A.N: HEY GUYS! Im so so so grateful that you guys read my fanfiction and give me the most wonderful feedback and comments ever! Thank you very much for reading my novel and I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter! (im writing this for nanowrimo so apologies for the rather long chapter)



Breathe.

Think.

Bright hazel pools were clouded over, deep in thought. Tensed and ready to leap into action, the boy watched with narrowed eyes as Coopers forces wasted no time. Less than a kilometre away, the guards from all the posts had started to gather together in a close knit group were all rushing towards their target.

Glancing furtively to his left, the curly haired boy made a mental note of the rusted barred gates hiding through the canopy of dry bushes, and to his right, stood straight concrete slabs walls of old abandoned buildings, coupled side by side, blocking any escape path he could take.

Alarm bells were ringing in his head.

With the approaching enemy line, the boys thoughts couldnt help but drift to the hunters; falling adrift to the sudden thought: Did Kurt betray him to Cooper?

Blaine Anderson gritted his teeth.

Was Kurt even capable of such perfidy?

He glanced into the distance, the thin frame of Kurt Hummel in plain sight, the hunter was taut and unmoving; much like a predator waiting for his prey. Stalking, watching with those bright ice beryl eyes.

"Dont move!" Came a loud shout from a few metres away, disrupting the thoughts in Blaines head.

With drab eyes narrowed once more, the boy strained his feet to stay planted on the ground, there had to be a reason why Kurt stood calmly, observing the line of officers heading to Blaine, not even fazed at the fact that the umber haired boy had not moved an inch.

In his mind, Blaine Anderson had already run off with an imaginary tail tucked in between his legs.

Eyes trained to the group of police officers coming into view, just a few metres away – they had their glistening silver pistols and dull hard shields out as if Blaine was going to attack them, the boy found himself evenly standing his ground.

Shifting his eyes to lock on to the hunters who stood rigidly next to the barred gates, less than a kilometre away, he noted that Kurt Hummel was completely alone.

Empty.

Something clicked in Blaines head.

The entire section of police whom were guarding people from entering the gates – they were emptied from their posts.

But with the escape route to his right, and even as the hunter cleared the guards from their posts, there was no way Blaine could build enough speed to flee from the highly trained police force. He could make a mad dash off through the hidden gates, but he couldnt outrun them all.

A swift movement caught behind in the distance caught Blaines attention.

Before anyone could react, a cyan flamed sharp arrow hit the ground between the curly haired boy and the police with a loud thud.

Within seconds, a hefty cerulean flame circled the army of leather clad men, blocking them from running through it and towering over Blaine like some sort of shield. There was noisy oufs and ouchs as the force halted, probably stumbling onto each other, contained by Kurts fire.

Confusion set in, Coopers army of men let out yelps of terror and panic, which erupted from within the lofty flame circle. There was an ear-splitting shrill as one of the officers tried to cross through the circled fire. A loud thump sounded as a lump of flesh fell onto the ground and Blaine nauseously noted it as probably the officers arm.

With no time to waste, the distraction he was given courteously by the hunter, he pressed on his heels and flew through the broken fencing to his right, dashing across the empty field space.

Heart thudding wildly in his chest, Blaine couldnt help but form an untamed grin upon his face. It felt almost as if something exploded in him, a burst of renewed energy that he hadnt felt in months, years even and he let out a loud laugh.

Wind buffeting through his hair, he turned to see Kurt Hummel, bright and clear as day, less than a kilometre away from him to his right, heading into the forest with lightning speed as well. The thin figure decked in grey, his silver bow hanging against his back – the hunter actually looked like a little boy, an innocent child running out in his background.

Blaines heart tightened in a vice grip.

He was the one that caused all this havoc, this wreckage to happen to this boy. With Kurts distaste towards him and the frostiness that the hunter rained upon, Blaine understood why the brunette found him nothing but a pest.

Even in the distance, the curly haired boy noted the scars that remained dully on the hunters arms, the messy chestnut head – the hunter was in no condition to even fight off creatures in his mental state as well, let alone the Wendigo.

Kurt seemed to realise the remote stare on him and had swung to face Blaine with a look of complete nonchalance, an eye brow raised and a thin lipped frown on his face. Without even glancing forward, the hunter gave a curt nod as he started to fall in beside the other boy.

Ahead, the looming forest didnt seem so dangerous after all.

They entered the lesser dense area of bare oak trees, stepping into the bone pup territory as they raced through silently, neither one daring to even speak as they darted through overgrown roots upon the winter grounds, leaping off jagged stones that stood awkwardly through the barren land.

Blaine found it surprisingly effortless to keep up with the hunter, the thick forest grounds serving as a memory of his time as part of the Wendigo, an imaginary map in his mind, noting the routes that Kurt was taking - they were heading past bone pup territory and towards the frozen lake.

The hunter seemed to want to get as far away from the patrol force before stopping for a breather, Blaine noted, watching the brunettes swift legs bound across crumpled broken branches that sprawled across the forest floor, creating patterns and bumps that the curly haired boy almost tripped on.

Stillness reined the forest.

The sounds of fleet footed running steps were heard, the crunching of frost and heavy panting from Blaine Anderson. He was starting to lose his stamina as he stepped heavily across another overgrown tree root but before he could manage any kind of word out to Kurt, a mammoth figure pressed heavily against his side, knocking him down onto the adamantine floor, earning a strident yowl from the boy.

The bulky figure had pinned Blaine down and with its razor-sharp claws digging deep into the boys forearm, the beast that had held him let out a roar of triumph. The strong reek of odour wafted through Blaines nose as the beast brushed his face with a furry arm.

Blaine let out a shriek of agony, struggling in vain, the hostile beast obstructing his view from both the monster and the hunter.

"KURT!" He managed to mutter out, terrified that the hunter might be in danger as well.

With all his strength, Blaine heaved the monster with his hind legs, kicking with all his might and throwing the elephantine beast off him, the creatures claws running a deep mark through his arms and admitting a painful hiss from the boy.

Hurriedly standing up and dizzy from the excruciating pain that plagued his arms, Blaine searched for the hunter, wobbling and unsteadily shuffling forward, not even caring about the beast that he had thrown off.

"KURT!" He hissed through gritted teeth, panic setting in when the hunter was nowhere to be found.

Was it the Wendigo?

Dread filled his heart.

What if Kurt was dead?

A low growl punctured his impending thoughts. Blaine twisted around to see the dark beast looming dangerously over him. The stench of rotting flesh was almost unbearable as the curly haired boy backed away, realising that he was very much alone.

Glaring darkly at the predator that stood in front of him, Blaine noted that it wasnt anything he had ever seen before in his life. The blood red fur that reeked of rotten flesh matching with a pair of deep set green eyes glowing in the dark night, the beast stood on its all fours, its sharp jagged teeth bared and ready to pounce. It let out a ruthless roar, a pink tongue darting out from its opened jaw, licking its snout.

Blaine snarled back, startling himself at his own sudden feral behaviour.

"Where did you take Kurt?" He roared back as the fox-like beast watched curiously, its snout sniffing and twitching much like a rat.

"Over here." Kurts voice sounded too close for comfort.

Whipping around, Blaine found himself face to face with none other than the hunter.

The brunettes face was merely inches away, his cerulean eyes bright and narrowed, watching the beast curiously instead of attacking. Torn between hissing in anger and fear, Blaine realised that the fox like creature had stopped trying to kill him.

Kurt seemed to read his mind as ice blue eyes trailed back to hazel ones.

"You stepped on its tail." Came the tart response.

The beast let out a low accusing snarl, its glowing green pools blinking in annoyance before it shifted its gaze onto Kurt. The fox like creature let out an irate hiss before turning around and shuffled back into the dense area of trees, its dark red fur camouflaged with the mahogany wood trees.

Blaine stared dumbly at the sight that unfolded in front of him and whipped around to glare fiercely at Kurt.

"I thought it got you!" He hissed crossly, brows narrowed.

There was a smirk that unfurled on Kurts lips.

"I thought you were dead!" Blaine growled, "I thought –"

"You thought that I," the hunter paused to stare solemnly at the other boy.

"A trained hunter," Kurt seemed rather amused at the curly haired boys angry frown, "Wouldve died from just that?"

The smirk vanished.

Blaine felt ridiculed. All he wanted to do was to try to protect Kurt as well and help along the way – all the hunter was trying to do was to make him feel useless, clueless and unwanted. He frowned darkly at the other boy, feeling strangely disappointed.

There was a pregnant pause.

Kurts raised eyebrow spoke volumes even though the hunter remained silent – as if he was challenging Blaine to retort back.

The curly hair boy obliged.

"You have no right to insult me," He stepped forward towards the hunter, inches away from the brunette who seemed nonchalant at the fiery outburst.

"I was worried about your safety because were a team." Blaine continued, narrowing his eyes and clenching his fists.

Once more, Kurt remained apathetic, a bored look upon his pale face.

"What is wrong with you?" The curly haired boy gnashed his teeth in aggravation, raising his arms up in defeat and letting out a hiss when the sting of pain on his arm slammed him back to reality.

Right. His arm had gotten clawed.

The hunter watched, clearly unmoved.

"Are you done?" he enquired monotonously.

Unable to grasp Kurts antagonistic attitude towards him, Blaine shook his head viciously, pointing an accusing finger at the hunters dulled gaze. He was trying hard to understand Kurts situation at hand – with the brunettes father in possession of the Wendigo and the death of his friend, of course Kurt would be difficult to deal with – but was it so hard to even have a decent conversation without any sort of condescending remark?

It wasnt fair for Blaine.

He was trying to correct the unjust he did to the boy and Kurt was having none of it.

"For just one minute," Blaine voice was gravelly as he glanced tiredly at the other boy, "Could you just listen?"

Kurt blinked.

"Im not worried that Ill die without you nor am I afraid of death," he pressed on hurriedly, ignoring the frosty glare that hunter had on him, "Im worried that youll get hurt because of me – that Ive failed in helping you, because I promised myself to help you."

The hunters face contorted into something unreadable.

"I know you are going through a really tough time," Blaine sighed, rubbing a hand across his face wearily, "and heck, I know you dont even like me!"

He rubbed his eyes resignedly.

"You are probably mentally stabbing me in your head but just," the curly haired boy let out an exhale of breath, "Let me in for a bit."

"You need someone right now and I know, Im by far the worst candidate but I just want to help – I know I caused all of this wreckage so please let me fix it."

Kurt had remained deathly silent.

"Im sorry, Kurt." Blaine added hastily, "Im sorry I did this to you."

The curly haired boy had become conscious of how close he was actually standing to the hunter, merely inches away from each other, the brunettes cold eyes fixated onto Blaines hazel ones. The boy stood his ground, examining the detached gaze that didnt seem unreceptive but neither was it amenable.

There they stood for a whole minute, locked onto each others eyes in complete stillness.

Just when Blaine thought the silence was almost excruciating to take, Kurt shifted his glance elsewhere.

"Hes the only thing I have left."

The hunters murmur was almost inaudible.

Blaine didnt need to know what Kurt was talking about, though all clues pointed to none other than Burt. Watching the hunter crumble a little, the curly haired boy bit his lip in guilt, heart hammering loudly in his chest.

There was a pause.

When Kurts head tilted back to glance at Blaine, there was a poisonous glare that startled the other boy, causing him to stumble backwards. The sudden hostile energy was back as the hunter frowned darkly at Blaine.

"I dont need you to watch out for me." He rejoined coldly.

Kurt stepped closer to Blaine, towering over the curly haired boy slightly, having an advantage over his height.

"I dont need your pity." He glowered.

Once more, Blaine noted the close proximity they both were in and felt his face grow red with embarrassment.

Without warning, the hunter forcefully grabbed hold of Blaines injured arm, causing the boy to wheeze and wince at the throbbing pain. The splattered blood around his arms had started to dry, but the angry sore looking incise remained bloody.

The hunter examined the slash coolly, running his fingers gently across the wound and Blaine emitting an instantaneous grouse when Kurt grazed the bleeding cut.

"Nine tailed foxes are aggressive only when harassed." The brunette spoke, out of the blue, completely out of context – Blaine assumed that he was done speaking about feelings and had decided to hop on the topic of beasts.

Nine tailed fox? Well Blaine definitely missed out the memo – he didnt see nine tails on the fox; or even a tail at all.

"You didnt see it because you stepped on it." Kurt seemed to subconsciously read Blaines mind once more. "It was probably trying to hide its tails from you. The bandits here love to splice and sell the tail of these beasts, no wonder it attacked."

Blaine let out a huff.

"You sound just like Sam." There was a soft mutter from Kurt.

With that the curly haired boy let out a chortle of amusement.

Straightening up, Kurt dug through a small brown pouch located on his belt and pulled out a vial that contained a purple liquid of some kind. Twisting the cap open, he glanced back up at Blaine in a sullen frown.

"This is the only healing ointment I have." The hunter lamented.

Blaine pouted.

Well now, he really did feel guilty. After that mess he created, he couldnt help but shake his head in declination. He didnt deserve the only vial of healing gel. He could probably walk it off.

"Youll attract werewolves." Kurt commented uninterestedly, "Im not doing this because I want to."

Leaving no room for a debate, the hunter reached out and slathered the purple liniment on Blaines wound.

Acute burning pain shot up Blaines arm as he forced himself not to yelp at the arduous sting. The cold gel covered the inflamed sore quickly and just as hastily as it was applied onto the skin, it miraculously healed, soft tanned skin replacing the blood soaked cut.

The curly haired boy watched in awe as the new skin formed, twisting and filling up the wound incise, and in seconds his arm looked brand new, untouched by any kind of damage.

Kurt Hummel had a way of looking at people and causing them to feel certainly insignificant, Blaine noted as he nodded his curt thanks to the brunette who rolled his eyes in reply.

Placing the empty vial back into his small pouch, the chestnut haired boy folded his arms and shot a watchful gaze over at Blaine.

"Well, now that we have stopped, you can lead the way to the Wendigos cave."

Blaine stared back blankly.

Kurt shot a questioning glower, tilting his head to the right and blinking slowly, much like a cat. Blaine bewailed the fact that his travel companion was barely even touched by the boys words of comfort, all the hunter seemed to want to do was to just get it done and over with.

His sigh echoed through the murky forest as he nodded and tailed the way through the snowy path.

Blaine was mystified by the brunette – for a second he thought that the other party was about to spill out his feelings and open up – but he brushed it off naturally, rendering the curly haired boy in complete perplexity.

He glanced rapidly over his shoulder to examine the taller boy.

Looking drained, Kurts ever blue eyes were focused in front, his loose grey shirt and dark pants almost camouflaged within the canopy of dim lighted trees. The chestnut haired boy was deep in thought, Blaine noticed, not even caring about the hazel pools that were observing closely.

Turning back forward, Blaine watched his steps, gingerly threading through the dwindling undergrowth and found himself just barely metres away from the lake that circled the forest.

The mermaids, he thought to himself, shuddering at the memory of bandits getting lured into the deep dark lake and getting eaten. In the spring, the mermaids hunted anything and everything that tried to cross the tarn – mostly men who were allured by the enticing beauty of the mermaids – often getting drowned and eaten by none other than the merman king.

Blaine had saw him once – a gargantuan creature, twice his size, with the fleshiest looking fish tail, painted in an array of rainbow colours.

He stepped delicately over the frozen lake, biting his lips when he saw the frozen bodies of possibly lost men and beasts stuck beneath the icy river bend. Behind him, Kurt let out a snort of amusement. Glancing back at the brunette, Blaine opened his mouth to make a snide remark about how some men couldnt control their urges when the hunter beat him to that.

"Notice how its only men," Kurt piped up conversationally, a twisted grin on his face, "If only they knew how to control themselves."

The hunter looked up coolly at Blaine, an eyebrow raised, in which the boy nodded quickly, beaming brightly at Kurt as if to tell him that he was thinking the exact same thing.

"You are probably lucky that its winter and the lakes ice-covered." The brunette commented dryly, eyes still trained on Blaine.

Lucky? The curly haired boys beam turned upside down. Was the hunter insinuating that he was one of those untamed hooligans? In any case, Blaine Anderson wasnt just going to let Kurt off with that insult. Affronted, he folded his arms and halted in the middle of the icy lake.

His companion followed suit, an eyebrow raised in mock amusement.

"You know Kurt, Im pretty sure you belong there as well," Blaine declared jokingly, waving his arms at the unmoving bodies beneath him, "Your personality is as icy as these frozen victims."

Kurts face darkened immediately.

At that, the curly haired boy raised his hands in defence, face flushed in sudden embarrassment. He probably shouldnt have said that. Now Kurt will probably wring his neck and freeze him into the lake as well.

Instinctively, Blaine hurried over across the frozen loch, feeling the heat of Kurts livid glare on his back. Icy drafts of winter winds bit at his exposed skin, and he kicked himself for even trying to joke around with the frosty natured hunter. Any sort of amiable atmosphere was extinguished the moment the brunettes frown appeared back on his face.

Dully noting to shut his mouth, the dark haired boy continued on his trek, the imaginary map in his mind, leading him to the Wendigos cave, with the brunette trailing behind, his boots crushing against the snowy grounds.

If he committed it to memory, the Wendigos underground cave stood in the heart of the woods, a giant silver elm tree that stood unbending and a stark contrast against the other spruce trees that swept the forest. Hidden under the undergrowth of protruding roots was the cave of the beast, sinister and murky, inky darkness that looked as if it ran for miles.

There, the Wendigo hid with its frozen prey, waiting for more to arrive.

Blaine made a left turn into a thicket of bushes, glancing behind to make sure that the brunette was following closely.

The pale skinned boy behind him caught the momentary gaze and narrowed his ice blue eyes threateningly. No doubt Kurt was still incensed by Blaines crafty reply and was giving him dirty looks from behind his back.

He couldnt help but feel completely mystified by Kurts actions. One minute the boy was quietly murmuring and the next moment he would be glaring darkly at Blaine – he was so capricious it was difficult for the dark haired boy to even speak without being afraid of backlash.

But he wasnt about to give up just yet.

"Its fascinating," Blaine spoke out faux-animatedly, his tone sounding foreign to him, "You know, the um, forest." He gestured to the trees on his right.

"Please," Kurt sounded resigned, "I had to deal with Coopers lack of social skills; I dont want to deal with yours."

Blaine scowled, feeling slighted at the fact that he was being compared to his older brother. He narrowed his brown eyes and folded his arms in annoyance.

"Unlike him," The dark haired boy emphasised the word him as viciously as he could, "I know a thing or two about the forest."

"Yet you had no clue you were faced with a nine-tailed fox." Kurt added on deprecatingly.

Ignoring that, Blaine pressed on his one sided conversation.

"I studied up on the beasts that live in the woods, from bone puppies to dragons." He declared proudly, trekking on the uneven floor ground, "Ive even met a unicorn before."

Kurt remained silent.

"A female one of course," Blaine corrected quickly, "As you know, they dont have horns but you can tell that they are unicorns through their hooves. Im pretty sure as a hunter youll know that but isnt it just enthralling?"

Once more the hunter did not reply.

Blaine frowned at the hunters stillness.

"Its strange," He began slowly, deciding to try something else, "When someone hopes to be found and at the same time wishes to be forgotten."

He seemed to have pricked Kurts interest when he heard footfalls speeding up ever so slightly to catch up on his left. The hunter snorted in a lackadaisical attitude but he appeared to be listening nonetheless.

"All the time when I was being possessed by the Wendigo, I felt that." He glanced to his left hurriedly to catch a glimpse of Kurts face.

The hunter was watching disinterestedly.

"I wanted to be lost," Blaine scratched his neck, feeling the gaze of the brunette on him, "I wanted to be forgotten."

He closed his eyes and let out a short sigh. Well this was it, here he was, trying to get the hunter to open up to him but he ended up doing so for himself. Blaine opened his hazel pools once more and turned to the brunette.

Kurt blinked slowly.

"I know this sounds crazy but I didnt want to go back." The dark haired boy admitted. "I let the Wendigo in because I wanted to run away from all my problems, I didnt want to deal with it, I just wanted to be forgotten and left alone."

Blaine felt tears welling up in his eyes, a fit of disappointment bubbling up into his chest. There was no point crying over spilt milk but he couldnt help but feel upset with himself – how his selfishness had caused havoc.

He couldnt bear to look at his companion.

"You are right Kurt," He muttered, "I belong with those frozen bodies in the lake. My self-centredness has caused this mess. I behaved irrationally, recklessly – call me stupid if you will."

A glistening tear trickled down Blaines cheek.

He raised an arm to wipe it off hurriedly. He never meant to harm anyone; he just wanted to run away from it all – but he forgot to weigh the consequences of his actions. He halted in his tracks, rubbing his eyes tiredly and inwardly reprimanding himself for being such a wet blanket.

The footfalls beside him encumbered and it felt like eons before Kurt replied.

"You talk a lot." The hunter sounded relatively calm.

"I know I talk too much," Blaine muttered, eyes fixed onto the snowy forest floor, "My brain is a junkyard and I often find myself picking through this muck of dirt for something suitable to say."

There was a pregnant pause.

"Cooper said that too." Kurt hummed uncannily informal, "But its bizarre how it sounds more staged now that youve said it."

Blaines interest was piqued and he mustered all the courage he had to look up at Kurts face with a questioning blink.

"I was reckless and stupid. I cared more about myself than anyone else." The hunter announced, eyes darting over to the dark haired boy, "Those were the words that Cooper said to us that night."

Kurt closed his eyes and exhaled softly as Blaine watched the pale features unwind under the dim light of the moon.

"Its strange." The brunette whispered, breath ghosting in the winter mist, "How all the selfish people end up where the lost things are."

The dark haired boy blinked in bafflement but didnt press on for more. He had never shared air with another so cautiously.

Kurts eyes reopened once more and for the first time ever since he had met the hunter, the ice blue pools didnt seem so glacial anymore. Hazel eyes widened like saucers, Blaine noted the sincerity in the brunettes eyes when he turned to nod curtly at the curly haired boy.

"You, are catastrophic." the hunter acknowledged Blaines quiet smile, "But honest."

With that, he gestured to the pathway forward, urging Blaine to continue.

Taking that as a queue of Kurts vague approval, the dark haired boy grinned from ear to ear and heartily bounded forward with renewed vigour.

Disinfectant smell of sap wafted as Blaine continued the pursuit to find the Wendigos underground lair. Fir trees with stiff upright dark blue-green leaves blended into the darkness above, spreading out like fans, dusted with snow. They threshed a path through the undergrowth, brambles clawing at Blaines sides.

His light smooth steps turned to rough ridged stomps as rock paths filled with twigs materialized as they rambled forward. Snapping sounds of dead twigs being crushed behind Blaine could be heard as Kurt followed tightly.

They were entering werewolf territory, Blaine acclaimed, the prominent pine trees now eloping the pathway so much so it was becoming a little tricky to step through without getting brushed by a snow covered rippled branches.

Salient wolf paw prints dusted the snowy grounds, endowing the werewolves that walked the woods. An eerie silence hung in the air and the dark haired boy shuddered – was it cold or was he scared?

Blaine halted, causing Kurt to bump onto him, emitting an irascible grunt from the hunter.

"Werewolf grounds," the hazel eyed boy breathed, his voice reverberating through, breath misting up in the cold winds.

The hunter snorted.

"Its the only easy way down South towards the heart of the forest. We have no time to en-route back." The brunette seemed unfazed at the fact that they were about to trespass the most hostile beasts territory.

Blaine turned to face Kurt, brows knitted together in uncertainty.

"We are bound to meet one or two packs if we cross this route right?" He blinked. "And Im almost defenceless against any sort of beast, especially one that can cause lycanthropy."

"You have your sword." The hunter sounded amused.

Blaine blinked in surprise. Right. He had a sheathed sword swung over his back, why didnt he think of using that? Using his left hand, he reached for the cloth covered iron and pulled it out, a loud ringing sound as he unsheathed it from its scabbard.

The metal glistened under the illumination of the moon and Blaine marvelled at how light it felt holding onto the average sized weapon.

"I mustve forgotten about it. After all, for years Ive been using nothing but teeth and claw." He announced, brushing across the long metal with his fingers.

"Now Im ready for any sort of battle!" He announced half mockingly, grinning over at Kurt who just rolled his eyes in reply.

Fallen leaves crushed under their boots as the boys headed forward, the dark haired boy taking the lead and his companion close behind. Blanketed with snow and dead branches, the werewolf territory wasnt the easiest place to trek on for both flora and fauna werent making it any easier for them.

The path they were taking reeked of age. Its woody incense from centuries of snapping branches crashing to the forests floor and rotting silently. The composting, organic smell rose up in waves like a miasma. Like a watchful guardian, the sprawling trees remained a silent sentinel of the groves as they ventured deeper into the tangled heart of the primeval forest.

Shuffling noises came from deep in the interior and Blaine froze.

With the thick and lush foliage, briars flanking the trail, it was impenetrable on either side. The dark haired boy braced for impact but nothing came.

"Mice," Kurt pointed out, his finger brushing against Blaines neck as the hunter indicated towards the ground where a group of mice scuttled through the winding trail.

The boy let out a breath he didnt know he had been holding.

"Ill lead here," the hunter sounded slightly somnolent, his bright blue eyes glinting under the dim moonlight.

Stepping gingerly past the mice, Kurt stalked forward, the hunters small frame fitting to travel around the narrow undergrowth, whilst Blaines stout figure trailed behind quietly, observing the canopy of overhead trees.

The werewolf territory was primordial. Centuries old trees with sprawling limbs guarded the darkness, blotting out most of the sunlight. Their bark, mottled and splotched, as if bubbled soup had been frozen in time on its surface – Blaines vein froze over at the sudden sound of a wolfs howl.

Kurt had begun to speed up, the brunette now hastening his footsteps, leaving no room for hesitation as he hurried through.

"Wait for me, Kurt!" Blaines clumsy feet werent as swift as Kurts and he struggled behind slightly, pushing his hands through the bramble and vines, trying to keep up.

It seemed like an eternity before they arrived at a wide glade, where the trees fell away, revealing the night sky and the suffocating sense of the woods smothered out with the new expanse of freckled star night sky.

Blaine let a sigh escape his lips, closing his eyes and tasting the night air, the glucose of ember leaks from tree barks.

"Were not out of danger just yet." The hunter warned, "In fact we are in open enemy territory."

As if on cue, a low growling could be heard.

Blaines eyes flew open as he turned swiftly to the direction of the sound. To his right, a humanoid furred creature watched with tundra-cold and merciless cauldron black pools. Its snout bared large jagged teeth that looked like broken stalagmites and it let out a strange guttural snarl.

The hunter fleetly had his bow in a flurry of movement; arrow poised and narrowed ice blue eyes.

Blaine swung his sword delicately, the metal casting over the moonlight grounds, glittering like silver. He watched, heart in his mouth, as the feral beast licked its snout in repugnance. The dark black eyes gazed deep into Blaines soul and saw his fear.

The werewolf sprung into action, leaping towards him.

The curly haired boys heart thudded in fear as he swung the sword to block the fangs and claws that were coming his way – but Kurt intervened, as quick as lightning. The hunter pounced at the exact moment the werewolf bounded Blaines way; the brunettes kick digging into the beasts side brutally.

The werewolf got thrown off its aim, slammed forcefully onto the ground with Kurts foot on its flank.

It let out a vicious growl, trying to get back up but it seemed paralyzed. Lying on its back on the snowy ground, the malady brown werewolf hissed venomously at Kurt, flashing its teeth. Blaine watched in awe, for it was the first time he saw the hunter in action, fighting with a beast.

Kurts arrow aimed at the werewolfs heart and had his foot pressed down on the beast, rendering it unmovable: the dark hair boy wondered how it was even possible for a small sized boy to hold a werewolf twice his size down onto the ground.

His thoughts vanished the moment the hunter let his arrow pierce the werewolfs chest, neon blue flames erupting from the wooden weapon and transferring over to the furry beast. Kurt hurdled off the werewolf just as the flames consumed the beast, covering it from head to tail, slowly eating it away.

The beast struggled for a second before it finally lay, immobile and stock still, on the ground.

With that, Kurt stepped away to rejoin Blaine, a cool smirk on his face.

The dark haired boy watched with a dropped jaw, completely impressed with the events that unfolded – it happened so promptly, he didnt even have time to process what ensued. Did Kurt just take down the werewolf in just one move? No wonder the hunter seemed indifferent, even walking through the dangerous parts of the forest.

"That was amazing." Blaine managed to utter out "You took it down just like that – how?"

"I have you as bait." Kurt replied snarkily, but there was barely any hint of vehemence in his tone.

The dark haired boy blinked in response, still completely in approbation.

"I am a hunter," Kurt sounded unconcerned, turning towards the dying flames that converted the werewolf into nothing but ash. "And werewolves arent actually the smartest beasts to outwit in a fight. All they are teeth and brute strength."

Gazing at the hunter, Blaine shook his head expeditiously. It was not just that – it was the blue fire; the one he saw circle Coopers forces as well as the one that turned a werewolf into nothing but ashes in less than a minute.

"The blue fire," The dark haired boy proclaimed, gesturing at Kurts quiver, "Its the same reason why you dont have any heat signature."

The hunter frowned threateningly.

Blaine decided to quickly divert the topic – the frosty glare that was growing wasnt going to help the fact that they were still in werewolf territory. In any case, Kurt was extraordinary in battle; no wonder he was a well notable hunter figure in the society.

"That was astounding." He murmured, observing the thin smile that played out on Kurts face. In fact, now in the moonlight, without trees covering the chestnut haired boys face; the hunters pale elfish features were more apparent.

Kurt Hummels crescent-of-moon eyebrows were thin and narrow, high cheekbones carved down towards a thin jaw. They were of such sharp contours, it looked as if they were sculpted and pared to perfection.

His mariner blue eyes orb round and shone brightly, like two sapphires dipped in milky pools. Spellbinding as lode stars, Blaine felt bewitched under his steady gaze. Even in his grey top and dark coloured jeans, the dark haired boy had to admit, Kurt looked inhuman.

"Incredible." Blaine felt his throat suddenly go hoarse, as he stared down at the artful masterpiece of the brunettes casual jumble of locks. "I am glad I never doubted you for a second."

At that, the hunters smile widened.

"And you arent as incompetent as I thought you would be." Kurt glided gracefully towards the ashes that were once the werewolf and picked up his arrow gingerly, caressing it gently before stuffing it back into his quiver.

He turned to look over his shoulder back at Blaine, who was just watching in admiration.

"Lets move, lest we draw more attention." The hunter stalked off elegantly, throwing his bow over his shoulder.

Wordlessly, Blaine followed along. Heart beating in his ears, he pondered quietly if it was the adrenaline pumping or something else – whatever it was, it was directed towards the hunter as Blaine trailed behind, feeling rather proud of Kurt, a new found respect even though the boy was as prickly as a porcupine.

They trekked into the dark night, underneath the moss; lethal larkspur peppered the mulchy floor. A pungent tang oozed from every sentient being in the forest. Bewailing sounds ghosted through the trees. Whether it was from victim or victor, only the forest could tell.

Even with the occasional howl of the breeze or the crunch of snow, Blaine found himself overwhelmed with nothing else but the thumping of his heart.