, almost golden hair was bloodied, dishevelled and falling over his forehead.

Keira spun around, alarmed by the approaching footsteps behind her—the man was closing in, eyes locked on the injured figure she tried shielding.

"Ah-ah." Keira sidestepped, stopping the man’s path once again.

His eyes glowed a bright amber, and his deadly stare that had been targeted at the guy behind Keira now fell on her.

"This is wasting time," Ahren sighed, like this whole ordeal was trivial and boring. He stepped closer to Keira and cocked a brow at the man shaking and on the verge of shifting.

Keira glanced at Ahren; she’d forgotten he was there and thought he might have left entirely when the countdown was complete. But his interruption made the man falter more. He looked between Ahren and Keira and then at the guy behind them before spitting on the ground and turning to leave.

Releasing a breath, Keira’s shoulders drooped as she looked around the tunnel that was now empty beside the trio and the warm corpses on the ground. It was sickening to see. People at their lowest, desperate to survive, took out those they’d only moments before been quietly conversing with.

"Look, we could team up…" Ahren trailed off, watching Keira.

After seeing the bloody chaos in front of her, Keira felt a little more suspicious towards Ahren. She hated to even think like that, but her wolf’s words and the actions of others before her made her feel anxious. This was someone who’d helped her when others would not.

No, they could team up. Keira was sure of it-

Ember growled in response instead. This time, her eyes glinting dangerously back at her new acquaintance. Ahren nodded, appearing to understand her dilemma.

"Do what you need to survive, Keira." He glanced behind her. "Don’t bring dead weight with you."

Keira followed his gaze to the guy who was now staggering towards them. She looked back to Ahren to thank him, but he’d already turned and sprinted off. Keira couldn’t help but watch as he shifted mid-run into a giant dark-brown wolf. Even from this distance, she could see some scarring on the side of his fur.

"He’s right. I appreciate you stepping in for me, but I will be fine." Golden locks with glasses grinned; it was a bright smile, one she didn’t expect, especially with a busted-up lip and some blood staining his teeth. Maybe he was a little mad? "I’ve survived this far."

Keira stared at him, a frown tugging at her eyebrows. "It’s not in my nature to abandon-"

"You have 3 hours and 52 minutes left to find an egg," the guy interrupted, his dark eyes brimming with pity. Pity for what? Her situation? He was in the same situation and in far worse condition!

"Believe me, it’s not going to be pretty out there."

Keira parted her lips, a retort on her tongue, but he pushed her forward. She stumbled a little, shocked as she looked back at him, her legs still moving towards the exit. "What’s your name?" She knew it was stupid to ask, especially if this might be their only and last interaction. But she couldn’t leave him there without a name.

These people had already stripped them of their freedom; the least they could do was remember each other.

"Dylan," he smiled softly before coughing, his hand covering his mouth and pulling back to reveal blood. She’d taken another step towards him, but Dylan glared at her. "GO! Get out of here!"

’Survival of the fittest,’ Ember added, kicking Keira’s legs into gear in the opposite direction and out of the tunnel. ’You’ve helped him. Now, help yourself. We need to survive and learn what we can about this place.’

Keira nodded, forcing her gaze away from the dishevelled man with such a bright, sad smile who couldn’t possibly leave her alive or with an egg. Ember was right; she had to focus on the bigger picture, even if it hurt her not to help someone in need. The weight of guilt carried on her shoulders as she raced across the fields, glancing in every direction for any threats.

She didn’t know what to expect, but she had to remain vigilant.

The trees grew closer, and the sounds of cries, growls, and fighting reverberated back to her. The smell of blood permeated the air, thick and sickening. Droplets of it were sprinkled along the grass and smeared on trees she passed. She looked to the dirt where footprints and pawprints had sunken into the ground, going in all directions.

Keira could see the most used route. The sounds grew louder in that direction as well. It either meant others were still battling it out or maybe there were golden eggs there. She slowed her pace, trepidation itching at her skin as she calmed her breathing and allowed her senses to heighten. The instinct of hunting kicked in as she crept forward.

Stopping behind a tree, Keira remained in the shadows and observed the others, flinching at the ongoing bloodbath. Beyond the tangled bodies and dying werewolves, a glint of light shone back at Keira, and a humming sensation radiated from the area where three golden eggs were placed on rocky pedestals. One of them already had a bloodied handprint marked against it, leaving it slightly wonky.

It was as though someone managed to grab a hold of it but didn’t run away in time before another tackled them down.

Keira glanced at the bloodied fray again, and when she couldn’t find Ahren among them or the dead bodies, she decided against taking her chances.

’Smart. Play it safe. The forest is big. These won’t be the only eggs out there.’ Ember advised. ’They are either foolish or desperate enough to go for the first obvious trap laid out for them.’

Keira slowly backed away, eyes flicking from side to side, ensuring she wouldn’t be seen. Although she carried no egg, it was clear others might try to kill her just for the sake of reducing competition. Competition for what, though? To survive longer?

It was absurd, and she didn’t want to play any part in killing another being for the entertainment of these sickos—because that is what all of this was entertainment. It was clear from the drones hovering nearby and recording everything. Entertainment or some sort of experiment like Octavius indicated.

Keira shook her head and picked up her speed, running in another direction. ’We can look for ways to escape as well,’ she told her wolf while sneaking around the thick forest. Every little sound and movement made her spine stiffen, bracing for an attack. When none came, she continued, aware of the time running out.

There had to be an end to these woods. Keira looked up as a countdown timer hovered in large blue numbers, indicating there was one hour left until they had to find and hold onto a golden egg. She would not panic yet—even as she thought that her heart was pounding in her ears, and she looked around manically.

The sound of something buzzing nearby stopped Keira’s frantic search. She looked to the side, glaring at the sleek, white drone hovering nearby. Whatever, they will get bored. She continued, pushing aside leaves, checking the ground for prints until she picked up the pace again, the towering trees and thick underbrush becoming a chaotic blur.

The drone moved effortlessly, weaving between branches as it chased Keira, the red blinking on the front, recording every desperate move she made. Its predatorial presence only amplified her growing frustration.

Keira stopped again, noting how the ground had not been tread on and the forest much quieter besides the whirring sound of the drone’s blades slicing through the air. Calming her breath, she stepped closer, her senses heightened, and an instinctive part of her told her something wasn’t right. Across from her, leaning against a tree, was a golden egg.

It was simply there, untouched, humming, luring Keira forward. But she slowed her steps when her feet began to move without her consent. There was something about the egg that made others move without thinking. It was clear now.

It wasn’t this simple. Others probably ran this deep into the forest, too. Keira was lucky that she hadn’t come across them yet.

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That ominous feeling from before grew at the same time the drone hovered closer—so close it was right beside her like it was trying to get a close-up of her discovering the egg.

With a surge of anger, Keira punched the drone, her claws breaking the lense.

’Keira!’ Her head snapped back as the drone fell to the ground, and a large wolf with bright red eyes and blood pooling and dripping from its jaw lunged at her.