The forest was quiet, but X-13 could hear everything. It crouched low, hidden in the shadows of the trees. The sound of footsteps echoed faintly through the woods, uneven and rushed.

The human was close, their breathing sharp and quick. It wasn’t the sound of someone walking for pleasure. It was the sound of prey realizing it wasn’t alone, feeling like they were being watched.

X-13 moved, its long limbs barely making a sound as it crept closer. It stayed low, its tail dragging lightly across the dirt without leaving a trail. The human didn’t know where it was. They were probably turning their head, trying to see through the darkness. But X-13 didn’t need to see. It could feel the heat of their body and hear the pounding of their heart. Fast, erratic. They were scared, and it fed X-13's hunger to hunt.

A branch snapped under the human’s weight, and they froze. X-13 stopped too, blending into the blackness of the trees. It tilted its head, listening to the shallow breaths escaping their lungs. The human turned in circles, their fear growing. X-13 stayed still, letting the tension build. Letting them panic. It wasn’t in a rush. This was its forest. They had no way out.

The human tried to move faster now, crashing through the underbrush. X-13 followed with ease, its movements smooth and silent. It could hear their footsteps stumbling, their breath catching in their throat. They were tiring. The pounding of their heart was louder now, echoing like a drumbeat through the woods. X-13 climbed a tree, listening from above as the human tripped and the sound of them scrambling back to their feet.

It leapt down, landing softly behind them, but didn’t strike yet. It let out a low hiss, just loud enough for them to hear. It could hear the human freeze, could feel the tension in the air. X-13 took a step forward, its claws sinking into the ground. The human backed away, their breathing ragged, their hands probably shaking.

The sound of their back hitting a tree reaches it. Hard bark against their back, nowhere left to go. X-13 loomed closer, its long tail curling around, blocking any escape. It tilted its head, studying them as they pressed against the tree. Their breath coming out in short gasps. They didn’t scream. Not yet. X-13 leaned in, the tip of its inner jaw sliding out with a soft, wet click.

The human trembled, pinned by their fear and the predator before them. X-13 hissed again, inches from their face. The forest fell silent, save for the sound of their heart pounding like a drum that was about to stop. X-13 could feel it, the way its body was pulsating with need. Mate. The need to mate grows stronger as a clawed hand grips the tree by the human's head. A low hiss leaves his mouth, as he retracts his inner jaw and brushes a clawed finger down their cheek.