Whispered Secrets of Feral Hearts

With her deadline looming, Hazel Davis stared at the screen. Her fourth mug of the blackest coffee was down to dregs at her elbow. Was it her fourth, or was it more than that?

Her eyes burned as the world swirled before her.

Pushing the keyboard out of the way, Hazel muttered, “Just a few minutes, then I’ll keep going.”

As she laid her head down on her crossed arms, Hazel knew her back was going to hate her later, but her eyelids refused to stay open even a moment longer.

Time is funny in the darkness of exhaustion. It felt like half an hour, or maybe less, when Hazel rolled over on the thin furs.

Wait! Furs?

Shooting awake, Hazel found herself lying on a thin mound of furs inside a bottomless tent. A tiny fire in a stone-ringed pit struggled to burn as Hazel stared at it. All of it looked just like the starting tent she modeled up for the company she was freelancing for.

Frigid wind cut through the tent with the impact of a warning shot from a cannon.

Hazel scrambled to tie the tent flap shut as her legs refused to support her weight properly.

Grumbling as she struggled back to the one soft spot in the tent, Hazel put a log on the fire to coax up the flames and glanced up to see a smoke hole in the roof. Breathing easier, Hazel grimaced at the small pelts that made up her new fur bed. None of them looked large enough to wrap around herself like a blanket.

Everything that surrounded her looked exactly like the game models she had spent so long making for that game.

As she studied the tent, Hazel spotted the lop-sided leather backpack that she had fought to get added to the scene because it made sense and gave an access point to the game’s storage system.

Pulling it into her lap, Hazel groaned at the sight of almost nothing in the holographic inventory screen after she opened it.

Just a bone knife, a bundle of unappealing mystery jerky, and three of what the game called ground apples. Something that grew like a peanut but resembled an apple in appearance and taste.

Great! The sarcasm in that mental word dripped through to her face.

Hazel growled, “Who thought that was a good starting kit? That’s not enough food to last more than five days, and it feels like winter is setting in already! Did they shove me in on hero-must-die mode? Also, that’s not nearly enough fur to stay warm!”

Hot tears prickled at the corners of her eyes that she refused to let fall.

Trying to stand again, Hazel just fell back down on the furs. Biting her lower lip, Hazel looked at the tent flap that might as well be a million miles away for all the strength she had.

Rubbing at her eyes, Hazel grumbled, "Get a hold of yourself, Davis. Just exit out of the game and…"

Her hands moved through the motions to open the menu with the VR controls, but nothing happened.

Panicking, Hazel pleaded, "Menu! Menu, please!"

Suddenly, a holographic panel appeared, and Hazel smiled until she saw it was only a message.

“System initialization in progress. Guest identification and transportation confirmed. Welcome, Hazel Davis. Removal from the system is impossible. Do you want a mission to increase your chances of survival?”

Groaning, Hazel half-sobbed, “You have got to be kidding me! I want out of this place! I want to wake up from this nightmare!”

“Request impossible. Removal from the system is only via death. Missions available are in hunting, crafting, or spouse acquisition. Each mission provides a reward and unlocks more. To unlock the shard store and enlarge the storage unit, you must complete one of each.”

Covering her face in frustration, Hazel snarled, “Fine!”

“Hunting mission requires the collection of three hides of any kind. The crafting mission requires the creation of a needle and thread. Bone is suggested for the needle, and long-eared hopper tail fur makes strong threads. Spouse Acquirement is completed when you have the first spousal contract mark. Good luck!”

Blinking, Hazel yelped as the holographic panel vanished, “Wait! What is a spousal contract mark? How do I get it? Come back!”

Nothing but the sound of the fire answered her.

Burying her face in her hands, Hazel fought down the scream that clawed at her throat. She refused to surrender to this. Flopping back on the furs, Hazel growled at the tent ceiling, “Sleep first, and then I face this world in daylight. Maybe I can use the knife to make a bow and some simple arrows. This is going to suck.”

Somehow, Hazel managed to drift off to sleep. Her dreams danced away almost completely forgotten, even as they formed, but left behind a clawing sense of importance.

Flashes of monstrous men with horns and scales drifted through. Paired with flashes of men who could transform into massive beasts and swirling stars.

When the sunlight filtering through the smoke hole of her hide tent forced Hazel out of her less-than-peaceful sleep, she finally had the mental capacity to notice the bow and arrows lying behind the storage bag.

Picking up the weapon, Hazel muttered, “Good thing I had a few lessons in this thing at those stupid summer camps Mom made me go to.”

Stepping out of the tent, Hazel wondered out loud, “Should I pack this up and take it with me? I’m not sure I could even set it up again. Maybe if I stay close, I can find my way back once I’m done trying to hunt.”

Something in her gut made her go back and grab the storage pack.

Only for the tent and camp to magically disappear into the pack. Even the fire pit was gone.

Blinking, Hazel asked the trees around her, “What the …? Did it just fold itself up and store itself? Does this world have magic like this for everything?”

Shaking herself, Hazel shouldered the bag and muttered, “You know what I can work with that. Time to hunt. Probably going to fail miserably but…”

Something hard bounced off the back of her head.

Staring at the large nut, Hazel blinked when a holographic block appeared again.

“Purple Walnut. Inner flesh is edible if washed thoroughly. It can be ground and cooked. Tier one cooking supply.”

As quickly as it appeared, the text vanished once she read it.

Looking up to see the creature that had attacked her, Hazel glared at the rabbit-eared, overgrown squirrel with blue fur. Oh, that long-eared hopper was going to get it!

As if sensing the danger, it bolted before Hazel could even draw an arrow from the quiver.

Running after it, Hazel fumbled, but she wanted payback! If only she’d paid more attention to her surroundings.

The first clue Hazel got that something was horribly wrong was when she pushed her way through the vines, the hopper darted through, and she found the creature lying dead in her path.

An icicle stuck straight through its throat.

Then the voices started as she scooped up the dead creature. They echoed all around her.

“Oh! Pretty female!”

“Smells good. Want to taste.”

“Surround, corner, keep!”

Shuddering as she jammed the corpse into the pack, Hazel decided she’d deal with the mess later if need be and spun around looking for whoever those voices belonged to. She saw four large shadows prowling around the edge of the clearing.

Wolves.

There was no way she could defend herself with a bow she barely knew how to use against so many predators.

Maybe if she bolted back through the vines?

A sheet of ice appeared over the vines just as Hazel turned toward them.

Yelping, Hazel shouted as her heart tried to leap up into her throat, “Leave me alone! I didn’t know this was your territory! I’ll leave! I don’t want any trouble!”

The largest wolf stepped out into the clearing. Scars covered his muzzle, and he licked his lips in a distinctly lustful way. He rumbled out as his golden eyes pinned Hazel in place, “Leave? No. We hunted for you. We are good mates for a fertile female. We claim you.”

The three that followed him into the clearing were no less frightening. All of them bore scars and signs of rough living. Even if she were to entertain the notion of taking a mate, none of these males were the kind she would trust to keep her safe and fed.

Backing away, Hazel gasped when her back hit the ice, “No! I don’t need any mates! I’m fine on my own! I’ll give you the hopper back and find my own!”

The leader transformed into a powerful-looking brute. Covered in scars, even in his human form. His golden eyes and wolfish ears perched on top of his head, along with a tail hanging behind him, were all that was left of his animal form. He growled, “We will not be refused. You will accept us. I can smell your lack of a mate.”

Then the other three transformed as well.

Thuggish and unkempt, with their simple fur skirts being the only thing that kept Hazel from getting an unwanted eyeful.

Spotting an opening in the trees, Hazel bolted. She ran hard and gasped when she heard their frustrated snarls behind her. She refused to stick around to find out how they planned to make her their mate.

She had a sinking suspicion of how.

Glancing back to see her pursuers gaining on her, Hazel scrambled even faster.

Hazel was so focused on what was behind her that she failed to see what lay ahead of her.

It was only by the grace of a powerful arm locking around her waist that she didn’t bolt right off the edge of a cliff and plummet to her death below.

Slamming back first into a muscular chest, Hazel blushed as a new deep masculine voice asked softly, “Are you unharmed?”

Tilting her head back, Hazel spotted ink-black wolf ears and gulped, “Oh no. Please! I didn’t mean to trespass! I’m!”

The pack lead snarled, “Hand over our female, Loner!”

‘Loner’ answered, “She’s not yours if she’s running so hard from you. Now, is she?”

Then one of the thugs grumbled, “Boss. He’s a five star.”

Snarling, the pack leader demanded, “Return our female!”

Smirking, ‘Loner’ answered as he set her off to the side, “You want her, starless, come and take her from me.”

Looking between the lone wolf and the pack, Hazel covered her mouth to keep from screaming when the pack transformed back into wolves and charged as a unit. The loner transformed into a massive wolf that completely overshadowed the pack leader in size.

He met the pack with snarls and fangs. When one of them tried to dart at her, he yanked them back into the brawl without hesitation.

Barely any time at all passed before the pack ran off with their tails between their legs.

Gasping when the ink-black wolf turned her way, Hazel shivered and started backing up as she whimpered, “Please don’t eat me… I’m sorry!”

Sighing, the wolf bit down on her shirt and yanked her away from the cliff with a grumble, “Female, please stop trying to fall to your doom. The cliff is a long drop, and even if you hit the river below, the fall will kill you. Now, I wish to know your name.”

Gulping, Hazel tugged at her shirt and pushed at his muzzle as she answered, “Hazel! Please! Let go!”

Eyeing the female, he answered, “I am Aegis. Do not run. I have the right to claim you for saving your life. Do you understand me, Hazel?”

Nodding as her dry mouth refused to work, Hazel flinched when he transformed to his human form. She muttered, “What do you mean you have the right to claim me?”

Watching the pretty female, Aegis simply supplied, “The law of the beast city. Any male who saves a female’s life has the right to claim a place in her home as one of her mates.”

Blinking, Hazel yelped, “Mates? As in plural? What in...? Never mind, I don't think I want to know.”

Amused by Hazel’s outburst, Aegis asked, “Where did you grow up to be so sheltered not to know of females and their many mates? It is the way of things. The more mates a female has, the better her chances of breeding and successfully raising her offspring. Males heavily outnumber the females in the villages and towns, so it only makes sense to share.”

That was a lot to take in, and Hazel countered, “And you males are completely content with that?”

Frowning, Aegis answered, “Most are not, but better to share than never have pups at all. Also, once mated, a male has no other option.”

The sadness in those golden eyes tugged at her heartstrings, and Hazel sighed, “Can we at least give it a test run? I don’t want to make any decisions that we might end up regretting.”

Making a soft sound of thought, Aegis stated as he transformed back into a wolf, “An odd thought, but acceptable, I think. Climb onto my back, you’ll be safe, and we can cover more distance this way. I do not trust that pack to abandon the thought of having a pretty mate easily.”

Wincing at the thought of riding on another person’s back, Hazel asked, “I am a fast walker, can I please?”

Giving Hazel a look, Aegis silently waited.