Blackfoot Forest The Bright Sun Comes Up

She ran with the foxes.

Wild, snapping jaws chased after the critters and encouraged their frenzy — a frenzy that had chipped away at her until she said, screw that, and threw her irritation into the thrill of the hunt. They hadn’t let her rest, and she would give them that same privilege.

Really, it was only fair.

They petered out near dawn, numbers dwindling to a straggling few — Youngbloods like her who seemed simple in their intent to keep this game of cat and mouse going for as long as either party would, and Jasmine could get down with that.

She expected to carry on until either one of them tired. What she hasn’t expected was the log of a man sleeping on the other side of the bushes she had just burst through. Jasmine yelped but couldn’t do anything to stop herself. One moment her paws hit the ground, and the next, nothing — though her whole body struck and tumbled over the probably-not-so-sleeping-anymore wolf.