The Prey

Chapter One for The Prey:

CHAPTER ONE The Prey

The wind through the upper peninsula didn’t just blow; it hunted.

It howled down through the dense canopy of red pines, carrying the bitter bite of an early November freeze that settled deep into the bone. Underfoot, the forest floor was thick with pine needles and brittle frost that crunched beneath every deliberate step.

Lukas rested his back against the rough bark of a giant white pine, his breathing slow and measured. Small plumes of white mist rose into the dimming twilight with every exhale. He adjusted his grip on the rifle strap slung across his shoulder, his gloved fingers numb despite the heavy lining.

He had been out here for six hours. The woods were quiet—too quiet. The birds had stopped singing an hour ago, and even the rustle of small game in the brush had completely died away. In these woods, silence wasn’t peace. It was a warning.

A sudden snap echoed from thirty yards to his left. Dry wood breaking under weight.

Lukas didn't flinch. Slowly, without making a sound, he eased himself around the trunk of the pine. He brought his sight up, squinting through the fading daylight.

Through the trees, something moved—not the fluid, cautious glide of a deer, but the heavy, deliberate tread of something that knew it sat at the top of the food chain.

A shadow emerged into a small clearing lit by the pale sliver of the evening moon. It stood motionless, sniffing the frozen air.

Lukas lowered his rifle slightly, his heart thumping against his ribs like a trapped bird. He had hunted these woods his entire life. He knew every trail, every ridge, every hideout. But looking into the dark treeline ahead, a strange, unfamiliar chill ran down his spine.

He wasn't the only one out here tonight. And for the first time in his life, he realized he wasn't the hunter.

He was the prey.