by Darrel Bird
As the short fall season marched on toward winter, he saw that she was not gaining weight although he brought in plenty of game. I think she is just pining away, but I have no idea what to do. He thought as he watched her pick at her food, but not really eating.
Owen was out scouting to find a place to set snares when he came upon a wolf den, he knew the wolves had ranged away to the north. Whimpering came from inside the den, he crawled into the den and found a wolf pup, there were two others dead. He knew it was dangerous if the pack showed up, and he hurriedly dragged the struggling pup out of the den, “What’s the matter little fellow, did your mother die somewhere?”
The pup licked his hand; it was starving and sunk his sharp milk teeth into Owens's finger.
“Ouch, you little mongrel, I’m not your breakfast!” He popped his finger into his mouth and sucked at it, “Dang that hurts!” I ought to kill it… maybe I’ll take it back to Tessa, it may help her.
“Yeah, I got a job for you little squirt.” He said aloud. He hurriedly skinned the other two dead pups for their fur. He thought he could hide the furs from Tessa, but if he was to make her a parka the furs would be suitable help in that. He would stick the furs inside his coat and put them with the other furs when she wasn't looking.
He opened the door of the cabin and put the squirming pup down on the floor.
“What in the world is that?”
“Wolf pup, his mother was killed and the rest of the pups were dead. Don’t put your fingers near his mouth, he’s starving.”
“Poor thing.” Tessa picked the pup up and held it to her chest. The pup snuggled up to her and calmed down immediately.
“Well I’ll be damned, will you look at that?”
“Owen, if you would pray you wouldn’t use so much bad language.”
He was taken aback by the gentle rebuke, “Yeah, I’ll try; I know I have been neglecting that, I suppose I have blamed God for my wife’s death.”
“Accidents happen; that's when you need God the most.”
“Yeah, I’ve gone about it the wrong way haven’t I?”
“You have to answer that, no one else can.”
Owen ladled up some broth off the meat pot and handed it to her; she held the plate to the dog’s nose, and he began to drink greedily.
“Feed him from small bits of meat from your hand, so he will get used to the smell of you, then maybe he will think you are his mother.” He grinned.
Wolf
Wolf remembered his warm place with his brother and sister and how his mother had quit coming to the warm place. He remembered how his brother and sister had stopped nipping at him and crawling over him, they finally had stopped moving at all even when he rooted them with his nose.
They smelled different too and the warm place was no longer as warm and he was very hungry. Eventually a strange thing that smelled and felt different than anything he had ever smelled or felt lifted him out of the warm place.
He tried to eat it, but it did not stay still. He tried his best to get away from the thing, but it was impossible as the thing carried him over the ground.
After some time the thing put him down in a warm place, only this warm place was much larger. Another thing picked him up and this thing put him next too it, it too smelled different, even different than the other thing, but it was very warm, like his mother.
The thing gave him food and eventually the thing smelled like his mother and he was happy, filled and warm once again.
One day Owen walked into the cabin, the fast-growing pup was asleep in Tessa’s lap, Tessa was also fast asleep, and the pup awoke, looked at him and slowly closed his eyes. The pup had been good for her, and she looked at peace.
The pup grew, and Tessa flourished along with the pup; she didn’t go a step, but that the dog was by her side. She was growing into the wilderness life and there was never a minute to spare for feeling sorry for ones self. Survival took up every minute of every day. She was no longer afraid of the wolves with wolf beside her. The dog would growl and chase any small or large animal that came into their vicinity.
One night he couldn’t fall asleep even though he was tired, the wolf pup slept on the other side of Tessa, and he ached for the woman who lay beside him.
Tessa pretended sleep, but she was also awake.
God forgive me, but I wish he would make a move for me.
The months wore on and as they did both Tessa’s and Owen’s longing for affection grew. Owen lay beside her saying nothing.
“Owen Durant, if you don’t make love to me, I’m going to skin you with your own knife!” She sat up and announced.
Oh God, what did I just say? Owen never heard her thoughts as his lips crushed hers with the hunger of a half-starved wolf pup, and her flesh burned for him until it burned itself out.