After dinner, impulse drives me back to the healer's cabin. I just need to see Raelyn's face one more time to ensure she's still alive. Darkness has already settled over the territory and a sharp wind is blowing in from the east. Leaves twirl up as I trudge through the woods. From time to time, the moon glimpses through the thick roof of the forest; it's less than a week before it'll reach its harvest. For the next few months, the claiming ceremonies will keep us busy until the heat in January. We had a record number of pups this year and I expect the number to increase even more. These are the future fighters, hunters, and breeders to keep the Northern Light pack strong.

When I reach the mouth of the path, Arabella closes the last shutter. Opening the door for me, she smiles. "I was just going to call you. The female woke up."

My heartbeat jerks, something I'm not used to. With slight hesitation, I enter the cabin. The fire and candles are the only light source and it's incredibly hot. By the time I lower myself onto the chair by Raelyn's bedside, my shirt is drenched in the back. She turns her head and I squirm like a small pup who can't sit still. Gray eyes the shade of an angry cloud pierce into my soul. The sadness they hold is heart wrenching.

When my voice fails me, I clear my throat a few times. "Hi, I'm Kendrick Raynes. We found you in the woods on your old territory and brought you here."

She turns her head back to the wall, but not before I detect the sparkle of tears in her eyes.

I want to squeeze her shoulder to tell her that everything will be okay, but my hand shies away in the last second.

Geez, Raynes, you're such a coward.

Clearing my throat again, I ponder what to say. Since she can't respond, she might feel awkward when someone talks to her. "You don't have to worry about a thing. Our laws say that we are responsible for any life we save, so we won't send you away."

She jerks her head around. Her gaze is intense. Capturing. Searching. It makes the hair on my arms stand up. Twitching in discomfort, I urge myself to look away, but something about her gives me a brain freeze.

Her lips form words, but only a grunt escapes.

"Wait, I'll get you something to write on." I signal Arabella to bring me a pen and paper.

Raelyn's eyes fill with tears again as she scribbles her reply.

Thank you.

A tear slips down and drips on the paper, smudging the ink. I've never felt more helpless. My smile is meant as encouragement but comes out awfully crooked. Fuck. I'm screwing this all up.

"You should go, Kendrick. This female needs to rest."

"Her name is Raelyn." My words at Arabella are snapped and way off base. Not my finest moment.

Arabella's forehead wrinkles. "Don't take my head off, Alpha."

"I'm sorry." With a sigh, I run my hand over my short hair. "I had a hard workout and I'm really tired."

"No need to apologize. We all have bad moments."

"Still. . ." As Alpha, I lead by example. An outburst like this is uncalled for, especially since Arabella has only Raelyn's best interest in mind.

"But I need to insist that you go. Raelyn is weak and needs her sleep."

"Of course."

I turn back to the bed, but Raelyn is facing the wall. This time, I have the guts to squeeze her shoulder. She flinches away.

My cheeks puff in frustration. "Good night. I'll be by in the morning to check on you."

No response, not even a grunt to acknowledge that she heard me. I rise to my feet, ready to get out of the overheated cabin.

Arabella stops me at the door. "The next time, bring an i-Pad. It'll make communication easier and might cheer her up."

"Good idea. What are you gonna do about food?"

"We will have to mush everything up, but that's down the line. For now, her digestive system needs to adjust after the IV, so we will feed her broth."

Mushed up—like pup crap. I'm sure it'll take time for her to get used to this new diet. Personally, I don't think I could stomach it.

"Well, good night, Arabella."

When I step outside, snow flurries fill the air. The moon has disappeared behind a thick layer of clouds and the forest path lies pitch black in between the trees. A gush of artic wind sweeps across the clearing, forcing me to zip up my jacket to my chin. I rub my hands. It's fucking freezing tonight.

I slow-jog down the path, my eyes quickly adjusting to the dark. Stones, leaves, and twigs scrunch under my boots. I pick up the scent of a she-wolf before her amber eyes shine ominously in the night. With my next breath, I shift, landing right in front of her feet.

She rams her head into my side with a vicious growl. I'm driven a few feet back. Her teeth glisten white against the dark shadows of the trees; rumbles roll deep in her chest. She snaps at me. I crouch low to the ground to ready myself for the attack.

She is fast and mounts me from the front so that her legs capture my shoulders. Not fair. I shake my head to toss her off, but her teeth sink into the sensitive skin of my neck. I buckle with a howl. One breath, two, before my powerful body rises with a growl. Getting a hold of one of her hindlegs, I pull her off me and toss her into the underbrush.

She is back before I get a chance to lick my wounds. Favoring the hurt leg, she approaches with caution, though her snarl is as vicious as it was before. She seriously tries the mount trick again, but I pull my head between my shoulders and toss her off before her teeth can get a hold of my flesh.

This time, it's me who charges at her. At the last second, she averts my head and I end up on my stomach with all four paws sprawled to the side. Cackling yaps cut the silence of the night. Fuck, she's making fun of me. I bare my fangs, snapping. Don't worry, I'll have the last laugh.

When she comes at me with the full force of her body, I tower on my hindlegs. The top of her skull collides with my strong chest and draws her back. Disoriented, she shakes her head. I leap at her and crash into her side. Rolling her on her back, my teeth close around her throat. I don't dare to nick her skin but hold her in place until a small whimper allows for her surrender.

As I stretch back into my skins, I can't suppress a chuckle. "That was unbelievable. You've gotten so strong."

"I'm still not good enough to beat you."

I open my arms and pull her into a hug. A hint of vanilla and pine flairs my nostrils. The scent has stuck to my sister as long as I can remember. "Welcome home, Cassum."

~~~~

© Sally Mason 2018

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