Chapter 1

I woke up excited. Today was the day that our new neighbours would arrive. After two months of living out in the middle of nowhere, I would finally be able to talk to other people, besides Mom and Jack. It was summer, so school wasn't in yet, and I hadn't seen any kids my own age since we moved here. Not that I minded, because I always ended up getting into trouble at school. No, I definitely preferred to spend time with my wolves.

Speaking of wolves, I was late for feeding time.

I quickly threw on a shirt and trousers, and then raced downstairs to the kitchen. My mom was getting breakfast ready. I went to the ice box and pulled out a chunk of raw lamb meat from its depths.

"Don't spend too long out there today, Anna," my mom said, tucking my long red-blonde hair behind my ear, "We have to go to the high pasture today to check on the lambs, so I want to get an early start.

My mom and I ran our own sheep farm with the help of our hired hand Jack. It was busy this summer, because we had had a bumper crop of lambs this spring. I didn`t have much free time.

Any free time I did have was spent in the forest that surrounded our house, with my wolves. Well, they aren`t really MY wolves, they are a pack that lives in the forest, but I have made friends with them.

My mother knows about the wolves, and she is quite fine with me being with them. I find this strange, because I am sure that most mothers wouldn`t let most 7 year olds hang out with a pack of wolves. Then again, I am not exactly most 7 year olds. I was special, my mom said. I could understand what the wolves were thinking, and they understood me. My mom knew I was safe with them.

As I walked out of our large, white house and looked over the rolling hills and thick forests of North Dakota, I couldn`t help but feel a little sad. This had been my home for two months, and probably wouldn`t be for much longer. My mother and I were constantly moving, we never stayed in one place for much longer than four months. Our current record was six months, but then I had another ``accident`` and off we went. I was always having ``accidents``, people would chase me, I would see strange creatures in the woods, or I blew something up, and we would have to leave.

As I walked into the forest, I realized that I especially didn`t want to leave here. Cyrilla was about to have pups, and I wanted to stay and watch them grow up. I knew that if we left, I would find another wolf pack near our new home (there were always wolves around where we lived) but I didn`t want to leave.

The wolves knew I was coming before I was half way to the den. Thoos and Dromas, litter mates, trotted up to greet me. They were just over 1 year old, just growing into their big puppy feet. Both were a muddy red-brown colour, with Dromas being slightly bigger and darker.

``Hey boys, `` I said.

The pups wagged their tails, grinning and whimpering.

Little beggars, they were already asking for the meat that I was carrying.

``You guys know the rules, `` I said, ``Agre and Cyrilla get first dibs.``

Both pups sat at my feet, looking dejected. I laughed, ``You guys act like you haven`t eaten in weeks! Don`t your parents feed you?"

I knew that they were trying, but only their father Agre could hunt, because their mother Cyrilla was so close to having pups. Soon these two would have to hunt for themselves to get enough food.

As I came closer to the den, I saw the dark grey form of Agre in the forest to my left. He loped toward the den, a large rabbit in his mouth. He stopped in front of me and greeted me in his usual way, by bumping his head against my legs. Then he went into the den, which was under the roots of a large oak tree.

"That explains where Cyrilla is," I thought. She must be really close to having pups if she wasn't even leaving the den.

Once Agre came out of the den, I put the chunk of lamb down in front of him, and then backed away. This was a ritual done by all wolf packs, letting the alpha wolf take the first of the kill. Agre tore off a piece, and then I took a piece to show my place in the pack. Once we were done, Thoos and Dromas took the rest and began to eat.

I then realized what time it was, and turned to race back home. All the way I could hear rustles in the forest as Agre loped along beside me, just out of view. It seems that no matter where I go, there is always one of the wolves following me. They never show themselves, but I know they are there.

I had just gotten out of the forest when I was almost trampled by a large horse.

"Hey, watch it!" I exclaimed.

"Sorry," a voice replied from on top of the horse, "I didn't see you!"

"Well duh!" I said, glaring up at the person. I was surprised to see that it was a girl my own age, with long blonde hair and light green eyes. She, like me, was wearing trousers.

"Who are you?" I asked. This was the first girl my own age I had seen in a long time, and I wanted to get to know her better.

"I'm Rebeckah, but most people call me Beckah. My mom and I just moved into that house over there," she said, pointing to my neighbour's house.

"What about your dad?" I asked. What if she didn't know her father either?

She said it was just her mom and her. I said it was the same with me.

We were just getting through introductions when I noticed Agre prowling in the forest behind the girl. He was staring at the horse, and obviously thinking "Lunch."

"Would you like to come inside?" I asked. I had to get her and the horse out of his way before he actually tried to eat the horse.

Beckah looked startled, but agreed. She got off her horse, and I told her to go inside while I put her horse in the stable. At first she didn't want to, but eventually she gave in.

As I walked to the barn, Agre showed up next to me, grinning wolfishly and asking when I was going to share the wealth.

I moved my upper and lower lips to show my teeth, a wolf signal for anger and displeasure.

"Don't you dare touch this horse," I said, and Agre growled his unwilling consent.

After the horse was in the stable and Agre was back in the forest, I returned to the house to join Beckah.

I found her in the kitchen, talking to Jack. Jack was and older man, around 50. He was a skilled carpenter and good with the sheep, so he worked for my mom in exchange for room and board. He had been with us for as long as I can remember, and was part of our small family.

Jack was pouring 3 cups of lemonade.

"Ah, Anna, I was wondering when you were going to show up," He said, "Beckah told me you were putting her horse in the barn, but that usually doesn't take so long, does it?"

He handed me a glass, then gave one to Beckah and sat at the table.

"I had a problem with one of the dogs," I said. By 'dogs', Jack knew I meant 'wolves'. Besides my mom, he was the only other person who knew about my wolf friendship.

Jack nodded. "Well, I hate to cut this visit short," he said to Beckah, "But Anna had to go to the high pasture to help her mom, and I have fences to fix."

"Mom went to the pasture already?" I asked. Jack nodded. "And she took Tresse with her, didn't she?" Again a nod.

Tresse was my mother's horse. She was old and not very fast, but without her it would take 2 hours to reach the high pasture.

I voiced this, and Beckah offered to let me use one of her mother's horses. I agreed, and soon I was trotting to the pasture on a big chestnut stallion named Chester. He was a dream to ride compared to Tresse, and we were making good progress. We were halfway there when I heard howling from behind us. I wasn't scared, because I know wolves would never hurt me, but I had a hard time keeping the horse from bolting.

Thoos and Dromas charged up the hill towards me, whimpering and whining. I caught the words "mother", "pups", and "trouble". That was enough for me. I wheeled Chester around and raced down the hill, Thoos and Dromas close at my heels. We were going dangerously fast, and I hoped that Chester wouldn't step in a gopher hole. What a welcome that would be for Beckah and her mom: "Hey, welcome to your new home! By the way, I broke your horse's leg! Sorry!"

But still, I urged Chester to go faster. "Fly," I thought, and the horse very well seemed to. He went faster, so fast that I couldn't hear his hooves hitting the ground, nor feel the pounding as he did so.

We were soon back down the hill and galloping past my house into the forest. I had to slow the horse down now because there were no safe paths for him. Thoos and Dromas, panting heavily, raced ahead toward the den. I dismounted and looped Chester's reigns over a tree branch. Then I went to the den entrance, where Agre was pacing nervously. I dropped to my kneed and crawled through the entrance. After about 10 feet of tunnel, I came to the main area. I found Cyrilla lying there, deathly still.