The Long 7 Days

The tension in the air was almost unbearable as Alex stood over Jack's fallen body, the wild growls of the remaining wolves reverberating through the trees. Jack had been knocked down, but the fight wasn't over. The wolves were relentless, and Alex's heart hammered in his chest as he scanned the chaos unfolding around him. Eve had already taken down two more wolves with a well-placed arrow, but they were closing in too fast.

In a moment of clarity, Alex acted without thinking. His bow had already taken down two wolves, but now the situation demanded more immediate action. He could see Jack trying to regain his balance, struggling to pull himself from the earth as a massive gray wolf lunged toward him. Alex's eyes widened in horror, but there was no time to hesitate. He sprinted toward the downed figure of Jack, his knife in hand.

In a blur of motion, he leapt over Jack's prone form, driving the blade into the charging wolf's side just as it snapped its jaws. The beast let out a high-pitched scream as the blade found its mark, and with a desperate twist, Alex wrenched it out before the wolf could fully recover. It fell to the ground with a heavy thud, the blood pooling around it in the dry leaves of the forest floor.

But the danger wasn't over.

The remaining wolves weren't backing off, though their tactics had shifted. Now, instead of charging straight into battle, they circled, sizing up the three survivors with a more deliberate focus. The remaining wolves were all larger than any Alex had faced before—hungry and feral, and possibly more dangerous than anything he'd fought in his entire life. Their eyes gleamed with malice, and their growls sent a chill up his spine.

Eve, her back against a tree now, drew another arrow from her quiver, but her expression betrayed the exhaustion that was creeping in. Her hands shook slightly, her movements not as sharp as they had been at the beginning of the attack. She was wearing down, and they all knew it.

Jack, still kneeling on the ground, now held his rifle up once again, but his hands were shaking too, his breath coming in heavy gasps. The rifle wasn't designed for quick, close combat, and Alex could tell the man's confidence was wavering.

"Get up!" Eve shouted to Jack, her voice sharp with urgency. "We can't hold out much longer!"

Jack nodded through gritted teeth, his rifle now aimed at the nearest wolf, but Alex could see the fear in his eyes. He was not used to fighting at this range—not without his rifle's precision at a distance.

Alex took a steadying breath and looked around. The wolves were closing in, but they hadn't attacked yet. They seemed to be waiting for something. Alex's instincts told him they were playing the long game—they knew if they waited long enough, the group would crack under pressure.

And they were right.

The first wolf lunged again—too fast for Eve to react. Alex saw it coming and shoved her aside, knocking her away just as the wolf's jaws snapped shut where she had been standing. The force of the impact sent them both tumbling, but Alex quickly recovered and rolled to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest. Eve was up almost immediately, drawing another arrow from her quiver. The wolf, still snarling, was a few feet away, but its attention was now fully on him.

The beast darted forward, its claws digging into the soft earth, but Alex was already moving. He sidestepped with lightning speed, his muscles coiling and releasing in a fluid motion. He had learned how to move quickly in moments of crisis, and now it was instinct. With a sharp twist of his body, he drew his knife once again, thrusting it into the wolf's side as it charged past him. It yelped in pain but kept moving, its blood splattering across Alex's arm.

But that wasn't the only wolf.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw another charging at Jack. Jack's rifle was still aimed at the first wolf, but he hadn't noticed the second. Without a second thought, Alex spun and hurled his knife through the air with precision, embedding it deep into the wolf's throat. The creature collapsed immediately, its final breath rattling out as it fell to the ground.

The clearing fell momentarily silent, the remaining wolves now taking a step back, reassessing their position. Eve's breathing was heavy as she notched another arrow and took aim, but it was clear they were running out of options.

"Stay close," Eve muttered, her voice steady despite the exhaustion. "We need to finish this, now."

Jack nodded, though he didn't speak. His hands were still shaking, but he held his rifle in a death grip, watching the remaining wolves carefully. One of them—an enormous, muscular beast—was circling them, its eyes gleaming with intelligence. It was the leader, the one pulling the pack's strings, and Alex could sense that if they didn't take it out soon, the fight would drag on longer than they could handle.

"On three," Eve whispered. "One… two…"

Without warning, the leader lunged. It was faster than Alex expected, and in an instant, it was upon them, its massive jaws snapping with deadly intent. The world seemed to slow as Alex dove forward, his body moving on pure instinct as he tried to intercept the beast.

He felt the brush of fur and the sharp click of teeth just past his ear as he rolled into the beast's path. He grabbed the first thing he could—Jack's dropped rifle—and swung it with all his might, smashing the butt of it into the wolf's side. The force of the blow knocked the beast off balance, sending it stumbling back for a brief second.

Eve was quick to follow. With practiced speed, she fired an arrow, the projectile flying through the air with deadly accuracy. The arrow buried itself in the wolf's shoulder, but the creature, enraged, let out a deafening roar that seemed to shake the very trees around them.

It wasn't enough.

The wolf turned toward Eve, fury in its eyes as it charged. Alex's heart raced as he reached for another arrow, but the movement was too slow. The wolf was already halfway to her, its teeth bared, ready to tear her apart.

With no time to think, Alex threw himself forward, tackling Eve out of the way just as the wolf leaped. The wolf collided with the ground where she had been standing, but Alex was now under it, fighting to keep its jaws from sinking into his throat. His knife was still in his hand, but he couldn't find a clear opening. The wolf was too strong, too wild, and in that moment, all Alex could think of was survival.

With a savage twist, the wolf's claws raked across his side, leaving a deep gash that immediately soaked his shirt in blood. But the pain wasn't enough to stop him. In a burst of adrenaline, he plunged his knife into the wolf's throat, feeling the resistance as the blade cut through flesh. The wolf gave one last, desperate howl before collapsing atop him, its body growing heavy and still.

Alex's chest heaved with effort as he pushed the lifeless animal off of him, his body trembling from the sheer force of the struggle. He was covered in sweat and blood, his side searing with pain, but his eyes never left the remaining wolves.

Eve scrambled to her feet beside him, her arrow now drawn and ready. Jack, too, had repositioned himself, rifle aimed at the last wolf in the pack. The leader was dead, and the remaining wolves—realizing the tide had turned—hesitated, their eyes flicking between the three survivors. The tension was thick, but it was clear the wolves had lost their edge.

The alpha, now dead, had led them into a losing battle. The pack had been scattered, broken. The remaining wolves would likely flee rather than face a prolonged fight. Alex, his knife still gripped tightly in his hand, watched as the remaining wolves slowly backed off, their growls dying down as they melted back into the shadows of the trees.

It was over.

For now.

Alex looked at Eve and Jack, both of whom were still catching their breath, their faces pale from exertion but hard with determination. He felt the weight of the battle sink into him as well—the bruises, the cuts, the exhaustion. But there was no time to rest.

They had survived the wolves.

But survival, Alex knew, came with a price.