She shook.
What else should she have done?
Well, running was always a thought, but then again, where would she run to?
The road! Perhaps Martin had finally managed to get somebody to stop and help fix the car.
And then she hesitated.
Running back to the road might draw the creature before her to him. This creature that stood taller than her and carried weapons she couldn't fully identify. No. It was better to stay here.
She wrapped her arms instinctively against her lower stomach while backing up slowly. "Hi," she said in a wavering voice. "You must be new here." She forced a smile as the creature stepped towards her. "Uh, that's a really neat mask you have. Is it steel or silver?"
She grunted when the creature's hand shot towards her and gripped her throat firmly, and then grasped it's wrist in a desperate attempt to free herself. The struggles, though more fierce than she believed herself to be capable of, were useless as the creature studied her face. She gasped as she was lifted from the ground, and stopped struggling to preserve the little oxygen left in her lungs.
Moments after studying her stomach, the creature tossed her aside and walked away, melting into the surrounding foliage.
"Louise, where'd you take off to?"
Louise stared at where she had seen the creature disappear, gasping, her vision blurred and her body shaking. She didn't even hear Martin call her.
"Louise?" Martin called again as he pushed through the bushes, and then hurried to her side. "Louise, what happened?" he asked, noting how pale she was. "Come on, Lulu, deep breaths." He a forced smile, hoping jokes would calm her down. "Crazy headline for the paper: Woman dies from asthma while picking up her inhalers." His smile became less forceful when he heard her squeak; she was still having difficulty, but at least she was taking in oxygen again.
The creature watched, perched in a nearby tree. Even if it had been issued permission to hunt females, this one was useless. Degenerated lumbar discs, respiratory disease and the fetus in her womb made her a dishonorable and illegal target.
However, she had drawn the male closer. Although he showed minor signs of being out of shape, he was overall a strong creature, healthy creature. For the first kill of the season, he was a good choice.
The creature's observations left it with a conflicting assessment, though. The female was unable to inhale without her mate's assistance and could not stand on her own once she began to breathe again. She likely wouldn't survive without the male, who was likely the sort who was dangerous when protecting his mate or young.
As the pair stumbled away, the creature decided to leave them be. After all, there was an entire encampment only a couple miles south with plenty of young, challenging targets.