Chapter Seventy-Two

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Crissa felt she immediately needed to call the authorities concerning the rogue hunters and the grisly scene she had earlier witnessed. Making sure that David was again in the bedroom and reclining on the rug, she could see he had taken to licking the deep wounds on his legs. Crissa allowed him this, as she had studied that wolves had a strong acidic saliva, which acted as a natural antiseptic to injuries. When she felt he was preoccupied with this and showing signs of relaxation, Crissa went into the kitchen with her cell phone to dial Becky, the leader of the campus wolf conservation group.  

"Becky?  This is Crissa."

"Oh. Hi."

"I'm calling to ask if you were aware of any authorized program going on . . . to hunt and kill wolves up in foothills of East Vancouver."

"What?  No. Not at all. Have you heard that's what's going on?"

She immediately could foresee a dilemma by giving Becky the cabin's exact location, or even suggesting she had seen the results of the brutal wolf culling first hand in the area. The last thing Crissa needed, for at least one more critical day and night, was the UBC wolf society, under Becky's skilled reconnaissance, hiking around the vicinity.

"Well, my parents told me today some hunters were driving around warning people in the suburbs of the present danger. The threat of wolves. And they said they had witnessed two dead wolves in the back of their pickup."

"Oh my God, Crissa.  Let me get on this with the mayor's office. They know very well who I am. And they know there'll be hell to pay if they had anything to do with this."

"OK Becky. I just needed to know if it was known or approved . . . what my parents had reported to me."

"Well it's the first I've heard of it. Listen, I was aware the Alaskan forestry service and the police department were fighting jointly. Battling with conservation groups near Fairbanks. Whether or not to cull wolves up there. It's all because of that terrible accident with the university's Biology professor a while back. Docker? Or Dekker? It was tragic."

Crissa was silent.

"And I do see why the public stupidly reacted. Jumped to a wolf-kill  solution. But down here in BC we just don't handle crises like that. Let me get to the bottom of this and I'll get back to you, Crissa. Thank you for the heads-up."

"Alright, Becky. Thank you for your involvement."

"Nothing. Take care,"

When she went back into the bedroom, she could see the sunlight was now streaming into the room at mid-morning. David got to his feet when he saw her and began to pace around the room nervously. He seemed restless, appearing to want to go out. Crissa understood this gesture, as like all animals, he must have now need to urinate and defecate. She led him to the front door and stroked his head, signaling him to go out as he needed, though she released him with great trepidation.

Hoping he would just purge himself near the cabin, to her dismay he sniffed around the premises and quickly headed into the nearby trees.

"David! Come back," she called out. "Please . . . don't go far."

She nervously awaited his return, standing at the open doorway. But at that moment she heard her phone ringing inside, as she had set it loudly to hear from Becky. She quickly moved through the living room and into the bedroom to collect the phone on the nightstand.

She answered it, and surprisingly it was Mary, calling from Illinois.

"Crissa? Josh and I are concerned about your predicament there. Brad's filled us in."

"Oh. Hi, Mary. Yeah. Thanks for calling."

"So I guess David is still . . ."

Yeah . . . He's got about a day and night left, I figure."

"And Julie is there now too?"

"Yes. Somewhere in the wilds. It's complicated."

"I can imagine. Look, Josh and I are planning to fly out in a few days when things have calmed down with those two. You know, to get Julie on a plane to Germany."

"Yes. That's the best plan for all that's happened, Mary."

"Right. So just keep calm and attend to David as best you can. I wouldn't think he's been accepted well by the local species in that area."

"No, not at all. He's gotten into a pretty nasty scrap already. Mostly superficial wounds to his face and legs."

"Not surprising."

"Look, Mary, I really need to get back outside to check on him. Call me when you get to Vancouver, OK? I've got some money for the flight . . . and I'll do all I can to get this underway for Julie."

"Great, Crissa! Josh gives his best."

"Thanks . . . to both of you."

As she shut off her phone and turned to leave the bedroom, she heard the rapid clicking of claws on the floor in the living room, assuming it was David returning. But to her horror as the wolf entered the bedroom, Crissa could quickly see it was not David. It was a slightly smaller wolf—a female with very familiar markings and now viciously showing her teeth.

Crissa screamed out a single syllable of panic as she backed up to the bed. She watched Julie in her wolf form stalking back and forth slowly, coming ever closer. A low growl came from deep inside the animal and Crissa quickly determined from her readiness and perceived willingness to engage, that it will be a violent and brutal attack. She could see and feel the jealousy in the animal and Julie's present desire to eliminate her.

Crissa froze up against bed and could sense the cool air blowing through the cabin from the open front door. She watched and waited as Julie lowered her head with teeth bared and front paws poised to spring. Crissa slowly reached down to the bed and took a full blanket and wrapped it many times around her arm. With her other hand, she moved imperceptibly down to the familiar handle of the hunting knife. Steadily, she unsheathed it and drew the blade out, holding it next to her body, preparing for Julie's charge.

Remembering what Brad said about plunging the knife deep into an attacking wolf's throat and twisting it for the most effect, the idea was still horrid to Crissa. But now the stakes were high. It might be her life or Julie's. As the female wolf remained motionless the last time, her eyes fixed on Crissa's face and neck. Crissa took a final deep breath and braced herself for the charge.

Julie suddenly exploded forward, and with her nearest steps sprang into a deadly leap. As the wolf flew toward her, opened mouth, Crissa caught the lethal teeth by her blanketed arm instead of its intended target of her throat. Before Julie could snap her jaws down with full power—certain to tear through the blanket and into Crissa's flesh, she wielded the blade up and with all her might brought it down across the wolf's ear instead of its throat.

Julie yelped loudly from the injury and let go with her jaws. As the animal retreated temporarily, but then made a wide circle in the room, its ear now bleeding. It then positioned itself for another attempt to eliminate Crissa. At that moment, more claws could be heard clicking with speed across the living room floor and David suddenly sprang into the room. With his own jaws he grabbed Julie by the nap of her neck and threw her back across the room, well away from Crissa.

David slowly went close to Julie and stood over her in a dominant stance with his teeth bared. The female rolled over and exposed her throat to him, showing in that brief emblematic moment that she deferred to his power and strength. Julie then got onto her feet and ran for the door, passing through it and out into the bright sunlight.

David immediately came back to Crissa, who was now sitting on the floor in tears. She cried from the fear and now great relief. He sniffed at her arm and looked her over for any possible injuries which the jealous female might have inflicted upon her. There were fortunately no cuts or lacerations, just a dark, half-moon bruise forming on her forearm where the pressure of Julie's jaws were kept from penetrating her flesh.

Crissa held both her arms out for David to receive the hug she provided him. It communicated more than just her deep love. It was an affirmation that he had just saved her life.

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