Chasing Melody

Dear Journal,

I guess my motto now is 'Fake it til you make it'.

Deceiving Wolf Hunter,

Melody Hunter

The nocturnal animals are hunkering down before the sun rises and the birds are stirring.

Everyone is either well-rested or about to get some rest.

I am not everyone.

My legs and arms are on fire, my lip is busted, my jaw is killing me, and do not get me started on my feet.

“Come on Mel, hit me like you mean it!” Chase bounces on his toes as he waits for my attack. This guy is like the energizer bunny always going and never getting tired.

“I’m exhausted!” I whine dropping my arms to my side as they beg for some rest.

“You think they’re going to care that you’re tired? No, now pull out your knife.” The thigh strap is where my knife is. Keeping my eyes on Chase I bend down a bit as my fingers wrap around the handle.

Chase flinches forward making me pull out the knife faster than I meant to. The grip on my knife is weak so when I pull it out the knife slips out of my fingers. The handle hits the ground with a loud thump.

“Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck!" I yell in frustration as my eyes go to the knife of the ground.

“Well that could have gone better butterfingers,” I glare at him. It must be around six in the morning and the sun is barely making its way to the horizon.

Chase has not allowed me a wink of sleep and my body is feeling fatigued. Bending down to grab my knife I just want to collapse on the ground and pass out. Shoving the knife back into place I straighten up and look at Chase.

“Alright, one more round. If you manage to hit me we can rest, deal?” Chase smiles at me and I feel as if my body is about to break down before me.

“One hit?” He nods and I sigh, “what other choice do I have?” I nod at him and he takes a step back.

He is wearing dark blue jeans that were covered in dust. His grey shirt has grass stains and dirt marks all over. There is a visible bruise on his cheek where my fist connected with it when Chase was showing me how to follow through with my punches.

“You can stab me with the knife, punch, kick, or shoot. All you need to do is have one of them land on me before I pin you.” He is pretty confident. I would be too if I were him.

“I got it!” I groan in frustration.

“And please don’t shoot yourself again!” He laughs as I clench my jaw.

“In my defense, I never held a gun before.” I point out as the pulsating pain on my unstrapped thigh makes its presence known.

“I was checking if the safety was off!” He tries to mimic my voice and I grind my teeth.

Thankfully the bullets in the gun were rubber. They were made for beginners. They were not lethal, but man do they hurt. I accidentally pulled the trigger and shot myself in the leg.

The harness that Chase clipped to my waist has a gun holster on the right side of my hip and the other side, there is a pouch where he keeps the actual bullets.

“Okay keep everything where it is,” he crouches and I mentally prepare myself for him. My eyelids feel heavy with every blink but when the muscles in his arms tighten my instinct kicks in. My hand flies to my knife and this time I have a better grip on it my leather gloves give enough friction to hold on to it.

Chase looks at my weapon then back to me. He rolls his eyes.

What an ass!

Pushing my body forward Chase lunges at me and I strategically fall to my knees, in reality, my knees just gave out, and avoid his body completely. His foot lands next to me. My eyes zero in on his unprotected calf pulling the knife back a bit I push it straight at him.

The loud thump surprises me as the pain registers to my mind and my hand recoils back to me. Chase is much faster than me he saw me making my move so he kicked the knife out of my hand.

“Damn it!” My hand reaches out for the gun but his body lunges at me and all his weight collides with me dropping me to the ground.

His body presses against mine his hands wrap on my upper arms, “pinned ya!” His eyes are full of amusement as he smiles down at me. His thighs press on either side of my legs his weight most concentrated on my upper body.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” I smile at him and he started to falter.

“What?” In his sudden confused state, my knee jerks up hitting him on his prize possession.

His eyes widen as he hisses out a string of profanities under his breath. Rolling off of me he cups himself as his eyes close tight. The second I am free from him I get to my feet. My hand grips the butt of the gun pulling it out swiftly and pointing it right at him.

His eyes open and he stares at me his eyes darkening, “you take too long.” He probably sees that I am hesitating my hand slightly shaking. He knows I am going to miss.

“You said if I get one hit in then I get to sleep.” I growl at him, “I already got my hit in.”

“But I pinned you first,” he is still on the ground breathing in slowly, maybe waiting for the pain to pass.

“So you’re going back on your word?” I narrow my eyes and his eyes move from me to the gun and back.

“What are you going to do about it?” He smirks at me and my anger flashed through me.

“You liar! I hate liars, you know what I’m going to do,” he shakes his head. My hand tights on the gun, “I’m going to have myself a power nap! You know why? Because I damn well deserve one,” my jaw clenches.

“And if I try to...” my finger tightens on the trigger and I lower the gun pointing to his leg. With a steady hand, my finger presses down on the trigger. The gunshot pushes my arm back as Chase howls out in pain.

“Pinned ya!” I spit and Chase gives me a murderous glare. “I’ll be in the car if you want to take a nap as well. Three hours that’s all and then we head into that pack’s territory that has my mother.”

“I didn’t think you would shoot me,“ he hisses out.

“Don’t ever fúck with an armed girl,” I tuck the gun into the holster and then turn away from him, “oh by the way Chase.” I turn my head to his direction, “I can’t believe a little girl was able to hit you. Next time don’t make fun of my incompetence because I might just surprise you.”

With that, I walk away from him as he rubs his injured leg.

"Night Asshole."