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ANOTHER SPRING FOUND me stretching awake alone in my den. It was my third spring spent as a lone wolf. Two and a half years since Toltan had banished me from my pack and family. Somehow, a part of me knew, or guessed, which day was my birthday each time. The first one wasn’t so bad, though the wounds were still scarring, so it wasn’t great either. My second had a wind storm that howled through the rocks of my den and kept me unnerved the entire day. As I exited my den on my third, I wondered if maybe I’d get a decent day this time.
As usual, my luck wasn’t that good. I walked out into a mist thick enough to turn the forest white. The dew on my fur shimmered, bringing out the now dominant silver. When the light hit it right, it also heightened the glow in the “silver sheen” of my hackles. They were now outlined by a small smattering of black that was even thinner as it touched my fur up to the middle of my back. The cool, soft air was soothing, making me feel light enough to fly. Something that always made it easy to sleep, except my stomach needed food, so I headed out in search of a trail.
The mist messed with that too. I would find a good trail only to lose it minutes later, or have it merge into a mess of other scents even I couldn’t make sense of. A soft growl escaped with each lost scent, wondering if Wolfor didn’t want me to have good birthdays. I didn’t even bother chasing a rabbit when it streaked by. It had too much of a lead, and the way the day was going, I’d just end up with my muzzle planted in a tree.
I pressed on, mostly because there wasn’t much else I could do. More trails went cold until, at last, I found one that was strong and fresh. Thick fox musk, no indication of any injury, but it was alone. Not the easiest of prey, but I had no better option. I followed the trail to the edges of my territory, into an area dominated by rocks on the side of a large hill. It looked like the aftermath of a rock slide, with many of the boulders half buried in dirt and grass, though it still reminded me of the pile I called home.
I followed the trail more with my eyes than my nose. It led me to the base of the pile, where I found a young red fox. It seemed to be digging at something, allowing me to hunker down and approach as carefully as I could. A slow advance, waiting for the right moment to strike. The wind was at me, so all I had to do was get a little closer.
I must have stepped on something, for the fox turned my way, ears straight up. Before I could decide whether to hide or lunge, it vanished into the mist faster than I’d ever match. My growl came with a sigh as I watched another meal slip through my jaws. Should have known I wouldn’t be that lucky today.
Then a voice sent my fur on end. “Next time, try attacking before it hears you. That is the only way to catch a fox.”
I jerked as the voice seemed to come out of the rocks. A deep, echoing sound that had my heart pounding like I was sprinting. Once that faded, I perked my ears forward as curiosity grew out of the shock.
"Who’s in there?” I said. “Who, or rather what, are you?”
“I am old, I am wise,” the voice replied. “I am the wise one. I am like you, young wolf: a loner.”
I ruffed at him more because of his tone than his words. “Right. A rock pile is like me. I ask again: who’s in there? Show yourself.”
A figure walked out slowly. The mist made it a large shadow at first. Then it cleared into an old, mostly dark gray wolf, with brown touching his back, tail, and ears. Scars on his head and shoulders spoke of protracted experience, though it didn’t say how good he’d been.
“Call me ‘the wise one,’” the wolf said.
“Wise one?” I said. “Yeah, right. You’re just an old wolf finding fun in tormenting younger ones. You don’t know anything about me.”
“Are you sure? I have lived for eleven years. I know much more than you do. Like how to catch a fox and suffer very little.”
Yeah. This conversation is going nowhere.
“Oh, well, good for you. I’m only three years old, and I’ve felt the pain of losing everything I have. My home, my family, my heart. I know what it feels like to be shunned by everyone I once knew. You don't know anything about that.”
The old wolf’s ears flashed back, too quick for me to read. “Actually, I do.”
I snarled at him with a glare to match. “You can't. I was falsely accused of killing my brother. For that, I was kicked out of my pack. Every wolf in these woods knows of me, and they shun me more than my own. I am cursed to live alone, forever. What do you have to say about that?"
The old wolf looked right at me. It was an odd stare that somehow silenced my snarl and forced my ears to listen. It reminded me of the many times, as a pup, I sat and listened to Lonate when he wanted to teach us something. He looked a lot like Lonate too, though that wasn’t enough to drop my guard.
“I was banished as well,” the old wolf said. “My life was a lonely one until a female showed her support for me. We mated and started our own pack. I was happy even though I thought it impossible. I made a difference in her life. No one else would have her but me.”
I may have been listening, but I wasn’t enjoying. “Get to the point, old one.”
The old wolf didn’t react. I almost wish he had. “Lone wolf or not, you can make a difference. It may be small, or it may be big, but you can make a difference. Just as I did.”
My attention span had reached an end. This old wolf didn’t know me. He had a happy end to his life. A mate, a litter or two no doubt, a life. I never would. My little rock pile would always be mine alone, of that I no longer had any doubt. The best I hoped for was to be left in peace for the remainder of my days.
If only the forest would let me.
“Whatever ‘wise one,’” I said. “You old wolves are stubborn, so I won't argue. I’ll leave you alone with your small difference.”
The old wolf growled for the first time. I think I’d rather have Toltan’s death stance. “I'm not done with you yet.”
“Yes, you are!”
I ran off without another word. I’d grown tired of that old wolf. He obviously had nothing to offer that would help me, not to mention the fact that he scared me in so many ways. By Wolfor, what a snarl.
I still had to find a meal, and the mist was thickening. At this rate, I soon wouldn’t be able to see anything, and my nose fared little better. Worse than lost trails, now I couldn’t find any. It’s as if all the animals of the forest had vanished. I spent hours hunting and found little more than enough mice to quiet my stomach for the time being. Even that took digging in fields, chasing around bushes, and more than a couple of thorns in my paws. More than once, I’d chase one right into a tree or bush hidden in the mist. I returned to my den when I could find nothing else, already having more than enough bruises for one day.
I laid outside my rock pile, fuming about my rotten luck. Poor day of hunting, an encounter with a stuffy old wolf, a mist that matches my emotions—OW!—thorns still stuck in my paws. What else does the day have in store for me?
“There you are!”
I jerked to my paws so fast, I swear I left fur behind. My heart was racing a mile a second as a snarl formed on instinct. I expected to find the old wolf had snuck up on me, but my snarl dwindled to a low growl when I found a beautiful female almost as big as I was instead. Her fur was a darker gray on her back that lightened down her flanks. Her legs, ears, and the top of her muzzle were a strong brown, while her underside was a soft off-white. She looked at me with a playfulness that seemed familiar, as did her scent.
I growled at her in challenge once my insides settled down. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
The female tilted her head at me. “Luna. Don’t you remember me? I’m Estrella. One of the ‘younger pups.’”
Oh yeah, her. Should have known.
“Ah yes, the pup that won her litter in the den. I thought I told you once, I don’t like surprises.”
She turned her ears back at me. “Still the same stuffy thorn-in-the-paw. Well, I don’t care. I’ve finally found you. Had me worried for a while there. All I could find were your scent marks.”
Wolfor, kill me now. Her body had grown up, but it didn’t sound like she had. She wiggled like a pup waiting for her first hunt. Her tail wagged from side to side, and for the life of me, I couldn’t understand why. Worse yet, I had a strange feeling she wouldn’t be easy to chase off.
“And now you found their maker,” I said. “Good for you. Say hi to the pack for me. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve had a rough day.”
I laid back down, choosing to ignore her. That is until she moved to lie beside me. I growled at her, ruffled my hackles, made it very clear how not welcome she was. It didn’t seem to faze her. If anything, she grew bolder. She wiggled herself close and gave no attention to my growing snarl.
"Luna,” she said, almost scolding. “Cut that out. Don't you want to talk? You know, catch up, swap stories, anything?"
Being left alone would be nice.
"You want a story? Okay. I was kicked out of my pack, I found a den shortly after, I learned to hunt on my own, I learned about the humans, I just met an old wolf who I’m not so sure hasn’t lost his touch on reality, I can’t find much prey in this stupid mist, that is my story, good night!"
I flopped my head on my paws, hoping that would end it.
Estrella instead gave a gentle, annoyed growl. “Very funny. I want to talk to you in a serious manner. I want to know how you have been faring.”
"Just fine. Now leave me alone.”
I went into my den and curled up to sleep, except Estrella still wouldn’t give up. She followed me in, pushing at me until I growled at her.
“Keep pushing your luck and you’ll get a good look at your own insides,” I said.
“Luna!” she said. “I want to talk to you. I want to know if you are okay out here. I want you to come back.” Realizing she wouldn't leave until she wanted to, I lifted my head and stretched out. Estrella laid down beside me with a satisfied huff. “That's better. Now we’re getting somewhere.”
“If you say so," I growled. “I just want to get this over with so you will want to leave. Then I can be left in peace again.”
“Not going to happen. I am not leaving until I get you to come back.”
“Did you miss Toltan’s lecture on pack law? I can’t come back. I’m a lone wolf.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re coming back if I have to drag you back by your tail.”
You stupid pup. You don’t get it. I left the den, trying to put an end to it. When Estrella followed again, I turned around and snarled with my hackles standing straight up. Never mind the annoyance, now she was causing pain.
Did she think I was out here by choice? Of course I’d prefer to be with a pack, but desire and ability rarely coincide. I couldn’t go back. The sooner Estrella realized that, the better off we’d both be. Besides, going back would mean facing my parents. After what they did to me, I wasn’t sure I’d even want to go back. Another lie? Maybe, but it was reason enough to ignore the whole idea.
“Did you forget what happened?” I said through my growl. “I was kicked out, banished, forced to leave forever. If I return, I'll be killed. That’s assuming I wanted to, which I don’t. They don’t care for me. They never have.”
Estrella barely even growled as she remained firm. “I care. You’re the only one that’s ever beat Rajor.”
“So what? What does that have to do with me?”
“He’s our alpha now.”
My snarl ended in favor of a ruff, and a backward turn of my ears. That didn’t take long. Toltan finally let the whelp push him aside. I couldn’t imagine what life with him on top was like. Well, at least life for the others. I knew what life would be like for me if I were still there, assuming I’d ever let Rajor beat me.
When I didn’t respond, Estrella continued. “It happened last summer. He was finally able to take the position from Toltan. He and Martol are still alive, but Rajor now leads the pack.”
So what? “My condolences. Doesn’t change anything. I’m still a lone wolf.”
Estrella whined, and my snarl was buried for good. “But I need you. Rajor is insisting I be his mate. He says since he is the leader, I have to be his. I don't want to be his, or anyone else's, but yours.”
My growl was laced with a sigh. No wonder she’s so determined. She’s lost her mind. “I’m flattered, really, but in case you’ve forgotten, I'm an outcast. Why would you, or anyone, want me?"
Estrella growled for the first time. Much like that old wolf, it was a strong rumble that impressed me enough to drop my hackles. “I saw your strength when you stood up to Toltan and Rajor. I saw your justice when you punished Rajor. I saw your heart when you risked death to bring us a pup in need of a pack. Finally, to bind it all together, I have always had a thing for you.”
All hostility vanished in place of perked ears. Me? This crazed female has a thing for me? I’d be touched if I wasn’t trying to swallow a laugh. Or so I told myself when, in fact, I knew I was touched. Estrella had come out here, alone, in defiance of Rajor, to pursue an interest in me. It wasn’t pure puppy love either. She noted things in me that any female would like in a mate. Young as she acted, hearing all that did breed a little warmth within me.
I hid that behind the ruffs as I turned my ears back at her. Flattery, while appealing, didn’t change my status or my feelings.
“You have a thing for me?” I said. “Oh, well, that changes everything. Of course I’ll risk my neck to come with you. Hey, maybe Rajor and I will even get to like each other.”
Estrella’s growl left no doubt about her feelings. “Luna! I don’t deserve that.”
Those words froze me. With them came the memory of Martol, shunned by me. Hurt, by me. I’d played that day over in my mind a few times recently, wondering if I’d been wrong to act so harsh. Just like then, I had someone who appeared to care standing before me. I’d cried that night. It felt like my heart had broken in two. I didn’t want to feel that way again. Not ever.
“I’m sorry,” I said, my ears back and my growl silent. “I didn’t mean to offend you. But I can’t go back. Rajor would kill me if I did. If not him, Toltan, to uphold the law.”
Estrella stopped her growl, though she was far from backing down. “You don’t know that.”
“I won’t risk it. My life is at least livable out here. That’s a lot better than being dead. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to find something to eat.”
I walked off and started tracking as best I could through the mist. I needed to think, and hunting was the best distraction I could come up with. What could I say? She had feelings I didn’t share. Even if I did, if Rajor was the new alpha, what would he do if he found her with me?
What am I thinking? I thought with a huff. Like I really feared Rajor. His pack maybe, but him? No. Estrella was right. I had beaten him several times as pups. I can’t imagine he’d gotten much better.
“Luna wolf has two tails, Luna wolf has two tails.”
I grumbled at my mockingbird, but it came with an amused tick of my ears. Can’t figure out why he is still hanging around, or how he’s avoiding trees in the mist. It was thinning, but not much.
I looked behind me and, sure enough, Estrella was there, again refusing to leave.
I huffed in frustration while resigning myself to more of her badgering. “You don’t give up, do you?”
She trotted to my side like she belonged there. “No. Nor should you. Come on, Luna, let me hunt with you. If you still want me gone afterward, then I’ll leave.”
“Promise?”
“In Wolfor’s name.”
Another growl escaped my control. “Careful how you use that. The last time I heard it, my life ended.”
Estrella’s ears flashed apology for the first time. “I understand. I’m sorry.”
The mockingbird swooped over us, chirping like it was the first day of spring. “Luna, Luna, not alone. Luna, Luna, love has shown. Luna, Luna, good be known.”
Estrella watched him with straight ears. “Friend of yours?”
I chuckled at the thought. If only. “Pay him no mind. He likes to run his beak off. Come on. Let’s see if we can find a trail.”
“Then follow me. I thought I heard moose earlier.”
“Forget it. We’d never take one down alone.”
“Humor me. Please?”
I knew better by now than to argue, so I agreed.
Estrella led me toward the river, looking toward Toltan’s... Rajor’s territory often. Be it for my sake or hers, I had to admit, the attention to her surroundings impressed me. Maybe she had some sense after all. I let her lead, noticing that she appeared to stop and check her ears rather than her nose. A rather strange thing for a wolf to do, but then, my nose had failed me so far.
When Estrella froze with perked ears again, I did the same to see if it bore any fruit. In the distance, I found the high bleats of moose, but something else I couldn’t quite make out. Not birds, too steady for that, yet very familiar. We moved toward the sounds in spurts, checking our ears each time we stopped. We were getting closer, we just didn’t know to what.
The sound trail led to where we could see the river despite the mist. It was still running strong like always, but even over the rush, I thought I heard a bear downstream, barking. Wait. Bears don’t bark. I held my breath a moment to let my ears catch the sound more fully. Once I realized it was another pack I was hearing, I barked at Estrella before she moved ahead.
“Forget it. Whatever moose is out there is already being hunted. I’m not about to face a pack defending their kill.”
“Have a little faith,” Estrella said. “The river is closer than they are.”
“And this is grounds for faith?”
“Wolfor is always watching. If we let him, he just might... there, you see? Check the river.”
I rolled my eyes while doing as she asked. Maybe it’ll satisfy her enough to make her leave.
I looked again, not believing what I saw. I could see figures on the other bank, the herd and their hunters no doubt, but in the river itself, struggling to stay above water, came a moose so young its antlers were mere stubs on his head.
“Have a little faith,” Estrella repeated.
I turned my ears back while stalking forward. Darn female was still annoying, but she was right. We had ourselves a good chance at an easy kill.
I kept low and slow, taking great care to avoid the slightest sound. Estrella came close behind, not faring quite as well, forcing me to swallow a growl lest it give us away. She’s only a few moons younger, but she acts like it’s years.
I hunkered down behind a tree a short leap from the river’s edge. I watched and waited as the moose dragged itself onto the shore. It rumbled and stumbled, drained by the swim, and perhaps injury or illness. Whatever the reason, he was a kill too easy to pass up.
When the moose thumped against a tree to stay on its hooves, I exploded into a sprint toward my prey, my jaws open and ready to strike. The moose heard me, but it was so tired that when it tried to run, it only stumbled more. When it turned to face me, it made the mistake of leaving its head up, allowing me to leap right into its jugular and sink my fangs in deep. The force of my lunge knocked the beast down, but I never lost my hold. Blood seeped past my teeth as my bite cut veins. The moose struggled, but it was too tired and too late. I held my bite, waiting for it to go limp in my jaws before I let it go.
“Not bad,” Estrella said, “for a thorn-in-the-paw.”
I think I’d rather have the bird. He at least was something I could pretend to ignore.
I tried anyway as I dug into the moose, thrilled to have a proper kill. Mice silenced the pains but never worked the same as a full meal. Estrella joined me for her share, and since she did lead me to it, I didn’t stop her. Though I made a point of going for the best meat. The kill was mine, and Estrella was, at best, a lower pack member. A fact I had to remind her of when she tried to sneak away with a kidney. I snarled and bit at her until she dropped it with tail tucked and whined apology. She gave me a very dirty look, but praise Wolfor, she said nothing.
Craack! cshoo-shoo sho
Estrella hugged the ground with her ears searching for the sound. I flicked mine up until I realized they were nowhere close.
“They're baaaaaaaack,” I said.
“They?” Estrella asked.
“Humans. They come every year to hunt, much of it wolves. They have some kind of thunder stick that kills whatever it’s pointed at.”
Estrella rose, though her ears kept searching.
“You sound like you know a lot about them.”
“I should. They build their dens not too far from mine.”
Estrella’s ears and eyes shot up. “What?!”
I ruffed a stifled laugh. I shouldn’t enjoy the moment, but it felt so good.
“Relax,” I said. “They don't know I'm there. I’ve watched them each time, with a fair amount of humor, I might add. I’ve never seen animals act so strangely.”
Sharp whistles mixed with barks in the same direction as the thunder. The barks sounded oddly wolf-like this year, but their presence at all held more of my attention. I stepped toward the barks to get a better sense of where they were. I didn’t like the answer I got.
“Grab what you can carry,” I said. “They brought dogs again. Not much for fighting, but they lead the humans to their prey. I’d rather they not find us here.”
“I’d rather they not find us anywhere,” Estrella said.
“Never, never find wolves here,” the bird sang over head. “Luna, Luna, never near.”
“He always do that?”
“Constantly,” I said.
Despite my best efforts to shut him up.
We pulled what meat we could from the kill before retreating to my den. There we ate our fill in blessed silence and refreshing company.
I couldn’t deny, it felt good to have another wolf around, even if she was crazy. I watched Estrella break a bone open for the marrow and wondered: just what was it about me that held her interest? She’d mentioned admirable traits, but enough to chase after me in the hopes of mating? The best question was mine, really. Do I want her?
Despite only being a moon or two behind me, Estrella seemed younger than her years, perhaps a little naïve, and definitely talkative. Still, she had fire I could admire. I wasn’t sure about mating, but if she’d accept a place under me in a pack, I could see it working out well. Who knows? Maybe something would develop.
My ears turned back as I finished what my stomach would allow. Maybe something would develop? Wishful thinking and I knew it. It would never work. I was a lone wolf while Estrella was destined to be pack beta, if not alpha once she realized her own power. We’d never mix. Even if we did... we just wouldn’t. Another lie? I didn’t bother answering.
We stashed the remainder of our haul in the same old hollow under an oak tree I’d used over the years. Not that I had much to add this time. With two wolves feeding off the same portions of the kill, there was barely a snack left. Better than nothing, I suppose.
I returned to my den to find Estrella sniffing around it. I tilted my head, trying to understand why. When she saw me, she ruffed in amusement and looked at the rock pile.
“Not too bad,” she said. “Although I somehow expected better. Seems like you could manage more than a cave inside a rock pile.”
My eyes rolled. Here we go again. “It keeps me warm and safe. I need little more from a den.”
“What about yourself? How little have you allowed there?”
“How little have I allowed? I’ve had to fight for every scrap I can find, alone. I’d hardly say I’ve allowed or not allowed anything.”
“Yet you continue to live alone. Don’t you get lonely out here?”
A great sigh was followed by a greater growl. What a stupid question. Of course I was lonely. That’s the whole point of being a lone wolf. No pack, no family, no anyone. Just you, your fangs, your kills, and there is no way to change or overcome it.
The pain of that fact kept me from looking at her, as did my failing hold on my temper. Both combined made it near impossible to find anything to say. I searched the dimming sky for the moon, hoping, praying there’d be enough to brighten my hackles tonight. After the day I’d had, I needed something to relax me.
Estrella stepped up to my side and gave me a short nuzzle. “That bad, huh? I understand. You've been alone for three years. It's natural to feel lonely. It hurts when you're thrust from everyone you love.”
“Silence!” I snapped, reaching my limit. “You think you know me? You think you understand what I’ve been through? My own father drove me away when I was just a pup. My pack has disowned me. Every pack in sprinting distance knows who I am and shuns me for it. You don’t know me. You never will.”
Estrella started to growl, then she swallowed it, although she couldn’t stop her ears from coming forward, matching my challenge. “Because you won’t let me. I don’t care what others think. I’m here for you.”
“I don’t want you! I don’t want anyone. I’ve lived well on my own, and I intend to stay that way. It hurts a lot less.”
When Estrella tried to growl again, I didn’t let it take root. I pinned her to the ground with a snarl until she whined surrender. I remained over her, still growling, making sure she knew not to speak again.
“Go home, Estrella. Go back to that whelp. Go back to a pack that still cares for you.”
After I stepped off, Estrella remained on her side, pleading with her eyes. “Luna. Don’t be like this. Don’t push me away.”
As I glared at her, for a moment, I thought about it. Her hunting skills didn’t seem too bad, and her stubbornness could be an asset out here without a pack. Perhaps I could give her another chance.
Perhaps... I huffed at the thought. Despite my best effort, “perhaps” was not enough to make it feel right. No, I’d made my choice. There was no point thinking otherwise. “You made a promise. I now ask that you honor it. Get moving. Don’t let me catch you in my territory again.”
I walked away, not bothering to look back. I knew I’d find pain there, not just hers either. I went all the way inside my den, refusing to see anything. I laid inside, staring at the empty entrance, and the anger melted away.
I’d done it again. I had driven away another wolf. I didn’t need to see her to know Estrella was crying. Perhaps she felt as alone as I did. Part of me didn’t care. The rest wished I didn’t feel at all.
But I did. I could feel the void of where she’d been. The joy of where the hunt had been, now replaced by my usual pain. I was alone again, as I knew I’d always be. As the pain churned in my chest, my head lifted in a long, low howl, as if I might somehow expel it through my voice. The deep tone echoed among the rocks, ringing in my ears and piercing into my heart. The expression helped in the moment, but it also reminded me of that which triggered it.
My ears perked when I heard a reply. It was faint, distorted coming through the rocks, and unfamiliar, yet it sounded much like mine. It also sounded young and still unperfected. I rushed out to find the source, but the echo had already faded, as had most of the mist, thank Wolfor. I listened hard for a moment only to find birds and breeze on the air. I checked the scents, still finding nothing. Maybe I’d imagined it. They say isolation does things to one’s mind.
One thing my mind knew all too well were the excited barks of the humans. They were close. Close enough that I saw one of them stalking through the trees with a thunder stick in his paws. I hugged the rocks of my den as if I might melt into them. My eyes and ears were locked onto this one human while I tried to choose the best escape path.
I abandoned those thoughts when I realized the human wasn’t coming toward me at all. He was hunting something else. With the rest of the human’s pack hunting elsewhere, I couldn’t help wondering what possessed this fool to go out on his own. Was he a loner searching for a mate? Had he gone mad? Curiosity beat out caution, and I followed him, slow and silent, in the hopes of finding an answer.
He moved well, this one. Were I not watching him, I might not have heard him. Why he’d made so much noise a few seconds ago added to my confusion. I’d heard of coyotes yapping as they hunted, but somehow, I didn’t think that’s what this one had been doing. My best guess was some sort of brag, or maybe an argument, had been the cause.
The human made up for that noise by advancing without a sound. I stayed with him, moving just as silent, my heart thundering at the fear of being discovered. Half of me rather enjoyed the stalk, testing my skills against the human’s. I remained a smooth shadow far off to his side. Downwind, out of sight, and in total control.
When the human stopped, I hugged the ground in case he’d heard me. The human knelt behind a tree so smoothly, he may as well have melted into the position. It was a stance I had seen before. He had his prey in sight and was preparing for the kill. I looked where he was looking, trying to distinguish shadow from something real.
I found one wolf lying there, alone, staring into the forest as if searching for something. She was pretty. Her fur mostly gray on her back, with brown legs... wait...
“Estrella?”
I whispered her name as I recognized her fur pattern. My heart sank when I realized she didn’t know. A human had her dead to rights, and she didn’t know.
My sides started heaving indecision. He’s going to kill her. I could see the human working with his thunder stick. A few seconds more, and she’d be dead. The thought sent me into a panic mixed with confusion. Why did I care? Why was my entire body tensing by the second? Why the panic? Why the fear?
Why am I still lying here?!
“NO!”
I left everything behind, my fear, my doubts, my caution. I tore through the dirt, hackles high and snarl thundering. The human would not have her. Not today.
The human looked my way, and I swear his skin turned white. He tried to point his thunder stick at me, then had to change his mind midway to put it in the path of my lunge. He stopped the bite with the thunder stick as he was knocked on his back with a thud. I put my paws on the stick, trying to push it out of my way.
“Estrella, get out of here,” I yelled. “Now!”
I didn’t look to see if she listened. I’d spared too much focus already.
The human had managed a stalemate so far. My hind claws found only his fur, or whatever lay on top of his legs, while my forepaws were busy keeping me on top. I tried to bite through the stick, but much of it felt hard as rock and tasted cool and tangy like nothing I’d bitten before. I could smell the human’s fear, though, which made my snarl grow.
We wrestled against each other in a battle of wills. The human tried to push me off, or to get up, only to fail each time. I tried to push past the stick yet fared no better. Eventually, the human dropped the stick, thrusting one paw to my neck just behind my chin to keep me at bay. The other paw went to his waist. The human pulled out a short reflective rock, much like their red beast, but still bright gray. He swung it out wide and pointed the rock at me, which my instincts did not trust. When the human stabbed, I thrust my shoulder in its path.
A sharp whine echoed off the trees as the rock jabbed into my left foreleg. A searing pain tore around the wound, running up and down my leg. Instinct drove my fangs to the human’s wrist. When they struck, I felt bone snap. Now it was the human crying out in pain. His other paw lost grip on my neck as it clutched for the wound. Before he could recover, I pushed past the human’s paws and sank my fangs deep into his throat. The human gasped and clawed at me with paws that held no bite. He was mine now. A few gasps and gurgles later, the human lay dead beneath my jaws.
I panted pain and exhaustion as I released my hold. When I tried to move, more pain shot down my left leg, drawing a wince and another sharp whine. I lifted my paw off the ground, which seemed to help, then investigated the rock still stuck in my shoulder.
These humans, they do know how to make up for their weaknesses. While his paws had no claws of their own, this one rock had done plenty of damage. With great whines, I pulled it out and tossed it aside, trying not to think about the blood running down my leg. So much for hunting. Hopefully that moose would go unfound long enough for me to pick at it some more. If not, I may be in real trouble.
Yet, in that moment, my mind had something it cared about just as much.
“Estrella?”
I looked around for the first time in search of her. I found the forest empty. Figures. The one time she actually listened to me is the one time I’d rather she hadn’t. Well, I wanted to be alone. Looks like I got my wish.
I licked my wound as clean as I could despite the great protest it gave. I growled at the dead human, frustrated at what he’d caused. Then my stomach took its turn to sink. It wouldn’t be long before this human was found by his pack. With such an injury, it was best I not be there when he was. That meant my wound had to go uncared for a while longer, and it was guaranteed to hurt.
Unfortunately, I had little choice. With a persistent whine, and a renewed fear of the forest, I limped all the way back to my den. I paused to lick the wound occasionally, but instead of soothing it, I only managed to make it bearable. The long limp home was agony. The crawl inside my den was even worse.
Still, I was safe, if only for now. Waves of pain, and exhaustion from fighting through it, kept me panting between bouts of licking my wound. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but it would take some time before I could do much with it. I didn’t let myself ponder the question of how long before I could use it in full again. Though if it didn’t seal properly, the question was irrelevant, assuming it wasn’t already.
What an end to a busy day. Almost wish it weren’t over. Been almost fun in an odd way.
Then an old voice came from outside the den. “I told you I wasn't done with you.”
Me and my big mouth.