The day was finally getting better. Samuel thought luck was finally on their side. They had survived the mutant rats, killed one, and planned to eat it. They'd found another human —and even managed to communicate with her, or at least Joshua had.
And best of all: the crickets tasted way better now. Tanya, the human girl, seemed kind and had shared some salt. The flavor of the roasted crickets improved by 200%. And the meat Joshua was cooking? Absolutely mouthwatering.
The sizzling fat dripped onto the coals. Tanya's seasoned salt took the smell to a whole new level.
Tanya looked just as hungry as he did. Joshua just gave them a look of disdain as he used a sharp stone to cut some slices and pass them on leaves.
Even if they were hot, Samuel didn't hesitate. He chewed furiously.
The meat spread flavor through his entire mouth. Tender, juicy, it melted on his tongue.
Damn it, he had to admit his brother was good at this.
Sure, the salt helped a lot—but the technique, the timing, the heat… all perfect.
Joshua wasn't the owner of a famous restaurant back home for nothing.
Tanya seemed to enjoy it too. Samuel thought he saw stars in her eyes. Maybe even tears.
He gave her a knowing look. She returned it.
Joshua was starting to struggle cutting the meat with the stone. Tanya noticed, hesitated, but eventually offered him a knife strapped to her thigh.
His brother hesitated too. Then took it and began slicing more efficiently.
Night had fallen. The fire and stars lit their dinner. A beautiful night, at least for Samuel.
Until he noticed green lights moving in the woods.
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***
The meat was fragrant, tender, and rich. Tanya couldn't understand how they made something so delicious with just a tiny pouch of seasoning.
These weren't exotic spices traded by distant merchants, nor the pure white salt she'd once seen bought by the village elder. It was coarse salt from the mountains and a few herbs they grew at home. What kind of forbidden magic did the ogre use?
She had eaten armor rat meat before—once when her father hunted one, and again during a village festival. Both times it was tough and bloody. Most women said it had to be boiled for hours. But this? This melted in her mouth.
She had a thousand questions. But her mouth was busy chewing. If she didn't eat fast, Samu would finish it all.
While receiving another "plate" of meat, she heard a sound.
So did Jhos'ua and Samu.
Multiple green eyes floated in the dark bushes.
Tanya stiffened. Her hand reached for her bow on the ground. Her right hand grabbed an arrow from the quiver on her back.
Sweat ran down her cheeks. Her hands were damp.
If she wasn't wrong… Umbra wolves.
Beasts nearly invisible in the dark.
And tonight? No moons in the sky.
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***
Wolves. How the hell did he forget something so obvious?
Joshua wanted to slap himself. Of course predators would be drawn by the blood smell of the skinned rat. He had buried the guts, but that wouldn't fool a nose like theirs.
They should've left sooner. Maybe then the wolves wouldn't have attacked. They might've just dug up the leftovers and left.
He inhaled and exhaled slowly. They needed to figure out a way to drive them off.
Tanya looked tense. Joshua asked what was wrong. With a trembling voice, she explained.
It took a while, but he understood. Between near-sobs, Tanya told him these were wolves—dangerous ones. Almost undetectable in pitch-dark nights. And very aggressive.
A double punch to the balls, honestly.
It was a moonless night. No flashlights. No real weapons. They weren't trained fighters.
Rat-hunting tactics wouldn't work. And feeding them chocolate was probably a dumb idea. They'd prefer an arm… or a torso.
Joshua tightened his grip on Tanya's knife. Samuel moved closer to the fire. Tanya too. It was their only light.
The wolves circled them. Maybe looking for weakness. Maybe trying to exhaust them.
It was working—at least on Tanya. Her hands trembled. Her arrow flew off and hit a nearby tree.
The wolves took that as a signal.
They lunged.
But not at them—at the fire.
Turns out, they were much smarter than expected.
They wanted to kill the light… and hunt in the dark.
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***
Wolves. Why the hell did it have to be wolves? Why not a damn puma or tiger?
Samuel was more anxious than Tanya and Joshua combined.
He hadn't told anyone—but he was afraid of dogs. And wolves? Just bigger, meaner dogs.
His fear didn't come from trauma. He just visited a friend once. The guy had a husky. Samuel teased it too much.
The damn thing bit his ankle. Wouldn't let go. It clamped down for ten minutes.
No amount of shaking or kicking helped. They had to call the fire department. The dog's jaw had cramped shut.
He had lied to his parents and Josh, said he twisted his ankle. That's why he had the bandages.
Just remembering those rabies shots made his ass hurt again.
Now five or six giant demon-huskies stared at him from the forest. He was terrified.
When they attacked, he grabbed the first thing he could—a burning branch from the fire.
He didn't think about the heat. Burned his hand and tossed the damn thing.
By dumb luck, it landed in the old broken cart. Whether it was termites or age… the thing lit up like a torch.
—"Nice one, dumbass! Now we can see them better!"
His brother shouted as he wrapped the rat's skin around his arm. Samuel didn't get why he was being praised. He just followed Joshua and Tanya near the burning cart.
With the blaze behind them, they prepared to fight those damn wolves.