by SJ Himes
“We’ll be camping here, since the river is about ten yards to your right. Don’t fall in.”
“Ha-ha, you’re so funny. You better hope I don’t push you in, buster.” Glen snorted at her, since she was about half his size and stick thin. She glared at his back, trying not to laugh, and went to pick up her torch, dropping her own, much lighter pack on the ground.
Cat leaned over, eyes following the intense beam of light to where it illuminated a cluster of old windfall, logs covered in moss and greenery. She was thinking it would be a good place to sit if there wasn’t a bee’s nest in it or something else equally unpleasant when she saw the fuzzy ear tips.
Heart pumping loudly in her chest, hands shaking with excitement, Cat knelt down on the damp earth, eyes straining. She hoped she wasn’t dreaming, her desire to see wolves here in the park giving her hallucinations. She got a better angle, and sucked in a deep breath, bugs and discomfort forgotten.
“Glen,” she whispered, and the big man stopped unpacking, freezing at the urgency of her words. “Come over here. Carefully.”
She never took her eyes off the gray wolf cub, the tiny bundle of fur and big ears curled up under a log, tail covering its nose. Glen knelt down next to her, silent despite his size, and followed the line of her pointing finger. The cub was small, and she felt her heart contract as a shiver ran through his whole body. He was cold, and she wondered where his mother was. He looked to be a few months old, and wolves this young were never left alone for long.
“We need to leave. Quietly, too. His momma has to be around here somewhere, and she won’t be happy that we’re this close.” Glen put a hand on her shoulder, and went to stand. They both froze, as Glen’s movement finally woke the cub, his eyes opening and ears turning in their direction.
Cat felt her heart jump again, this time in awe. The pup’s eyes were an unbelievable shade of gray, almost silver, and they flashed like mirrors as he blinked in the torch’s beam. The poor thing tried to draw back, but the space under the log was too small for him, and he couldn’t go anywhere. Glen froze, then slowly lowered back to his knees, one hand reaching out towards his camera. The cub was beautiful, extraordinarily so. He was gray, like most wolves in North America, yet it was his coat pattern and eye color that set him apart. Dark gray, almost gunmetal in depth, dusted his muzzle, before brightening to a misty gray that swept over his shoulders and down his back, with actual bands of different gray tones wrapping around his torso and legs. She couldn’t see his whole body, but what she saw was enough for her to know he was the most striking wolf she’d ever seen.
Glen lifted his camera, and she heard the whirring of the lenses as he zoomed in on the cub. Glen sucked in a breath, and clicked away, taking several pictures before lowering the camera. “Here, take a look. You need to see this.” He sounded off, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing through the lens.
Cat gingerly took the camera, not wanting to pull her eyes away from the cub hiding in the logs, afraid he’d disappear. She took the camera, eyes flickering over the zoomed in pictures before taking a longer look. She brought the camera close to her face, unsure of what she was seeing.
“Glen, how old would you say he is?” Cat whispered, hoping her partner would say what her brain was thinking, but what her gut was saying was wrong.
“His size puts him around ten to twelve weeks….but his teeth and musculature, limb development looks younger than that. Scroll over to where he lifts up his lip…” Cat flipped pictures, and she saw the frame he was referring to, “his teeth, eyes, and ears are saying he’s around five to seven weeks. God, he’s beautiful, too.”
“Shit. That’s what my gut says, too.” They’d both spent years of their lives looking at wolves, and what she was seeing didn’t make sense. “Is he just really big for his age?”
“Must be. Probably the only surviving pup in a litter, so he got all the food. That would make sense.”
“Yeah, that does make sense. Oh, wow. Umm….” She trailed off, as the cub moved. She was disappointed, thinking he was about to run away, never to be seen again. She had her proof that wolves were back in Baxter, the pup’s presence evidence of breeding pairs at the minimum. Instead of running to the bushes, the cub stood on shaky legs, and tumbled from the pile of logs. He moved as if he didn’t know his nose from his tail, clumsy like most pups, but a cub of ten weeks or so should be more coordinated, substantiating their opinion he was actually much younger.
They both froze, and Cat found one of her hands had grabbed Glen’s wrist in a death grip as the cub got to his feet, and oh-dear-Lord, slowly walked over to them. He was lovely, and his tail was out straight, head level to his shoulders, his posture curious and not aggressive. The cub would be glorious when he lost his puppy coat and got the spectacular adult coat of the gray wolf. He seemed to remember how to walk the more steps he took, and Cat and Glen held absolutely still as the cub came right up to them, black nose stretched out as far as he could reach, sniffing loudly. The cub wasn’t afraid, just nervous.
As he got closer, Cat could see that he was damp, and his legs were muddy, tail too. He smelled like river water, and she had a sneaking suspicion he must have been in the current. It would explain his shivers, and damp fur. The cub snuck in cautiously, and his nose was inches from her free hand. Her fingers twitched, the desire to touch him nearly overpowering, yet she held back. He was a wild creature, and she couldn’t treat him like a pet.
She held firm right up until his tiny little pink tongue came out and licked the back of her hand, whimpering pitifully as he scooted closer. He put his head under her hand, making her pet him, and she fell in love instantly.
“Cat….” Glen warned, but the cub’s tail was wagging, and he was suddenly in her lap, whining and licking at her face, her arms coming up instinctively, hugging the cub. She laughed, the licks tickling her, and she tried to keep him from falling as he all about climbed her torso to give her kisses.
“Dammit, Cat…” Glen suddenly found himself with an armful of wiggling cub, the little wolf jumping from Cat’s lap to the flustered photographer’s. Glen tried to abstain, but the cub’s enthusiasm soon put a reluctant smile on the older man’s face. “He’s charming, isn’t he?”
He wasn’t acting like a wild animal. He wasn’t afraid, not anymore, yipping happily as Glen scratched behind his ears, practically throwing himself in joy on the man. Glen smiled, and Cat laughed as the cub rooted in Glen’s coat pockets, his nose working loudly.
“Think he found your jerky stash, Glen.”
“Yeah he did.” Glen managed to get the plastic pouch away from the cub, who promptly sat on his haunches and perked up his ears, tail wagging. He looked so much like a Labrador she had as a kid she felt a niggling suspicion firm into conviction.
“Glen, I don’t think he’s wild.” Cat pointed at the way he was sitting, and the pup yipped, raising one foot and pawing at the air, eyes fixed on the jerky in Glen’s hand. “Look at how he’s acting. He’s used to people.”
“Yeah, I can tell. I’ve never seen a wild wolf pup act like this. He’s acting more like a dog than a wolf.” The pup seemed to understand, and he almost glared at the photographer before his attention returned to the jerky. Glen laughed softly, and rubbed his head. “Sorry, pal. You’re nice for a mean, evil varmint.”
That got Glen another look, but Cat just smiled, thinking she was seeing things after hiking around in the woods all day getting drained of her blood supply by the local pests.
“Where do you think he came from?” Cat asked, as both she and Glen relaxed on the ground, the pup between them with a chunk of jerky, making happy growls as he chewed on the dry meat. “He obviously isn’t wild.”
“Nope. Someone’s pet, probably got dumped out here when he got too big. Happens a lot, unfortunately.” Glen was right; people thought it would be cool to have a wolf as a pet, and as the cubs got older and mu
ch, much bigger, (and inevitably more aggressive) they were often dumped in parks and reserves, lacking in the skills necessary to survive in the wild, and the required caution of humans to keep them safe. They often became nuisance animals, hunting around human populations and eventually becoming too bold. Most ‘tamed’ wolves either died from starvation or disease, ended up in sanctuaries, or sadly, were shot by local wildlife agencies. “Whoever had the cub most likely heard the same rumors we did about wolves out here, and thought it would be a good place to dump him…. I hate people sometimes.”
“Yeah, me too. He isn’t going to make it on his own. And we don’t even know for certain that there are wolves in Baxter. We can’t leave him here.” Cat waited for Glen’s denial, but to her amazement, the photographer didn’t immediately say anything, eyes on the cub. The cub was watching them as they spoke, quicksilver eyes darting from her to Glen and back again. He had this air about him as if he understood what they were saying, and he politely took another piece of jerky as Glen held it out to him.
“Damn, he’s cute.” Glen couldn’t stop staring at the cub. Cat watched as the cub charmed the socks off her partner, and she smiled, thinking that she wouldn’t have to say a word about bringing him back to the sanctuary—the cub was convincing her partner all on his own. “He’s used to human food, too.”
“He sure is cute, for an animal that’ll grow to be nearly two hundred pounds and can take down a full grown elk. Look at the size of his paws—he’s gonna be a monster.” Cat smiled as the cub perked up, staring at her as he swallowed the last piece of jerky, tail thumping the ground. It was if he liked her prediction, though she knew that was silly. He was just reacting to the appreciation in her voice, her body language conveying affection.
Glen sighed as the cub got up, and crawled sneakily onto his lap, snuggling in like he’d sat in someone’s lap a million times before. The cub rested his head on Glen’s knee, and the big man petted his fuzzy head, rubbing his ears. Both cub and man sighed in unison, sounding so alike Cat couldn’t keep from chuckling.
“Looks like Luna Wolf Rescue and Research Sanctuary just got another guest.” Cat nudged Glen’s shoulder as the big man stroked the cub, not denying her claim. She’d make the appropriate calls tomorrow to get him over the border, and their charter was equipped to handle wolves. It wouldn’t be the first time they rescued a wolf from a bad situation, and she sadly thought this wouldn’t be the last time, either.
KANE HOWLED, his fury and frustration shaking the trees nearby. His throat was raw from his mourning cries to the Great Mother in the sky above, and his howl was ragged from every harsh emotion tearing apart his equilibrium. Only Caius and Burke remained unaffected, every other wolf within striking distance running away. The moon was high in the night sky, dawn not far off. He was exhausted, and the funeral pyres were burning down to embers, visible through the trees and reminding Kane that he failed to save Gray Shadow and Luca.
“He could still be out there! I don’t understand how you can just abandon your own grandson to certain death!” Kane roared, lashing out, his fist snapping a sapling in two, wood splintering with a loud crack. Caius remained unmoved, and Burke wisely stayed quiet, standing behind Kane and not drawing his attention.
“Gray Shadow went to save him at the cost of his own life. He died, which a shaman of his strength and ability would not have done if Luca was still alive to be saved. I believe Gray Shadow would have been able to tell us if Luca was alive, or that he managed to find him before they both died. I know this is hard, but I cannot sense Luca through the bloodline links, and neither can Burke find his mind. Josiah cannot find the cub’s mind, either, and if anyone other than Burke or Gray Shadow could do it, surely it would be his own father,” Caius told him, impassive, his stern face revealing nothing. Kane doubted Josiah was capable of finding anyone, or anything, past his grief—his soulmate was dead, and it would be a miracle if the beta lived past dawn. Caius’ own daughter and three of his youngest grandchildren were reduced to ash on the pyres dying in the field, and Kane couldn’t understand how he could just give up on the possibility that Luca could still be alive. “We need to focus on the traitors, and the humans responsible for this attack on our people.”
Kane growled, and began pacing, fists clenching as he fought to restrain his temper. He didn’t see the harm in sending scouting packs to search the rivers in the morning, and going farther out. The answer to why no one could reach the cub was easy, at least to Kane. They just hadn’t gone far enough.
“And no sneaking out at first light to search, Kane. I need my Heir here. We have too much to do, and too little time. The human authorities are sniffing around, and I wouldn’t put it past Remus Acquisitions to send another group of hunters. Someone out there wants shamans, and a group of wolves—our own kin—helped them. This is too crucial a time for my Heir to be out wandering the woods when we’re under attack.” Caius pointed at Kane, accentuating each point with a jab in his direction, making the younger alpha want to snap at his hand. “The other Clan Leaders are waiting on us at the council house, and my Heir will be there at my side in a solid show of our strength. We will not show vulnerability, no matter that we lost the greatest shaman the clans have ever seen.”
“Then maybe I shouldn’t be your Heir, if this is how you treat your people. Apparently you feel justified to sacrifice one cub for the sake of appearances, even your own flesh and blood,” Kane told his Alpha, refusing to cower as Burke stiffened in fear and Caius went glacial in fury. He was aware he’d crossed a line, and he was willing to accept the consequences.
“You are my distant cousin’s son. You have the strongest Voice in generations and Black Pine needs you. I admit to needing you. My own sons are only half the alpha you are, which is why I accepted you into Black Pine and named you my heir,” Caius strode forward, crowding in his personal space, the same height as Kane and nearly as strong. Kane didn’t yield ground, annoying Caius further. Kane was centuries younger, and had the benefit of youth, yet Caius had decade after decade of fighting experience, and Kane doubted for a brief second that he would come out the victor if he and Caius ever came to blows. “But I will not tolerate insubordination, not even from my Heir, and I will remove you from that position if you test me on this. And I won’t send you back to your mother, either.”
A fight to the death, then. Kane was too strong to leave unaligned. He could Challenge Caius for the position of Clan Alpha, and Caius was afraid of him…. afraid he might succeed. So Caius was safe as long as Kane was his Heir and happy to be so; but if Kane was unhappy with his Alpha and his place as Heir, then Kane was a threat. And Caius hadn’t become Clan Alpha by leaving threats unchallenged—he would kill Kane, even if he needed him.
Caius said nothing, both alphas refusing to look away. Kane could smell Burke’s stress levels rising, the longer both alphas held each other’s gaze. Kane refused to look away. He was right, and Caius was blinded by grief and anger, and was feeling vulnerable from this morning’s attack and what it implied. Just because his word was law didn’t mean he was in the right.
Kane could almost feel Luca out there, alive and waiting to be found. Kane didn’t know why he wasn’t doubting the cub’s survival, when everyone, even his own family, believed him dead. He knew Luca was alive, felt the cub’s continued existence as surely as he felt the magic in the moonlight that showered over them. Kane wanted to search until he had a body to prove him wrong.
Tension grew, and neither alpha blinked. Burke faded into the background, forgotten. Kane could feel the Clan Leader’s anger rise the longer Kane refused to cave; he was expecting a blow to fall any second. So it was an absolute shock to his system when the Alpha broke first. It was a tiny shift in his eyes, but enough. Caius growled, and spun on his heels, turning his back on Kane, his long legs eating up the distance to the trees. Kane was too stunned to do anything but stand still and watch as the Alpha of Black Pine backed down and
left, heading in the direction of the council house.
“Strike one, Kane. I won’t tolerate many more before I remove you,” Caius’ voice carried out from the trees, and Kane didn’t doubt the threat in his words. If he ever went up against Caius’ will again, he’d better be prepared to kill him. “And stay out of the woods.”
“Fuck,” Burke breathed out in disbelief. Kane couldn’t move as Burke came to his side, a big hand resting on his shoulder. He was shocked that he ‘won’. A small victory, but enough of one that Caius saw him now as a threat to his reign instead of a willing supporter.
“Fuck,” Kane agreed. Both men waited in the trees, staring at the darkness where Caius disappeared, the funeral pyres nothing but piles of ash and embers, with trails of smoke heading up to the moon.
LUCA WAS confused. He’d found people, and they were nice. The female human petted him and cooed at him like he was a baby, and kept talking to him about how pretty he was, and how big he was going to get when he grew up. This made him happy, and every time he tried to tell her thank you like his momma taught him, she acted like she didn’t hear him. The human male was no different, except he liked to play rough and fed Luca tons of yummy food that his mom never gave him.
He slept that night on the big human’s lap, warm and feeling safe for the first time since his grandpa disappeared into the mist. He wasn’t used to the dry meat the male fed him, and his tummy filled fast, and rumbled in complaint. He was petted and scratched, and he finally fell asleep until morning.
When he got up to go relieve himself, he remembered his manners and found a tree away from the others, just like he recalled his daddy saying to his older brothers and sisters after they first Changed. The human female watched him, and she seemed afraid he was going to run away, as she followed him everywhere. It got annoying, so he stayed nearby, watching as the big male packed up their gear and they got ready to leave. He was excited, and he kept trying to make them hear him, but the humans acted like he wasn’t speaking at all.