Today kicks off my A-Z Wilds Duology Challenge! Since it’s also the first Sunday of the month I wrote a short story for the letter A.

Because I didn’t want to go into spoiler territory, most everything I publish through the month of November will either take place before the beginning of the duology or will be irrelevant timeline-wise.

Animal Instincts takes place when De’vii (one of the leads in the novels) is about fourteen. De’vii and his two dogs, Fel and Sou, are mainstays in the duology. Te’iil is De’vii’s immediate cousin and is a minor character in Song for the Wilds (Book II). Si’raa is a new character I made up specifically for this story…so don’t get attached.

So without further ado, I give you…

Animal Instincts

The hunt never felt so good as when he ran with those he trusted. With his dogs, Fel and Sou, that trust had been implicit since they’d been gestating within their dam. With Te’iil, the trust stemmed from years of growing up together, knowing and believing Te’iil and his pack would come to De’vii’s aid if necessary. And knowing just as surely Te’iil would attempt to steal the kill right out from under De’vii’s teeth.

With Si’raa though… Si’raa was a different matter altogether. One De’vii hadn’t yet figured out.

The fresh scent of the underbrush filled the air. The lightly dripping leaves, drooping from the heaviness of the last dredges of the rainy season, brushed De’vii’s shoulders as he ran. His small pack—the steady Fel and the bloodthirsty Sou—ran to his either side, Sou slightly ahead, his eagerness an aphrodisiac affecting De’vii’s mind.

Si’raa and his three dogs trailed behind. His footsteps heavy on the dirt. His breathing harsh within the light pattering of droplets falling from the canopy. De’vii’s concentration split between the scent of the spindleleg they hunted and the need to know exactly where Si’raa was at all times. He chalked it up to that lack of trust, a burden during the hunt, forcing him to watch his back. Continue reading →