Way of the Wolf: Redemption

Chapter 34 ~ Struggle

Chapter 34: Struggle
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Basjan's eyes were locked on the pups playing in the snow. Delightful screams and laughter filled the air as Bjarke, Orin and Hagan chased them around in their fur. Their growls were gentle, and even as they snapped their teeth at pups that grabbed their tails, they were careful not to hurt them. I chuckled at the game, cheering with Katrin as Tordis caught Orin's tail and won another round.

"Who do you suppose is having more fun, the pups, or the males?" Katrin jested, shaking her head at my beta who was rolling around and kicking up snow.

"They look to be having as much fun as eachother," I replied with a smile.

Ásdís let out a loud yawn and Basjan's eyes immediately snapped over to her. He got restless, wriggling with far more strength than his small body should have possessed. I sighed as he erupted into fur, claws getting tangled in his blanket.

"I've never seen a pup so young shift as much as he does," Fenna's voice commented from behind me and I turned to see her leaning against the door with a grin. "A bundle of energy. Shall I take him to play in the snow?"

A bark from my Beta showed he'd heard her. He came trotting over and up the stairs to where I sat, his tongue lolling out in a way that made him look less the mighty beta and more the excited pup. I gasped as he nudged his cold nose into my hand and settled for running my fingers through thick brown fur. A gentle nip of teeth to the hand that held Basjan and I hummed.

"You know he can barely walk in this form. You can't be as rough with him as you are with the older ones."

A comforting purr was all the agreement I got from my mate. He nudged my hand and nipped again, then pushed at the blanket, trying to set his son free.

Fenna walked around to stand beside him and gave me an encouraging smile. "I'll keep him safe. My nephew loved a good roll around in the snow when he was first able to shift."

Nodding, I gently lowered Basjan onto the floor. My heart was in my mouth as Bjarke bumped his head against his son, sending him sprawling. I growled in warning but Bjarke ignored me. Clenching one hand, I forced myself to remain still. Katrin reached over, placing a warm hand over mine, and we watched Bjarke pick Basjan up carefully by the scruff of his neck to help him down the wooden steps.

Fenna grinned then started to strip, tossing her clothes at me. "Shove them by the fire for me so they're warm when I get back?"

I nodded and folded them neatly on my lap as she shifted into her sleek black wolf then looked over to my mate and pup. Part of me was a little jealous; I wanted to be out there with them as my male played for the first time and learned how to be in his fur. As it was, Madden had banned me from shifting until my strength returned.

My grip tightened around Katrin's hand. Everything was an effort. Waking, sitting up, moving. While my son got stronger with every day, putting to rest any worries about him being born too early and too small, I almost felt like I was fading. That had only been confirmed by what Madden had told me this morning; my body wasn't making enough milk to feed Basjan. I'd managed to avoid thinking on that until I'd lost the distraction of tending to him.

It would get better, easier. I'd recover soon. That was what Bjarke repeated like a mantra and I trusted him. Shaking my head, I settled down to watch again. Basjan did look like he was enjoying the snow, pouncing into piles of it, snapping his jaws at the flakes that fell. He was curious too, sniffing and nipping at the other pups while Bjarke made sure the older ones weren't too rough with him.

"Shall we go inside?" Katrin asked, shivering a little.

"Yes. I'm hungry." And my fingers were like ice cubes but I couldn't say that's. She'd tell me off for not saying something sooner.