Although Jeremy was cutting the path for me, I could still barely keep up, and with each bound, I fell a bit farther behind. For once, Jeremy didn’t slow to let me catch up. He couldn’t. Just ahead of him ran a doe. Antonio kept pace on the deer’s other side, reigning her in and keeping her running straight.At a soft growl from Jeremy, I glanced up. Still running, Antonio ducked his head to peer at Jeremy under the doe. Jeremy growled again, and they both checked their speed, letting the deer pull ahead. As they fell a foot behind, then a yard, the doe found her last reserves of strength and shot forward, all attention fixed on the field just ahead. She made it another couple of yards. Then Malcolm sailed from the bushes on her left side. The deer skidded and wheeled on him, hooves flying. As Malcolm danced out of her way, Dominic flew from the bushes on the other side of the path. He vaulted onto the doe’s back. Her thin legs buckled and she went down. Malcolm lunged at her belly, teeth bared, but Dominic snapped at him and Malcolm veered out of the way, leaving the final blow for the Alpha.As the deer’s blood seeped into the snow, Dominic fed.
