Chapter 1

Three days in the car would wear on anyone. Shawn was not an exception. He was overjoyed and brimming with excitement now that the long awaited vacation to California had finally come. His girlfriend of five years, Guinevere ‘Jenny’ Terro, had supported him these last few years of Cassidy’s life. The journey wasn’t easy, their relationship had become strained at times and almost broke entirely at others. Still they persevered.

Shawn was an odd sort of broken. He had been prepared for years now of Cassidy’s eventual death, but it was always a shadow in the corner of the room. With Cassidy in her final slumber, Shawn found himself struggling to fill all the time he had spent at his best friend’s side. For days he had retreated into himself as the empty pit in his chest slow ate away at him. Jenny had understood that he needed his space. There was nothing for her to do. One of the biggest pieces of Shawn’s life had suddenly vanished and the resulting void obliterated any balance he hadonce found.

In a way, this vacation with just the two of them was more about healing than adventure. Sure, they both felt the wanderlust; The caves and rocky slopes called to them like a siren song teasing all manner of things to discover and experience. More so than the adventure, it was a time for Jenny and Shawn to reconcile all of the fights and friction that his devotion to Cassidy had put between them.

For years Shawn had felt like he was being pulled in two different directions. His obligation to Cassidy and his desire for Jenny, and it wasn’t until this past year after the two girls bit the bullet and made peace for his sake. The result was the best year of Shawn’s life yet. Cassidy wished him well on his adventures with his girlfriend, and when he returned he always found something unique to fill the withered girl with wonder. Cassidy never knew that Jenny was the one who often found said item, but that was a secret between the two of them.

The fresh air and open blue sky of Yosemite National Park promised them a new challenge with the soaring mountain spires and rocky forested slopes. It felt good to be out in the wilderness once more, he had been on a short leash as Cassidy’s health declined. His phone had become a ball and chain that would yank him back when yet another heart-stopping turn presented itself.

They unloaded Jenny’s well-traveled Jeep and donned their climbing gear. Jenny took the lead with a spring in her step as she led their hike up a trail that led to a step plateau climbing series that had the first camp ground. Shawn’s body burned with effort and the dry heat of the summer afternoon did its best to sap him of his energy. The endorphin rush of the exertion elated his mood and pushed him forward.

There were two benefits to letting Jenny lead. The first was that he didn’t have to set lines, the second was he had an uninterrupted view of her toned ass painted in leggings and cotton climbing shorts. Shawn was happy to turn off his brain and let the lizard part of his lower functions take over. It was a simple routine for a while. Lift, pull, ogle. He barely registered Jenny’s sudden warning.

“Watch out!” Jenny cried, she had found a loose handhold and a fist sized chunk of stone broke off and plummeted below, narrowly missing Shawn’s head. Helmet or no, that would have been quite the headache.

“Yeesh, Jen,” Shawn called, he followed the rock’s decent down to the forest base of the rock face.

“Sorry!” She glanced down and smiled sheepishly.

The rest of their trip up was thankfully uneventful. They had a mile hike to the camp grounds that was mostly flat, so it was an easy hike. He used this cool-down time to really take in the sights. The tall mixed pine, cedar, and fir trees jutted out of the rocky soil. There was a sense of scale that always amazed him. When he glanced back at Jenny never couldn’t help but admire her. She was always striking with dark brown hair cut to a manageable shoulder length that was usually kept tied back, her hazel eyes that spoke of hidden intensity. She was a pale Midwestern girl that grew up Michigan, her lips were always pursed outwards to either side as if always deep in thought. He had asked about the habit and she had just shrugged and looked embarrassed.

Shawn had been on the taller side ever since puberty, Cassidy only came up to the middle of his chest, but Jenny was just the right height to rest his head on top her hers when they embraced. Their climbing and hiking hobbies kept them both fit, but she always had stubborn thin layer of padding about her that refused to go away. It was one of Jenny’s biggest insecurities that Shawn always found most pleasing as it gave her a very soft and pliable feeling when he touched her.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of movement. When he looked, there was nothing. No sign of anything amiss. He shook his head and jogged up to walk with Jenny. She smiled when their hands intertwined.

“We have about a quarter mile left. How are you feeling?” She asked.

Shawn took a deep breath and smiled, “Better than I have in a while. Something about being outside like this puts things into perspective, if that makes sense.”

Jenny beamed, “Totally. Don’t get me wrong, I like being a couch potato as much as the next girl,” She stretched her arms over her head which exposed her toned stomach, “But being out here reminds me that there is so much more in the world. Especially when I’m here with you.”

Shawn hummed contentedly. He stopped and pulled her into his arms and kissed her, “I know exactly what you mean.”

Jenny swooned happily, “Save it for later, Raine.”

Shawn pinched her rear making her yelp and skip away. He winked and held up his hand, crab clawing his fingers together, “Couldn’t help it.”

Jenny rolled her eyes.

By the time they arrived at the camping ground, Shawn had seen that flash of movement again out in the trees. It seemed bigger this time, his head had jerked around trying to catch it. His heart raced in his chest as he felt an overwhelming sense of danger, then nothing. The forest was serene and quiet as it had been a second before. Jenny arched an eyebrow at him and he mumbled something about fatigue setting in, making him jumpy.

Shawn and Jenny cuddled together that night after setting up camp. The day had been hot and muggy, insects buzzing around in search of an easy meal. As the sun set, the temperature began to plummet. The close proximity brought their passion to the forefront. Their lips sought each other hungrily, bodies intertwined so closely the minor barrier of clothing seemed to matter little. Their tongues dueled together as Jenny struggled out of her top, tossing the sweat-dampened garment to the ground. They worked to free her of her sports bra and Shawn of his shirt.

Jenny’s soft hills of flesh crushed against the solid contours of his chest, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. Shawn was glad the tent had tightly woven netting that was nearly opaque, the air in the tent was becoming warm. Their pants and underwear soon found themselves heaped together and Jenny rose above Shawn, taking charge as she lowered her body down onto his. After a she set a marathon pace, Shawn felt her teeth bite deep into his neck to stifle a groan as she found her release first. Shawn followed behind in a close second, he crushed her sweat slick body against him and drove himself hard into her.

Just at the peak of his release, he heard single twig snap. Normally that wouldn’t bother him in a camp ground, except they were the only ones there on this night. Jenny clenched around him, enjoying the heat of essence flowing into her core, blissfully unaware of anything outside her own pleasure.

Shawn felt the hair on his neck stand up. The same primal sense of danger itched in the back of his mind. Jenny moaned in disappointment when she felt him grow soft and lift her off of him. She soon found her mind when he picked up a climbing axe and quickly pulled on his briefs. Shawn quietly unzipped the tent flap. Crouching low, he carefully made his way out of the confines of the tent and out into the moonlit night. He slowly scanned the darkness around them. He doubted bears would be this far from the valley floor. His mind immediately went to bobcats, which was more plausible but still unlikely.

“What are you doing?” Jenny hissed from the tent.

“There ... was something out in the trees. An animal I think. I heard it moving around and got a really bad feeling,” Shawn whispered under his breath.

“This is a climbing trail, in the middle of a national park. Of course there are animals,” Jenny said exasperatedly.

“I know, but this felt like something ... big. I don’t know how to describe it,” Shawn said defensively. He climbed back in the tent and zipped it up. Jenny was in the process of wiping herself off.

“Babe, you’re tired. Nothing is out there, I promise,” Jenny said gently. She crawled over and began wiping him down too. “If there is anything, I’m sure it’s just, like, a raccoon or something looking for snacks.”

Shawn snorted, “Alright. Fine, fine.”

“Good,” He heard the smile in her voice and felt her pull him down into the sleeping bags. They cuddled up to each other, the chill beginning to creep into the tent from the crisp mountain air. She kissed him once before nestling herself into the crook of his neck and was quickly off to sleep.

Shawn’s body wanted to follow suit, but his mind was still active and twitchy. Rationally, he knew nothing was actually out there. The wilderness animals tended to stay away from high-traffic areas, except for scavengers like coyotes. Shawn figured they were about fifteen-hundred feet too high to worry about them. Bobcats maybe, but again they didn’t frequent high traffic areas if they could help it.

Something had triggered his instincts. Shawn knew to always follow a gut feeling. The brain could be persuaded, the gut couldn’t be fooled. After listening carefully for what seemed like hours, still nothing. He sighed and pulled Jenny closer to him before sliding into a fitful sleep.

The next morning they awoke. Jenny teased him by slowly counting her limbs, just to make sure they were all there. Shawn tickled her in retaliation which led to them sprawled on the sleeping bags, kissing and giggling like teenagers. Eventually, they came up for air and ate a light cold breakfast of power bars. They had a three-mile uphill hike to the next climbing stage; this one was known to be a grueling all-day climb.

The hike itself was uneventful until about halfway through when he saw a woman with platinum blonde hair and odd-looking clothing. She stood perched on a stone outcropping and was looking around. He noticed she had a bow in her hand, but it wasn’t modern. Shawn stopped and cupped his hand to call out to her when something spooked the woman and she leapt off her perch and bounded away like a startled deer.

“What the hell?” Shawn breathed.

“What?” Jenny called back to him. She hadn’t heard him stop.

“They don’t permit bow hunting here do they?” Shawn asked.

She cocked her head to the side, her lips pursed out at an angle. She shrugged, “No clue, Raine. I didn’t exactly plan a hunting trip. What’s up?”

Shawn frowned as he looked off to where the blonde had been, “I saw a woman with a bow, like, an old-school bow. I was going to call out to her to see what she was doing, but she bolted before I had a chance.”

“Strange. I wouldn’t think national parks allowed hunting permits. When we meet up with the next group we can talk to the guide and see if they know anything,” Jenny offered.

Shawn nodded. They continued on with their hike with no new developments. Once they reached the trail head, they were met with their next challenge. The sheer cliff face was ragged and uneven, sparsely populated with vines and moss until the stone wall broke free from the canopy and soared away into the sky about a thousand feet before it stepped off into a small plateau before soaring higher.

They worked together for the better part of an hour, slowly making their way up the vertical face. Shawn couldn’t spend his time ogling his girlfriend’s posterior this time around. Jenny checked the secure lines they were using, testing pitons before crawling her way up. Shawn had to spot her and watch for loose rocks and double check their lines were securely anchored.

Shawn glanced back for two reasons, first the check their line wasn’t tangled, the second was to take in the view. Shawn wasn’t scared of heights so he was able to enjoy being five-hundred feet up a sheer cliff and enjoy the majesty of the world.

A flicker of movement caught his attention. He saw a large shadow moving in between the trees below. He squinted at the grey splotch and tried to make out its shape. Another flash of movement drew his eyes to a streak of silver making its way towards the cliff.

The silver streak turned out to be the woman. She paused at a break in the trees. He couldn’t make out much detail except her bow was half drawn. She moved, and Shawn lost track of her. He was about to turn back to his climb when the grey shadow took shape. A large wolf stalked into the clearing, sniffing the ground around the spot where the woman had been.

Shawn blinked rapidly, but the wolf was still there. There weren’t supposed to be any wolves in the park. The beast raised its head and sniffed the air, then let loose a low howl that seemed to vibrate the very air in his lungs. It bounded off into the trees. Shawn could now see the trees themselves shook as it forced its way through.

“What the fuck was that?” Jenny looked down at Shawn and noticed his gaze. “What is it Shawn?”

Shawn tried to speak but couldn’t find words. He saw the creature close the distance rapidly between it and the woman who was sprinting desperately towards the cliff. She wasn’t going to make it. She ran up a fallen trunk of a tree and twisted to loose an arrow mid leap. The Wolf threw itself to the side, circling around to cut her off.

“Shawn, what are you doing?” Jenny cried in alarm. Shawn had loosened one of his climbing axes from the loops at his side. She looked down and saw the blonde woman he had mentioned earlier, then the giant wolf. “What the fuck?”

“Hey! Don’t run this way!” Shawn yelled as loud as he could. Why was she running directly for a dead end?

Shawn hefted the sturdy tool in his hand and braced his feet against the cliff face. With a double handed overhead grip, he threw the climbing axe as hard as he could. It left his grip with a satisfying whooshing sound and the bladed pick cleaved the air as it flew end over end.

The woman stopped at the edge of the tree line before the sheer rise of stone, turned with her bow at full draw. Shawn screamed at her again, but she didn’t even look. The Wolf was closing fast, it was a stone’s throw away from her when her arrow leapt from the bow string. The massive creature leapt over the projectile in an unbelievable display of agility. Only to be struck by the head of the climbing axe, only by sheer dumb luck.

The foot long serrated piece of steel bit deep into the neck of the beast. It yelped and stumbled as it hit the ground. The momentum of its charge carried it around wide of the woman and it slammed shoulder first into the mountain.

A shockwave erupted up the rock wall. The impact seemed to rock the whole cliff, vibrations shaking stones loose and dust to dislodge from the crevasses. Jenny screamed and clung to what handholds she could. Shawn was still standing parallel to the ground. With a sharp ping, the anchor holding his line freed itself from the rock and Shawn fell into empty space.

“Shawn!” Jenny cried out, a hand outstretched in a futile attempt to catch him. His line pulled taught and he was slammed into the side of the mountain. The breath was driven from his lungs in a rush and a sharp pain in his mouth told him he had bit his tongue. He hung their dazed, gazing down as the wolf struggling to get up. He saw the woman stalk forward to stand at range and send three arrows into the exposed side of the creature. It whimpered and went still, barely breathing. A knife came out from somewhere on her person and she crept forward cautiously until she was right next to the creatures neck.

There was a long pause as the hunter and hunted regarded each other, then the woman neatly severed the main artery in its neck. The giant wolf relaxed and seemed to deflate as the life fled its body. His vision grew blurry as the whole scene began to fade. He felt another violent jerk and he fell again. His mind didn’t comprehend what happened next, he must have blacked out.