Wolf Camp (Bear Naked 2)

Chapter Four, Part 4

"Was that?" Brianna said sitting upright in her bed. All around the dark cabin, they were all sitting up suddenly. Amanda rolled over and watched them.

"I believe it was," Jonathan said. The room was filled with nervous excitement.

"I think we should check it out," Tanner said sliding out of bed and making for the porch in his boxers. Connor was out of his bed and after Tanner moments later. Outside the wolves howled.

They howl every night. Amanda listened closely. Something was different about the howling tonight but she couldn't make out what it was.

"Yes, yes," Connor said. "It is."

Amanda rose and followed them out on the porch. She looked around the circle of cabins and saw that every wolf in the camp was awake. They were all standing on their porches, straining their ears.

"It's early in the year," someone called from across the way. "Can it be?"

"It can," Mitch called from his cabin. "I think we might have our first knockdown of the summer. Is everyone ready?"

"Yes," a dozen voices called out.

"Knockdown?" Amanda asked Tanner.

"Listen," Tanner said. "Hear how one of the wolves is out of pitch like he,"

"Or she," Brianna said.

"Or she," Tanner amended, "doesn't really know how to howl proper? That's because they've never been a wolf before."

"You mean it's their first time?" Amanda said. "Won't they be feral?"

"Yeah," Tanner said. "But we will corral them so they can't hurt no one. It's called a knockdown when we rush a first timer and corral them until they are calmer."

Mitch had ditched his clothes already and squatted in the middle of the yard. He had one arm outstretched and pointing into the distance. His eyes were shut and he was listening intently.

Amanda gave Tanner a look. "He's trying to get a fix," Tanner whispered. "Once the wolf starts to move we will be able to get a fix on it and we'll take off."

Amanda strained her ears as the wolves all took up howling again. She thought she could hear one wolf that was out of pitch with the others but she wasn't sure. Mitch's hand moved a fraction of an inch. "Almost," he said, "almost. There!" He and his entire pack transformed and bolted off into the night.

"Knockdown!" the others cheered. Clothes were flying everywhere on every single porch as the wolves stripped, transformed and took off after the lead pack.

"Hang on, we'll be back," Connor called over his shoulder as he stripped and transformed. In what seemed like a second they were gone, all of them.

Fully awake now, Amanda went back in the cabin and read by flashlight until she heard noises outside. She looked up as Connor came through the door, followed by Erica and Brianna. Tanner was behind them.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"It was awesome," Erica said. "We were too late, of course. But still, the chase. What a rush." She seemed giddy.

"What do you mean too late?" Amanda asked.

"Well, when a wolf is feral because it's their first time, you have to corral them."

"What's that mean?" Amanda said.

"Physically we surround them, knock them down, tackle them, whatever," Tanner said. "Hold them still until they calm down enough to stop fighting. You hold them there until they un-transform and then you explain to them what happened."

"In an emergency," Connor said, "one wolf can hold down the new wolf but it's safer the more you have. If you have four or five wolves you can literally dogpile on them and not have to use fangs or claws to hold them still. That's the best, safest way to do it."

"But there's also a limit to how many wolves can pile on," Tanner said. "Only the fastest get there in time."

"Where's Jonathan?" Amanda asked, looking at the door.

"That boy is fast," Erica said with a wicked grin. "He was in the pile when we got there."

"He'll be back in the morning," Connor said with a dismissive wave. "Along with the others and the new boy."

"Or girl," Brianna said.

"Boy," Connor said.