A plain, dark-furred wolf sits perched on a large rock jutting upwards into the sky. Like a sentinel, almost. The rock itself lies just before a precipitous drop from the mountains. Falling from this height onto the sharp, craggy surface down below is a sure sentence to death. Yet, strangely, the wolf seems unperturbed, comfortable even, despite the looming threat of death just mere feet away.
Without warning, the wolf snaps around with a snarl. You freeze. The air itself seemed to still as the unmistakeable thrum of danger wrapped itself around you. This wolf is bigger than you, broad shouldered with thick, powerful legs. With hackles raised and lips peeled back in a snarl. With teeth that still carried the faint scent of blood.
"This is Wesen land," he said, and you are most definitely sure it's a he. The wolf had a deep, thunderous voice that almost made the woods themselves tremble. It did not match the amused, almost curious tilt to his head. "Why have you come here alone, little wolf?"
You regret your decision to venture into the Wesen mountains. Sure, you were offered a ludicrous reward for the death of the Black Beast the Wesen called King, but you can't enjoy that reward if you were dead, now can you?
"I mean no quarrel," you say- stutter more like- as the wolf advanced ever closer to you. "Look, I didn't come for you. I came for-"
"You came for King Sibyl, I know," the wolf interrupted with a creepy smile on his face. "Don't look so shocked, little wolf. We get your kind here all the time." He inched closer. "Rogues. Wolves promised whatever your little hearts could desire in exchange for taking one single life."
You nod hastily. "Yes. Yes! Just one and it's not yours I swear."
"Oh I know," he smiled. "King Sibyl gets a lot of... would-be assassins. Cowards who try and sneak their way in to Her den. Cowards who think they can kill Her. Cowards who think they can get past Mallus." The wolf, Mallus, flashed his teeth.
He's circled around you, blocking your way further into the mountains. The message is clear. You'd have to kill him to get to the Black Beast. But you really don't want to. So you opted to bargain. "Listen," you say, "the reward is the whole Wesen mountain range, more riches than I could ever spend in my lifetime, and my pick of mates whenever I want. I'll share it with you. I'll even give you most of it!"
For a brief moment, there was a sparkle in Mallus' eyes. You took this as a sign to continue.
"Aren't you tired living under the rule of that... that creature? I could cut you loose. You could be free. You'll be leader of your own pack and you won't have to answer to her. You won't have to answer to anyone. Come on. Whadd'ya say?"
A grin slowly crawled up on Mallus' face. The sparkle in his eyes intensified. "I think I will enjoy killing you." You mistakenly thought that the look in his eyes for interest. It was bloodlust.
"What makes you think I will let you get to my King so easily?"
Mallus stalked closer. You backed away. He did so again. You shuffled backwards even more, away from his teeth and his fangs and those murderous eyes. "You know what the best part about this is?" Mallus asked and with every word, he approached, inch by inch. You only recognised your error when you felt loose rocks with your back paws.
"I don't even have to lay a single claw on you."
You knew. You knew that the cliff was behind you, but still you couldn't stop yourself from leaping away when Mallus snapped his teeth mere inches from your face. The rocks behind you shifted, and your heart dropped as your paws scrabbled on nothing.
You fell, gazing wide-eyed at Mallus who once again sat perched on his rock. He leered at you with murderous glee as you fell down, down, down. The last thing you saw before your world went black was the bottom of the cliff. The jagged rocks, stained dark with blood. The carrion birds cawing with delight at another meal. The hundreds of bones smiling at the very bottom, waiting for you to join them.
Hunter 
Hunter