The Loss

Boom! The gunshot went off, and they all scampered into the woods again. The birds that perched on the woods flew away at the sound of it too.

Ishaka decided to follow the other werewolf having known that his game had been secured already.

He wanted to know if he also used the same tactic he used. The werewolf being used to hunt also noticed he was being followed. As luck was with him, he saw a bush rabbit hole.

The hole was quite big, big enough to accommodate him. He had only intended to hide there but as he bent he saw two rabbits in the hole that were scared to death.

The intrusion of the stranger frightened them, as a result the werewolf sensed that they had moved deeper into the hole to get away from it.

Looking at them, an idea came to mind. It quickly picked one of the rabbits and dashed out of the hole. As soon as Ishaka saw his opponent was already with a game. He gave up his suspicion and ran to grab his game too.

He couldn't risk loosing the second time.

Having seen that Ishaka was gone, it went back and dropped the rabbit right back into the hole. And then, he dashed to get his game. He needed to be fast about it, since Ishaka already gone for his.

Soon, he found his game hideout and picked up the game he had kept then, he started making his way out. He increased his pace as he ran, hoping earnestly to make it out on time.

The people waited to know who the champion would be. Previously, the winner was already determined before the final round, because Ishaka had remained undefeated. This time around, it was different. Someone had beat him the second time.

Everywhere seemed quite then they started hearing the ruffle of trees, the moment was near as they started cheering. Then they saw two werewolves emerge, almost at the same time but one was a foot ahead of the other.

The time regulator had been careful enough to observe. It was as if he knew it was going to result to this.

They both dropped the game. And then shifted to their human form. A few minutes later, the others started to come out too, some with and without games.

As soon as they saw Ishaka outside they weren't surprised, because it could only mean that he had won, again.

Then the game regulator announced, "the winner of this hunting season goes to.." he paused for a moment. This pause made the other werewolves who had joined in the game confused.

Why pause when it was a normal announcement which they had always heard?

Then the game regulator continued, "Hendo!" He shouted, and there was an uproar.

It had already occurred to him that he had lost the game. That moment when he was often pronounced winner was one of the moment he always anticipated in life. It was one of the moments he always felt alive.

He clenched his fist by his side, the expression on his face was sullen, this gave him away. One could tell just at a glance how upset he was.

He tried blaming himself, maybe he gotten rusty and hadn't been training well enough?

After a while he glanced over to Hendo who was standing elegantly with so much confusion. Then he decided that the fault was his, it shouldn't be his, he was Ishaka and he doesn't loose. Soon he looked at Hendo with so much anger. The werewolf had thoroughly planned how he was going to win but Ishaka also wondered what was in it for him, he knew that expression on his face. He looked like he was determined to win this just to get back at him but what for?

"Huh" he gasped, he couldn't be thinking of having the Princess, Ishaka thought. Till now there was no better suitor than him in the village. What was he truly up to?

The other werewolves froze when they heard the results. They moved to congratulate Hendo, who in turn burst into a very charming smile.

He had it all planned out as he had always been watching Ishaka. It wasn't that they had a bad history of what not, but Hendo was just tired of the haughty attitude Ishaka gave to his fellow gamers. He always acted like he was better than everyone else.

On his own, he took it upon himself to beat him at his own game at least once.

All of a sudden he was the reigning champion and would continue to be, till the next game. He felt proud of himself. He looked across the sitting arena to see his mate joyously cheering on him. Αt that point he felt like he had to keep winning. He hadn't had the opportunity of going to the palace before. As it was strictly for the actively important werewolves. But as he won the game. They would be presented before the king for conferment of the title he had stolen from Ishaka, scratch that, he had won from Ishaka.

Kalispel was slightly embarrassed for Ishaka. She had come all the way to come and watch him compete and he lost right Infront of her. People around knew she had come for him. She could notice them gossiping on low tunes, scared of being heard. They had heard that the Princess's cousin had quite a temper.

Others didn't bother to dwell on Kalispel's embarrassment, they were too busy acknowledging their winner. Seizing an opportunity as when they were not paying attention to her. She snuck out of the crowd and headed for the castle.

She didn't know how to approach Ishaka, what was she going to say to him? I'm sorry for your loss? The whole idea irritated her. As she approached the castle, unlike the morning when she had left with the anticipation of seeing Ishaka. Her senses were quite back and she could perceive a foreign scent.

A scent from a werewolf that wasn't from their pack.

"Hmmm" she narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

She desperately wanted to go and have a look but on a second thought. She decided she was going to ask her mother. She was sure her mother would be aware of what was going on.

Even worse she had seen Tahira, her fair skin could be sighted from afar. She became angry, she had always envied her since they were little. Tahira was smarter, quick witted and the thing she hated the most was that she had never acknowledged her as whom she was. She plunged herself in every possible competition with Tahira but she would always get beaten and still won't be considered a competition by Tahira.