"What happened?" The voice grated her ears, seemingly amplified as it echoed off the stone walls of the cave and bounced around her head. Failure, failure, was what it really meant. She had failed yet again.
So what had happened? Nothing, would be her answer. But the words lodged in her throat, and she didn't have the courage to tear her gaze away from the messy sight of her own mud-stained paws.
She had run long and hard, but her build was not meant for speed. Try as she might, she was not meant to be lithe and agile. No, she had the large paws and strong shoulders of her father. She had failed her pack with the hunt today, and though every inch of her ached with how hard she had pushed herself, it didn't matter. Because everyone would go to bed with a painfully empty belly, and they knew exactly who to blame.
"You knew the conditions of this hunt. We had a deal," the alpha spat. His disappointment quickly becoming anger yet again, then something darker as he seemed to reign himself in before finally settling on a sharp-toothed grin. She shivered, knowing his rollercoaster of emotions meant only one thing: nothing was certain. He could be merciful, or he could toss her to the wolves (pardon the pun). Anything was possible. Which meant nothing good.
"You have until daybreak. Run as if your life depends on it." He leans forward, nipping at the space next to her ear. "Because it does."
Hunter 
Hunter