Chapter Text
The wind whipped at Stella's face causing her jolt out of the half asleep state. She straightened and adjusted her gun. Despite the thick boots and two layers of socks, her feet were numb from standing in snow all day. The cold wind was hitting her face like frozen pine needles causing her to shiver.
She had barely slept during the night and when the exhaustion finally pulled her into sleep, her mind went back to the same nightmares again.
It has been same for a while now. She would feel like someone is choking her or clawing her skin raw while she is unable to move. What irritated her most was the blur of the dream. It was always foggy as if looking through a frosted glass.
Sometimes she would see unfamiliar faces, sometimes the night sky or a cozy cottage? She wasn’t sure. But the nightmares usually kept her up through most nights.
Not that these were new, she had always had weird nightmares about being hurt in one way or other. But last two nights had been the worst. She could almost feel the pain of something sharp dragging down her neck and leg. Ever since she was on borderlines the nightmares had become more clear somehow, it might be the stress.
Her team was posted on the Human-Fae borders after the increased disappearances from the border villages and the surrounding areas. They had been keeping watch nonstop near the walled area for given the tear was helping something or someone to cross over despite the surveillance and increasing number of soldiers around the area.
She didn't mind being posted here despite it being a red zone. She had wanted a respite from her family for a long while and military had been the perfect way out. No matter how much she tried, she simply wasn’t able to get along Nesta and Elain. She had followed Ethan and Ava into the army. But how they were still in same group from all these years was a miracle.
Besides she was able to afford living away from them and actually—
A twig snapped in a distance and Stella immediately raised her gun in the direction. Their training officer had drilled the stance into them well before they were posted here. She clocked the gun with quiet precision as she scanned the woods for any movement but there was nothing.
Her gaze swept towards the dense forest trying to find the source of the movement. Snow was cushioning most of the rocky area so whatever it was must be in a hurry or heavy enough to make that noise. It was as if the forest animals had stilled as well, the entire place had gone eerily quiet.
For a moment she saw nothing except barren snow covered land until she turned slowly and stilled. A wolf.. No this was bigger than a wolf yet it was similar to one prowled a few feet away. Grey fur fluttered in the wind as it sniffed a fallen branch. Stella frowned and crouched in the bushes a few feet away.
The questions rang in her head one over other. Is this hound the reason for all the people who disappeared? Or has this animal always been here? With the dense forest and deadly animals prowling these woods there was no way of guessing.
Stella waited for it to go back to the other side. But then again if this really is the reason she must do something.
Stella couldn't alert the base lest her movement might give her away. But she couldn’t kill the wolf without provocation either but the wolf as a threat nonetheless. It wasn’t making any sound as it moved now. Is she even sure the twig was snapped by this big boy? Despite the body mass it was utterly silent even as it sniffed as the ground and the nearby trees. Those huge paws weren’t making any sound at all.
She couldn’t lie to herself, she wanted to pet it. The thought made her loosen a breath so she wouldn’t laugh at the absurdity of it all. This wolf might very well kill her. It was huge and silent. She had no doubt it can move faster than most animals.
Her breath fogged in front of her face and the wolf looked straight at the bushes with a keen eye as if it sensed her presence just from that. Her finger tightened on the trigger just as the wolf took a few slow steps towards the bushes. She couldn't figure if it misjudged or it was simply trying to jump over her but it lunged towards her spot and stopped abruptly
But it was too late. A shot rang through otherwise silent forest and the wolf fell as the bullet hit its leg. It writhed and whined but the eyes... Those were not of a wolf. Stella knew deep in her gut somehow. This was not a simple wolf.
She clenched her jaw as she slowly made her way close to the beast, her gun leveled at its head despite the churning in her gut. She pressed her comm. roughly. "L4 to control, Trespassing hybrid…wolf sighted near the outer boundary. Shot down in defense. Please clarify on any further orders. The wolf is injured but alive."
She hated this part of the job the most. Stopping young men and women from crossing border to Fae side was easy, keeping eyes through cameras on border was easier but they couldn't spare anything and anyone crossing over. Especially after everything these fae had done 5 centuries ago. She despised them. But she despised killing more.
The comm crackled to life before she heard the controlled voice of her commanding officer. "Control to L4, we have a visual, you have permission to proceed eliminate. Over."
Stella hesitated for a second, eliminate? She thought. But then she looked back at the Wolf, if it had been the reason from dead bodies turning up…
It stared back at her with all too knowing eyes. Stella raised her weapon to give it a painless dead. Her breath hitched, barely when the wolf’s eyes fluttered shut as if in acceptance.
"L4... You have permission to proceed. Eliminate and report to base."
Stella aimed the gun and shot it in the head knowing she will never forget that look. It was desperate yet angry all the same.