The wind whipped around my face as I barreled up the mountain to try to escape them. They were gaining. I could hear the engines of the snowmobiles as they went careening over the fresh blanket of snow underneath. Never in my life had I tried to move so fast, flying with all my might, but that still didn't seem to be enough to deter my would be captors. They were too good at their job: hunting and killing dangerous mutants like myself. Unfortunately for me though, I wouldn't be killed. I would be spared and given the salvation of the cure. I would be subjected to the torture of being a normal human. I would rather kill one thousand men than be forced to live as a human.

The MCO mercenaries were closing in fast. I could pick up the sound of the electric prods that they had at the ready, fearing that I might stop and double back to take one of them out. The thought had crossed my mind a few times to stop running and stand my ground. But there were so many that I knew I wouldn't be able to last long. I might be strong, but I wasn't good enough to take all of them. I had the strength of a grown man, and there were twelve of those on my tail. The only saving grace I had in a fight was my extra accelerated healing factor. Even with that I'll still be toast. Listening to the slapping of the backpack against my thick winter coat against my back every stride I took on all four limbs, there was nothing that could stop me from continuing to run.

In front of me was an enormous clearing. There was no way around it, and at least a two mile stretch of fresh snow for me to leap across before I could reach the tree line and try to make my escape from them. Gritting my teeth, and extending my claws a little further through my gloves, I leapt into the field, bounding as fast as I could to get across. Now there was no cover, and nowhere to hide. All I could do was hope that the distance that I had put between me and the snowmobiles while they had to dodge through the trees was enough for when they would be able to catch up with me in the open clearing. A few moments after I had cleared the tree line, so had the MCO mercs and their damn electric prods, electricity zapping between the two metal prongs at the end of each stick. Fuck those things.

There was a mile and a half left to go across the stretch of open field to try to get to the top of the mountain. After that, it would be easier to lose them. There was a blizzard coming in soon. I could feel it in the air. As soon as it hit, it would be my chance to make my escape. They would be disoriented and focused on escaping the harsh cold, while I would be gliding down the mountain towards wherever the fuck they wouldn't be able to find me anymore. Probably Africa this time. Canadian woods had been fun for a while, but I needed a change of pace.

Thirty seconds after leaving the tree line, the wind picked up and finally, I could smell it. Feral. An alpha male. Not good. I had no idea where he was, but the scent was fresh. He must have heard the snowmobiles, or smelled me and came to find me. Being female and feral was a rare gift, and I'm sure that an alpha male would love to exploit it. To exploit me.

Now there were two things on this mountain that I had to fear, and I honestly wasn't sure which one scared me more.

I couldn't believe that I hadn't picked up on the smell before. Now that I was focusing my nose on it, I could clearly smell the cat like feral who must patrol this mountain regularly. Fearing for my life both from the monsters behind me and the monster that I knew would be here soon, I put all of my focus and energy into making it to the tree line ahead of me. The thickness in the air grew, and I knew that snow was only a few moments away. Please god, please let the snow hit now.

I could hear one of the snowmobiles making their way up from the side as they attempted to cut me off from the front. Slowing my pace, I looked over to my side to see him hurtling toward me, electric stick in hand ready for attack. I snarled, showing my elongated canines, and tensed up my muscles.

There was no way around it. I would have to take some of the MCO goons down before I could even consider making an escape that would last longer than a few weeks.

I stopped running and shrugged off the backpack. The snowmobile was charging at me full force, electric rod out and ready to strike. I let out a mighty roar and began to attack. Just as the snowmobile was about to hit me, I feigned over to the other side, leaping out to tackle the man. We flew in the air for a moment, the human stunned enough that the electric prod fell out of his hands. We fell down into the snow, and I slashed my claws quickly across his chest before continuing to barrel along toward the tree line. He wouldn't die, but he wouldn't be getting up to follow me.

I bolted again toward the tree line hearing the snowmobiles closer to me than before. Looking over my shoulder I saw one of them stop to grab his injured cohort and throw him onto the back of his machine.

What they didn't see was the black mass barreling toward them at speeds I couldn't even dream of moving at. It was him. He had followed my scent.

The creature plowed into them, knocking them off of the snowmobile and making it roll a couple times before settling. I turned my head back toward the tree line and focused on where I was going, forcing my legs to work harder toward getting out of this brings reach.

I heard more and more screams as more and more men went down, probably being mauled by the feral. Their blood must be staining the snow, and soon he would start to come for me. At the speed he was running toward those MCO fuckers, there was no way I would ever outrun him.

Just as I was about to hit the tree line, my arms and legs extended out mid bound, a giant paw wrapped itself around my ankle and I went down with a thud. I felt a rib snap on a rock and start to mend itself again. I let out a loud roar trying to throw him off and get myself away. He pulled me toward him eventually forcing the lower half of my body under his. I clawed at the snow trying to get away, but he reached up and grabbed my wrist, forcing it down into the snow. He pinned my other arm under his torso as he moved himself further up over me. Each of his legs were straddling me and putting all of his weight down on my back. The arm that wasn't pinning my wrist was holding my head down in the snow.

I could feel him lean down so I was completely incapable of moving. I continued to roar loudly and tried as hard as possible to try to throw him off, but there was no way I could make him budge. He was too strong.

He buried his nose in my neck with my hair splayed everywhere and took a deep sniff, before beginning to make a noise somewhere between a purr and a growl. I felt his lips on my neck first, before his fangs scratched on my neck in warning and I immediately stopped thrashing. With his fangs against my throat, lightly scratching, he started to speak.

"Hello, Frail."