Decision

Hunter held her body as she hugged him, loving the scent and feel of her. She nuzzled her face into his fur, making little purring noises as her fingers held him tightly. Finally she pulled herself away, her eyes staring into his, seeking something.

"You understand me don't you?" she said softly. "You know what I'm saying."

Hunter gave a low growl and lapped her cheek with his tongue.

"I don't know...what...you are...but I owe you...owe you so much for saving me," she said, leaning forward and kissing the end of his snout. "They might have...have killed me...after...after..after they were done..." Her face started to crumple as her tears began again. He gently licked them off her cheeks as he held her shaking body.

Hunter didn't know what to do. He needed to get home and there were still many miles to go, but he could not leave this frightened naked girl here alone. He wished he could speak, and thought about transforming to human, but the consequences of that seemed to be too risky.

He had killed one man and maimed three others. He did not know long it would be before someone arrived and found the aftermath of the battle. It seemed unlikely that the two fleeing men would have gone straight to the police, at least not until they had time to invent a plausible story, but he doubted that the dead and injured would remain hidden long.

The girl had to be taken to safety. From what he had heard she had been running in the park, so perhaps she lived nearby. If he could take her there, he could leave her and be on his way. With that thought he took the flashlight out of his pouch, then scraped a clear spot on the ground. With one clawed finger he scrawled a single word on the ground, pointing the beam of the flash at it so she could read.

'Home?' He looked at her as she looked up from the word, her eyes wide and amazed. He pointed at her, then at the word and then back at her.