Home -- Wolv book 3

Chapter 11 - Heat

Nadie stood over the brown-furred timberwolf, furrowing her brow in concern. She reached out and pawed at Sarah's shoulder gently, trying to goad the girl to her feet.

"Sarah, please get up. The storm's getting worse! You can't stay out here!"

The timberwolf shook her head, nuzzling the snow beneath her miserably. "No."

Nadie bit back a frusterated growl, and anxiously circled the pine tree beneath which Sarah had taken shelter. "Hutch, a little help?"

With a muffled thud, Hutch padded his way beneath the tree branches. Sarah's frozen ears twitched numbly, and her glassy eyes slowly drew themselves up to look at the Alpha direwolf.

Briefly, Sarah glanced down at his left paw, eyeing the thick white scar wrapping itself around his limb. "You've healed," she mumbled. Her tail twitched guiltily.

"I have," Hutch rasped. "Sarah. You need to get up."

"Don't wanna."

"Listen to me! Your ears are frozen solid. Your tail probably is as well! And you are still bleeding!"

Sure enough, the snow beneath Sarah's battered form was stained pink from her blood. A large gash cut its way across her muzzle, splitting both her lips and continuing down her chin.

"Don't care. Just let me bleed," she muttered, keeping her eyes half-lidded and neutral.

Nadie had no idea what had happened to her. Sarah had promised to come back; she'd promised to find the direwolves and, if possible, bring Humfrey back with her.

The opposite had ended up happening. The three ancient wolves had stumbled across her, finding her bloodied and exhuasted, slowly freezing to death beneath a tree.

Despite her efforts, Sarah never did find Humfrey. Rather, she'd been torn apart by her own pack, and then thrown out to the mercy of the weather.

"I betrayed Elizabeth," she whispered quietly. "I betrayed my own mate."

Hutch growled his disapproval. "You saved our lives, mahikan! You didn't betray anybody."

"Please...Hutch...just leave me alone."

"You will freeze!"

"So be it," Sarah sighed, closing her eyes. Hutch opened his mouth to speak, but was interupted.

"We can't stick around forever waiting for her to change her mind," Tara snapped impatiently. "Think of your pack, Hutch! Nadie and I aren't as big as you. WE are going to freeze unless we find a den soon!"

"We can't just leave her here!" Hutch shot back, towering over his smaller red-furred packmate. "We owe her!"

"So we'll leave her a leg from that caribou we killed. But we need to keep moving!"

Hutch flicked his tail once, as though he were considering...before turning on his heels, leaving Sarah behind. "There is food a hundred paces or so to the east," he called over his shoulder. "I suggest you eat."

Tara sighed in relief, and trotted away behind Hutch. "I'm not trying to be horrible, Hutch. But she has made her choice."

"The storm will kill her."

"I know. But not even together are the three of us strong enough to drag her to a den. We are still skin and bones, Hutch."

Nadie watched her two friends venture out across the snow, and turned down to face the dying wolv in front of her.