Elliot Deer Open Season Novels & Stories

The thrill of the hunt thrums in my blood, each breath bringing me closer to clarity, each step pushing the ghostly echoes of Jack’s face further away. Raina is the first to catch the scent; her senses are sharp. “Deer,” she whispers, her eyes narrowing as she glances over at us. Eleanor and I exchange a nod, silently agreeing on our positions. We spread out, our footsteps light, our bodies poised as we moved toward the herd. There, in a small clearing bathed in pale moonlight, the deer graze, oblivious to us. My pulse quickens, and the urge to strike rises within me, raw and unrestrained.

She was lying flat against the ground, her ears back as she tracked a herd of deer. Then, Elara shifted her weight and surged forward in a flash of white, her body wrapping around the largest buck, her teeth tearing out its throat as it collapsed to the ground. It was over in seconds. Clean. Efficient. Her ears picked up as she heard me approach, and I could see the smile on her blood-soaked muzzle from where I stood. Elara stood tall, her tail wagging before she dragged the carcass back toward me, dropping it at my feet with a pointed look. The large buck was easily three hundred pounds.