Chapter 3

The new people knew their business just fine, didn’t need lessons in tracking, just local knowledge, asked nice too. Took me a few days to get the team set and the other wolf pack territories marked up on the team’s maps, told them part was guesswork, but the main boundaries were solid. They even had their own lye soap or something like it, not a whiff of anything, not even spearmint gum, that smell spreads on the wind, might as well carry a bell as chew that stuff.

Took the papers with me and headed out to take the supplies to the girl, planned on staying out a few days this time, hopefully I could get a reply to the letters, I figured if’n the girl was going to care, she’d have an answer soon as she read them. Long days and warm nights now, high summer don’t last long up here on the mountain, but it sure is worth waiting for. Makes for a slower hike though, what with every critter out looking to feed their young, takes more care to leave them be, better that way, I’d hate to have to shoot a momma bear protecting her cub just ‘cos I wasn’t minding my surroundings.

Tried the radio pack once I was close, nothing, might be hunting so I hike up anyway, the den was abandoned but there was the jute bag hanging up just like always. Same system we always used, only the locations changed. Note said to head down to the low valley so that’s where I headed, took the higher route, harder hike but it would give me more range with the radio. Wasn’t until the next day I found the wolf pack. Girl knew the mountain better than me, must have scouted the overlooks, knew I’d choose this one because a part sack was hanging right where I’d choose to put mine. I took the sack down and hung up the one I brought before moving back to the overlook, never hung the sacks too close to where I camped. Not that I made much of a camp, never cooked, just cleared the ground where I laid my bedroll at night.

Not all of the pack were in sight, not unusual, watched and waited. When the growling started I couldn’t see the cause, no point moving ‘cos there wasn’t a better overlook, the growling stopped and started, seemed to settle for a while then start right back up, maybe an hour later they drifted out of the trees above the den, the big alpha male first, then the Girl, close to her another female, Didn’t make sense at first, but as I watched them the Girl was coaxing the female towards the alpha, he was doing the growling, low and deep in his throat, Girl persisted, the female obviously reluctant. Another pause then the Girl tried again. Alpha must have had enough of it, nipped the Girl’s butt enough to make her yap, then mounted her, rougher than I’d seen for a while. That big alpha wasn’t just breeding her, looked like he was dominating her, forcing his will, Girl was as submissive to him as I’d ever seen. Girl never cried out, rough as he was. Through the binoculars I could see his jaws around her neck, the radio collar worn and frayed now. When he stopped thrusting and held deep, pumping her full, those teeth closed, just a little, just enough, purposeful like, I could see the little pinpricks of blood where he pierced the skin. I got the message from best part of a thousand yards away, reckon the Girl did too, whatever it was, the alpha’s decision was final.

That evening the pack hunted, I stayed put, better to keep away and wait. It was dark before I saw the shadows emerge from the trees in the starlight. The sack was still there in the morning, guessed as much from her cries in the night, those were pure pleasure. The following morning the sack was gone. Watched the den all morning, was midday before she made the sign, looked right at me again as she did.

Late afternoon I was up near the little waterfall that fed the stream running down the valley, Girl was there, had picked a spot higher up, close enough to talk low and be heard, but far enough to stay out of my scent range. Girl motioned to a crevice to my left, papers were rolled and stuffed in there. The forms were signed, but parts were blank, the note explained, she watched as I read them. Girl’s answers were her business, all I needed was to know her decisions could be understood and made real for her. We signalled back and forth, then it was done, I stuffed the papers into my thigh pocket. Girl signed, pointed, another note in a lower cleft, I turned to get it and when I turned back Girl had gone. It was only when I was hiking back to the cabin I realised we only signed, Girl never spoke, not a word.

Handed the papers to the Man, he offered a glass but I had things to do, left him reading the papers. Ate some and cleaned up afore settling to read the note, the Girl was trying to get the alpha to accept the female joining them, Girl knew what she had done could well damage the pack beyond recovery. Within the pack it is the alpha bitch that has pups, Girl could do a lot, but not that, her plan was to share the alpha with the other female so there would be cubs. Seems the alpha having accepted the Girl was having none of it. Wolves mate for life most often, he was committed just as much as Girl.

Her decision was to leave the pack, that part of the note was stained, tears I was guessing, but she was determined to stay the winter with the pack, so long as she left early in the following year it would be ok. Wolf bitches come into season March time around these parts. Girl wanted me to get her two wolf hides, as scent free as possible and best not from any where too close. Guess she planned to use them to keep warm enough, wear them, Girl might still freeze if she got caught out or got wet without a way to dry and get warm. Said it afore. Lord save me from crazy womenfolk.

Wolf pelts are not hard to get, trick for me was getting a couple of big ones without damage, wanted fresh so they’d be easier to mould if’n she wanted. Time to do some trading.

Man seemed happy with the papers, not so happy with the blank parts, but they were mostly simple stuff, home address and the like. Man seemed happy she named me as her proxy. Told him a little of the Girl’s plan to leave the pack, then when and the why. He understood, seemed happy she’d be back in the new year.

Then he made his plea, wanted me to take him along next time or soon, promised he just wanted to see her for himself before winter, and what with her leaving the pack soon as winter quit. I could see his point but somehow it didn’t feel right. Man had kept his word though. Told him it didn’t sit right but I’d take him if’n he followed my rules. Man agreed.

The new people were doing good, staying out like I often did, putting in the time to learn the wolf pack assigned them. Even had a bunch of collars fitted, used a fancy dart gun to do it. Only got the junior pack members though. Young’uns mostly, not old enough to be wary of easy pickings left out to bait them. I trekked out with each team, took me three weeks to rotate through all four, then a day or two for trading and making up the sacks, one for supplies, other had the two pelts the Girl wanted.

Summer was passing once again, shorter days now, yet the sun was still strong on the mountain so it was a warm hike when we headed out to take supplies to the Girl once again. Once we got close where I last saw the Girl I used the radio pack, got a weak signal, didn’t make no never mind. Only place they could be was up near the head of the lower valley, so I reckoned we needed to cross the ridge soon, give us a better chance to find a good lookout point. Man was breathing hard as we gained the ridge, soon enough made the old game trail that wound through the high tree line. Let the Man stop a spell then, better shade this side, seemed grateful.

Sun was setting when I tried the radio again, good clear signal, the pack were using a den I knew from way back, hard to get too, but good for game this time of year. Was dark afore we reached the lookout, moon was up though, would be full in a day or two so there was light enough to clear a spot for each bedroll. Man held his tongue and made his bed quiet like. I lay listening for a spell, expected I might hear her, expected wrong.

Tried the radio soon after first light, signal was strong but not steady, must be moving, maybe hunting. Around noon I nudged the Man and nodded towards the game trail, the Man’s eyes widened at seein’ the big alpha appear, the Girl close by, wary. They both eased back into the trees, didn’t see them again until they were near at the den, got a head count then, the pack was complete. From the looks they had killed night before, heavy in the belly and lazing in the sun. Man spent the morning studying them with his binoculars, me too mostly. Around noon the girl moved away, I watched her move, fluid like, her body held different, not crouched, more like she was set to sprint at any moment, held her head like a cat, still, level, body following the ground, eyes following the prey. No, not cat like, wolf, a bitch wolf hunting.