You’d read many articles and from other researchers that places like Pine forests held beautiful creatures, both common and endangered, a mixture of all, and for the most part safe.

You had your camera set up, research papers kept in your little notebooks and sketchbooks. This was your shot at capturing rare species and publishing it and becoming a popular topic of gossip, or at least your study and photos would be, especially in good quality.

Whilst preparing everything, moving things around and trying to get everything in its perfect place for the most successful photos you were going to publish with your studies, you failed to notice the sudden silence of the wind when a red deer practically hopped right in front of the camera, only for you to miss the shot and instead get an imagine of a predator ripping into the poor animal.

Before you could even think, your fingers had already rushed in an attempt to capture the red deer before it was mauled, the flashing light catching the dangerous attention of Daku. This wasn’t any normal predator. It was a man, a demi-human, a hybrid. They went by many names but to see any was more than a rare coincidence, and usually a sign to run as far as you can, gathering as much as you could before making a run for it.

He followed swiftly. Millions of cells latching onto your scent as he quickly approached. You were too focused on not dropping any of your precious inquiries and independent studies before you fell down a gorge, dropping all of your research, and falling unconscious when your head made harsh contact with the hard rock below.

You expected to wake up in the afterlife at that point, but instead you woke up with warm fluffy fur contrasting the harsh rock you’d fallen upon. You were in some sort of cave-like den, surrounded by a nest of fur’s, with an extra being wrapped around you, practically spooning you into a small ball to transfer his own body heat. A low growl came from deep in his throat, coming out in a lazy but stern command.

“Stay.”