Chapter 4

“Run!” Olivia screamed at the group below her. She watched in horror as the two large brown wolves attacked everyone in her group.

Her leg was trapped in a hole between two large logs. She grabbed her leg with both of her arms and pulled as hard as she could, finally breaking it free from the logs.

Olivia jumped to her feet, her eyes trained on each of the wolves. She scanned the distance between her and the four people she had brought up the mountain. They were maybe twenty feet below her on the trail. She had run as fast as she could when she heard Shannon’s screams. Michael, Sue, and Stan were all screaming as well and then a moment later, everything went silent.

She finally reached the platform of the mountain where they were standing and found Shannon, Sue and Stan’s dead bodies. They had been partially dragged towards the thick forest off the main trail.

A few feet away, she watched Michael’s body being dragged through the snow leaving a bloody trail to follow. The wolf was leading her deeper into the forest.

She raced to Michael, grabbing him by the legs when the wolf released his grip and took a few steps towards her. Baring its sharp canines at her, she could see the pink gums and the blood that dripped from its jaw. The wolf's eyes were a burning amber with a slight greenish tint to them.

The wolf took another step closer, emitting a low growl from the back of its throat. Olivia could feel the rage consume her and, a second later, she felt the sharp pain run through her shoulders and down her arms as her claws sprung free from her fingernails. She felt a painful crack in her back making her fall on all fours and the shift took place.

A majestic and beautiful sight to those who were of shifter kind, but those who did not know of the transformations, it was a heinous abomination. With hair growing across the body, snapping bones and screeching howls, there was no pleasantry that surrounded the act of transforming. Each bone haphazardly snapping towards its desired location, before locking into the way it was meant to be. The entire process took less than a few seconds, but to those around, the sight of a transformation seemed like an eternity of torturous agony and suffering.

Her large black muzzle opened and snapped as a smaller brown wolf lunged from the right and attacked her.

Her large jaw opened and, as the wolf collided her, she grabbed the beast by its neck. In one swift movement, she snapped the bone with a loud crack.

The two wolves tumbled in the snow when she howled out in pain as the second wolf, much larger than the first, clawed at her leg, its sharp claws ripping the tender flesh open.

Olivia fought through the pain; she couldn’t let it overcome her, allowing the rage to fuel her as she stood on all fours face to face with her enemy. Her eyes quickly glanced at the wolf she had taken down and back to the one before her.

The one before her was completely brown with a black line running up its forehead. Like its partner, this wolf's eyes were also a blazing amber with a familiar tinge of green to them.

She knew this wolf. She’d seen him before.

Before she could react, the wolf launched himself into the air and his claws swiped at her back making her fly into the base of a tree. She could see Michael trying to pull himself to safety. His leg had been torn wide open.

Olivia could only watch as the wolf approached Michael and clamped down around the man's neck, making the man scream as he remained locked in the wolfs jaws.

Olivia growled at what was happening to Michael, rage filling her to the core. She couldn’t tell if he was dead or dying, but she would fight to avenge him, irrespective of his state where he was clamped in this harsh, ice cold terrain.

She forced herself to her feet once again and lunged at the animal. Her jaws connected with its right leg, clamping down hard, trying to make it release the man.

She felt the warm blood filling her mouth, the metallic pang in its taste filling her sense as she was knocked free of her bite. Her eyes looked down at Michael. It was too late; he was gone.

A moment of sadness passed through her. She winced looking down at Michael, before turning her attention back to the wolf. The moment her gaze fell back on it, fury drove her actions, sending her lunging forward with the intention of killing him, the same way he killed Michael. Olivia caught him, throwing her full weight into the attack, pinning him down to the ground. Her jaw opened and wrapped around its neck like a vice when she felt the flesh rip away from her back, making her howl out in pain.

She rolled off of the wolf, but her claw came up and slashed at his belly, leaving a large gash.

It howled out in pain as she laid there in the snow. She watched him stare at her and then retreated back into the forest like she hadn’t injured him at all.

Olivia laid there in the snow for a moment before transforming back to her human form. Taking in heavy breaths, she looked around frantically. She knew she had to get off the mountain fast before she bled out. She pulled herself up and looked at Michael’s body. She limped a few steps when her eyes fell on what was left of Shannon, Sue and Stan’s bodies that lay in the snow ripped apart like chew toys.

“Jesus Christ.” She cried.

She wanted to help each and everyone of them, but she knew that she couldn’t. They were already dead, and if she tried in any way to bring them with her, she would die out here in the cold, just as they did, and this would all be for nothing. Olivia knew that she had to get back, get help, it was the only way to avenge the fallen.

This was easier said than done. With her injuries slowing her down, she knew that it would be difficult to make any real movement in this weather, but she couldn’t give up hope. She had to try.

Olivia limped through the forest for what felt like hours as she lost her way in the blizzard. With the copious amounts of blood that she lost, Olivia became disorientated. With night approaching and the coming to its peak with snowflakes coming down like a torrential, she knew the temperature was dropping fast.

As she continued on, she finally saw a trench and started walking alongside the pit. It had to lead somewhere. She could see the road, but she couldn’t push her body to climb up to it. She couldn’t feel her toes, they were completely numb and the ice cold wind slashed at her naked skin as she finally collapsed face-down in the snow.

She couldn’t continue anymore. Everything was a blur and faded away into spots as the darkness consumed her.

**

Six hours earlier, Olivia Elford stood in her office, explaining what was expected of her group before they made the hike up the mountain.

The twenty three year old had packed up and moved from Madison trading in a hard life for the simpler pleasures of Crimson Creek five months ago with the idea of starting fresh. Olivia was an experienced hiker and outdoorswoman. It was only recently that she had relocated her business -Hard Rock Expeditions- to the small town.

She’d heard tales of the greatest climbers in the world around here, and with Crimson Creek boasting its fair range of mountains and beauty; she thought that it might have been best to spend her time here, among a smaller community.

She had climbed the mountain herself hundreds of times and knew the trails inside out. As a guide, it was her responsibility to make sure each customer made it up and down the mountain without any problems and to create a unique experience for them.

In the past several months, she had brought up more than 75 groups without incident. She always took smaller groups, normally four or five people at most which would allow her to keep a close eye on everyone. Today she was bringing up four tourists; two married couples. Shannon and Michael Dowery, and Stan and Sue Forrester.

Olivia had checked the weather. The day was beautiful and perfect for the hike. There was a weather warning for later in the evening, but they were due to leave the base just before lunch and would be back well before supper, so she had no concerns at all.

Olivia looked at her group, giving them a big smile. “Is everyone ready?" She asked, "Excited?”

All four smiled and gave an excited response. “Yes!”

The group piled into the back of Olivia’s Silverado truck and headed to the base of the mountain where the first trail was located. Each load was light, with each having a small pack sac that including liquids, a few light snacks, small first aid kits and their own cameras.

The hike started off well. Olivia led the group up the trail as the others followed. There was a touch of excitement that came through Olivia as the hike officially began, it was just another day in paradise for her, and now it was shared with those around.

Two hours into the hike, Olivia watched Shannon stop and bend over, pressing her palms on top of her knees. She walked up to her and placed a hand on her back and asked, “Are you okay? We’re almost there.”

Shannon nodded at her before standing straight, taking a deep breath. “Yeah. Just needed to take a breath.”

They reached their destination half an hour later. There was a shelf halfway up the mountain that offered the most amazing view of the town below and surrounding forest. Olivia laid her pack down and looked out and then gazed at the two couples. Both couples were holding each other gazing out and enjoying the scenery. She watched Michael pull out his camera and start taking shots from various angles.

This is where Olivia felt at peace. Here, out in nature, where she could truly be herself and honestly live her life to the fullest. As she rested, she watched the winds sweep lightly down below from higher ground as small woodland critters rustled, barely out of eye shot, making their way to and from where they needed to be. She loved nature, always did and always would, and being a part of it; being up here with a warm fire would have been her optimal way to spend her time. Away from it all, just lost to herself and the beauty that expanded out before her, for what seemed like an eternity.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” She said with a gentle smile on her face as she looked at the view.

Sue looked back at Olivia and smiled. “It’s absolutely breathtaking. You can see the entire town and valley below. The forest looks like a winter wonderland.”

Olivia tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear and adjusted her touq. She pushed her glove aside looking at her watch. It was already going on 2 PM and she knew they had to start heading back now.

The hike back down would take them close to two hours. “Okay, folks. Let’s wrap it up. We have to head back down now to avoid the weather that’s coming in.”

Both couples picked up their gear and started down the trail with Olivia in tow. It started to lightly snow as they ascended down the mountain. A half an hour later, Olivia stopped dead in her tracks as her senses went on alert. She felt a shift in the air and she looked around. She watched the two couples approach a curve in the trail about twenty feet below her when her foot got caught between two logs and she fell to the ground. She let out a grunt and her eyes watched the couples stop and turn to look at her.

“Are you okay, Olivia?” Michael called up to her.

“I’m fine. Just got my foot stuck.” She said, struggling with the logs.

Her head whipped to the right when she heard the crack coming from the thick forest. Before she could move a muscle, she watched two large brown wolves lunge from the surrounding woods. Like a bad horror movie playing in slow motion, she watched as the wolves attacked her group — the same nightmare that happened over a year and a half ago.