As the men turned to follow their leader, Kyra glanced back at the Beta only to find him still staring at her. She dropped her eyes and noticed his bare feet. There wasn't much snow on the floor but the promise of more was in the cold air.
"Phwwwwwhht," Angus whistled at Kyra as he tossed his puffy jacket.
"At least a funeral fire will melt your frozen body." he taunted.
Kyra glared at the giant man. She didn't mind being left behind, she welcomed the peace of silence. What irritated her was that she had to move and set up all the weapons and equipment while the men got to hang out in a coz hunt and talk.
She tossed the jacket at the pile of equipment she would have to go through later. She pulled out a small notebook and pen and shoved them in her pants pocket. She glance back in the direction the men had walked away in. The Beta was still there regarding her. His eyes continued to move up and down like a wolf trying to figure out the best way to take down a deer. She glared at him and was about to growl only to give a heavy sigh and roll her eyes. Phinnus would bite her head off if she somehow insulted one of Alpha Phobos' men, let alone his Beta. So she ignored him and began to run the perimeter.
Her orders were to inspect the grounds for weak points and reinforce them with little disturbance. They knew that Alpha Phobos was a stubborn, proud man and wouldn't want help from outsiders. His pack was very isolated and didn't like to depend on anyone else. They didn't use any modern weapons or technology as her pack did. This left them vulnerable to attacks from sick bastards with goals of world domination.
Kyra stopped by clearing with thick branches arching together. She scribbled quickly in her book her coordinates and kept running until she decided it was time to return and set up camp. The temperature had dropped quite a bit but a small fire will be enough until the weather decides to make it snow.
She unpacked her ax and started chopping some fallen branches for firewood. Once she was satisfied with the strength of her fire, she grab Angus' winter jacket that engulfed her. Who needs a sleeping bag? It was so snuggly. She laid back and looked up at the sky. It was so clear and the stars almost twinkled. The waning moon reminded her that there wasn't that much time left to finish the preparations. They would come in the cloak of darkness but if they were lucky, they would severely underestimate Phobo's tribe and rush in without caution.
The woods were calm, unsuspecting of the battle to come. Most of the animals lay dormant so Kyra didn't have much need to guard herself. She closed her eyes and listened to the calm of her surroundings. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Her stalker was incredibly quiet. Even while running outside the boundary, she didn't hear him, but she could feel him. His eyes burned her skin. His scent, though faint, was still there. It blended well with the forest as though they were one and the same. But the muskie scent of a male lingered.
It wasn't a surprise. She knew Phobos had assigned someone to track her. The man was paranoid. And now so was she. She needed to relieve herself but there was no way she was going to while that creepy watched her. She opened her eyes and scan the branches of the trees. She couldn't see his eyes but the urge to blush overwhelmed her. This was starting to annoy her.
She grew up and trained with the males in her pack. She didn't pay them any attention and her duties as Phinnus Shadow didn't give her much time with other females to sit and gossip about boys and mates. If anything, she hoped she would never find hers. She didn't know how to be feminine and sweet; she knew how to fight. Whenever any male had tried or hinted at her maturing body she would knock them hard to the floor and leave them in their embarrassment. She didn't like looking in the mirror only to be reminded of her large breast and hips. Unnecessary distractions.
She growled deep in her chest. If the male knew what was good for him, he would leave her alone.
She settled into her little cacoon and drifted to sleep. He could keep watch for the both of them