I start the howl marking the end of a successful hunt. The others join me, stopping in their tracks, filling the air with their voices. As each of us reverts to our birthform, I eye the hunting ground: Seven humans lay dead on the ground, with two surviving females sobbing over them, surrounded by my warriors.
I nod quietly, and a team of five quickly moves to search the travellers' belongings. Two others tie and gag up the screaming females for later use. I eye the corpses more carefully, and find two of them female. Damn those Howlers for not controlling their rage! We need food, of course, but more than that, we need offspring. Our females can benefit from sperm extracted from the bodies, but we will need more than that.
While I'm quietly cursing the slaying of the females, my second addresses me, reporting that the humans were carrying relatively pure salted meat! I walk to the cart, and so it is - this is good news indeed, especially for our Seer, who's been forced to fast for much too long.
After having a quick look at the baggage, I turn back to face my pack, noticing a warrior missing. I shout his name, and in a few seconds a wolf's head emerges from behind the cart. Guessing what was going on I stare at him intently. The thief gives a panic-stricken look back, then runs away, confirming his guilt. I face the others. Not one of them dares complain - friend and foe alike.
I glance at our Seer purposefully, and nodding in return he starts devouring the meat. I sit down in front of the corpses, as do the others, forming a full circle in preparation for the purification ritual.
Tonight, we'll feast. Tonight, we'll breed.