Fraudulent Death, Draft 01, CH 42 (Patreon)

Trembor ran, following the scent of fear and the sounds of feet trying to stay ahead of him. The elephant was faster than he’d have thought, but Marlot had warned him. His wolf knew more about the male than Trembor thought could be possible, like where they’d find him, that part of the neighborhood to corral him to so he would be cornered.

It had been a long time since he’d hunted with someone else. The last time it had been his the older females in his family; his mothers and aunts, learning to track and to take down prey. They’d corralled it as a group, like this, but he had taken it down on his own. He didn’t remember what species it had been, which surprised him; he had expected to remember his first kill.

A growl came from ahead, one of the alleys the elephant had angled to and Trembor sped up to block the other side. They needed him to keep going forward. Two didn’t make for a pack, but the elephant didn’t know that. In his scared state, he didn’t take the time to differentiate the scents, noticed there was only two of them, so he could stop and take them. He out massed the two of them. He was older but strong. A bull who had had a long life, his productivity declining with his physical abilities, but he could still take on two predators if he didn’t let himself be run down to exhaustion.

He was reaching that point; he slowed anytime Marlot and Trembor gave him space, picking up speed only once one of them nipped at his heels again.

They entered a courtyard formed by the wall of factories on each side. Scents of people relaxing filled it, stale but still there due to the lack of wind the walls caused. The elephant stopped in the center, turning to examine the space. There were metal doors on each wall, but they only opened from the inside.

He looked at Trembor and Marlot, his panting heavy. Looked over them, searching for more.

“Just you?” he asked in disbelief, his voice a deep rumble. He cursed. “I got tricked but the two of you?” The elephant rolled up his sleeves. “I am not going to be eaten by the likes of you. I’ve lived too long for it to end here.”

Marlot moved to the side and Trembor mirrored him. Even tired the elephant was still a danger, not simply the tusks, which looked to have been sharpened to a point, instead of allowed to grow dull, but his strength was enough to break bones with a blow.

“One after the other,” Marlot had explained while they waited for the elephant to leave the factory where he managed workers. “We use the other’s distraction to strike.”

Trembor had been taken aback on seeing their prey. Even when hunting for both of them, he’d never gone after someone this big, but they were hunting in tandem. Marlot had squeezed his hand, kissed him, and followed the elephant, while Trembor had moved to the other side of the road.

Marlot struck first, as the elephant looked toward the approaching lion, a series of punched before jumping back as the elephant turned to strike him. Trembor ran, sending a spin kick at the elephant’s head, but only grazing the head as he ducked at the last moment. Trembor threw himself to the side, the trunk grabbing the end of his pant-leg and jerking Trembor to his back as it ripped.

“You think you can take me?” the elephant said with a snort. “Better than you have tried and I’m still here.”

Where you were younger, Trembor thought, noting the elephant’s still heavy breathing as he turned to face Marlot. Trembor was up and behind, kicking the side of their prey’s knee. He didn’t break it, but the elephant was off balance and Marlot took advantage of it, grabbing a tusk to pull himself up and slamming a knee in the elephant’s face before dropping back. As his wolf stood, Trembor noticed the red line along the rip of the calf. The elephant still had some speed to him.

They circled him and the elephant tried to keep both in sight, but he was beginning to panic. Focusing more on Trembor, the larger of the two, so the more dangerous to the prey’s mind. Trembor feinted forward, and the elephant stepped back before he could stop himself.

Marlot struck him at the back of the neck, staggering him and shifting the focus to himself. Trembor was behind the elephant, grabbing him by the neck and slamming a knee in the kidneys.

With a roar, a large hand closed on Trembor’s arm and threw him at Marlot, who rolled out of the way before attacking. By the time Trembor was on his feet, Marlot had the elephant facing away from the lion again and he ran, planting an elbow in the back of the elephant’s neck before stepping out of reach and allowing Marlot to attack.

In this way, over the next five minutes, they brought the elephant to his knees, then on all four, his breathing ragged. When he looked up at Marlot, Trembor was behind him and wrapped his arm around the elephant’s neck.

“You put up a good fight, old-timer,” Marlot said, his own breathing heavy, “but it’s over. Time to feed a younger generation.”

The elephant didn’t respond or fight back as Trembor tightened his grip, stopping the blood flow to the male’s brain. With someone this large, the best way to bring them down was to bleed them to death, but he and Marlot liked their blood fresh, not store-bought, so first, he’d render their prey unconscious, then he’d break his neck.

When he was done, Trembor sat, leaning against the body. “That was harder than I thought.”

Marlot sat next to him. “But it was fun.”

The lion put an arm over his wolf’s shoulder and pulled him against him. “Yes, it was.”

“I’m going to enjoy doing this with you more often.”

Trembor stiffened and Marlot tried to pull away.

“You do want us to hunt together again, right?” he asked worriedly.

“Of course.” Trembor forced himself to relax. He so wanted to hunt with his wolf every night for the rest of their lives. If only they could have more time. Derimak hadn’t found someone they could convince to turn on the crime family yet, but she was hopeful.

“Trem?”

“I’m okay, still worried about the trial.”

“I thought that was getting resolved. Didn’t you say it was almost over? The new prosecutor was more amicable to forgetting about the whole thing?”

Trembor tried to remember what he’d told Marlot. “Barany’s saying there might be changes. It’s the courts, until the judge signs everything, anything is possible.” He smiled at his wolf. “Makes it tough to relax.” He kissed him gently. “Now, how about we carry our meal to my car and see if we can fit him into the trunk? I need to impress you with my preparation skills.”

“You don’t have to, we can—”

Trembor kissed him again. “Marl, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to prepare a body for you. So you’re going to let me do my duty as your mate.” At least he’d get to do this once.

“Alright, then I guess it means I’m the one to has to carry the body to the car?”

Trembor laughed at the image of his wolf trying to pull the elephant over his shoulder. “I think this one’s a two-person job, just like the hunt.”