Caitlyn's POV
The white fox clearly didn't anticipate my presence, and a look of horror flashed through its eyes.
Instead of fleeing immediately, it raised its nose and sniffed in my direction. Then, it tilted its little head to the side, appearing somewhat confused.
Despite its naive demeanor, I found its appearance captivating, and I lacked any inclination to hunt it. On the contrary, as our eyes met, I felt compassion for its soft and delicate features.
"Come here, little one."
I slowly crouched down and cautiously extended my hand toward the white fox. It lay down in its original spot and, after cautiously surveying its surroundings, slowly approached me.
I tried to contain my inner excitement, refraining from making any noise to avoid startling it. After a short while, the white fox reached my side and tilted its head to rub against my palm. The soft touch made my heart feel like it was about to melt.
"Little fellow, are you hungry?"
The white fox rubbed against my arm, squinting its eyes comfortably. After I finished speaking, it raised its head slightly and nodded as if understanding.
This scene surprised me immensely. I casually took out the jerky I had prepared earlier from my pocket and offered it to the white fox. The little creature obediently accepted the jerky, hiding to the side as it carefully ate up.
Suddenly, a violent sound of combat erupted not far away, immediately putting the white fox on high alert. It tossed the jerky aside and swiftly darted into my arms, curling its small head against its trembling body.
Observing the white fox's reaction, I realized that a significant conflict might be unfolding nearby.
I comforted the little creature and followed the sounds to a small clearing in the forest, soon coming into view of a fierce altercation.
In order to avoid detection, I concealed myself in the nearby bushes, but a subtle hint of blood permeated the air, instantly putting me on high alert.
"Aren't you quite resourceful? Why don't you make a run for it now?" A werewolf approached not far from where I was hiding, adorned with golden tattoos that suggested a high status.
At that moment, he wore a sardonic smile and gradually advanced towards the center. Simultaneously, under his direction, four or five werewolves around him began to fan out, forming a circle as they closed in on the open space.
"Damn," I cursed inwardly, convinced that I had been discovered. Just as I was about to change my position, the little white fox emerged from my arms, surveying the surroundings curiously before gently biting my collar.
"Are you asking me to stay?" I frowned at the reaction of the little white fox.
"Naafiri, it's you! If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have let you go in the first place," a familiar voice suddenly reached me. Perplexed, I looked ahead, and Kaisa struggled to her feet from the ground.
Compared to when we were separated, her face now bore a pallid complexion, and she tightly covered her abdomen with her hand. Yet, faintly, I could see black blood slowly seeping out.
"I can only say you're too naive. Compassion is the least valuable thing in the werewolf world. But don't worry, since you spared me once, I'll make sure to give you a hard time." Naafiri, the werewolf, had a smug expression as he pulled a silver-colored dagger from his bosom, reflecting a faint light under the moonlight.
"Aren't you afraid that the king will track it down? I'm afraid all those remaining members of your pack will be unable to escape death if the King finds out something has happened to me."
Kaisa's voice was a bit weak, but I noticed that she slowly bent down, and her other hand covertly touched the bow and arrow hidden behind her. I could tell that Kaisa wasn't sitting around waiting to die; she was still looking for the best opportunity.
Hearing Kaisa say that, the surrounding werewolves' faces changed, and then looked at Naafiri's face with some fear.
Naafiri spat viciously towards the ground, glancing indisputably at a few people around her for a moment before wearing an exaggerated grin and looking condescendingly at Kaisa, who had a pained look on her face.
"Alpha Kaisa, this title sounds really strange. I've said long ago that I would never let a woman be the Alpha; it's simply a disgrace to our werewolf world. You, like your stupid father, will only end up as a scorned loser."
Then, Naafiri stabbed the dagger in his hand towards Kaisa as he finished speaking. Kaisa clenched her teeth and dragged herself clumsily to dodge, managing to cut a flesh wound on her arm. Blood exploded in the air like a brilliant firework.
Seeing that the blow was successful, the smirk on Naafiri's face grew even wider.
"I have long thought about what you said. That's why you fell into my trap so easily, and these people present can all be enemies that you personally raised. If it wasn't for you, they wouldn't have fallen to rogue. So as long as our hands and feet are clean enough, no one will suspect us."
"You son of bitch!" Kaisa shouted with a look of indignation.
"Now that you're running alone into the depths of the Misty Forest, it's not impossible for you to encounter some fierce beast and die, right?"
Naafiri approached slowly towards Kaisa, and a chorus of echoing laughter rang out around him.
"Stop dreaming. Some contestants came with me this time. If they find out that something bad happened to me, then they will definitely suspect you guys."
Kaisa gasped for air while staring viciously at Naafiri.
"Do you expect to find Talon, your sweetheart, to come and save you? I'm afraid he's still waiting on the viewing platform at this very moment, watching you and that human woman fight for him."
Naafiri shot Kaisa a contemptuous look.
"At a time like this, you're still contemplating how to catch the eye of other men. Your behavior truly puts me to shame. How about this: if you promise to bond with me as a mate, I might consider letting you go today," Naafiri suggested, the corner of his mouth curling into a playful smile, accompanied by a low hissing sound from the wolf within.
"Get off!" Kaisa shouted with a growl, and the wolf inside her responded with a shrill yell that instantly silenced the werewolves around her.
It was the suppression from an Alpha towards the other werewolves, but perhaps due to Kaisa's weakness now, that suppression quickly dissipated.
Immediately afterward, Naafiri transformed into a giant wolf and lunged at Kaisa, mouth wide open and covered in blood.
"Caitlyn, what are you waiting for?"