Will Cartwright rode up to the big house and dismounted from his stallion, Dealer. He knocked on the door, and stepped back as his uncle, Ben Cartwright, opened it. He looked surprised to see his nephew. "Will, come in. Is everything all right?"

Will stepped inside. "Hello, Ben." He stood with his hat in his hands as his cousins, Hoss and Joe, looked up from their checkers game. Ben put his hand on the young man's shoulder. "Come in and have a seat, Will. Tell us how everything is going."

Will moved further into the room, and turned his hat in his hands. "Hello, Hoss, Joe." They nodded to him but didn't speak.

Ben waited for Will to tell the reason for his visit, but when Will remained silent, he said, "I'll ask Hop Sing to make us some coffee." He left the room, and Hoss and Joe stopped their game and stood up. They stared at him for a moment, and then Hoss asked, "How are you, Will?"

Very polite, Will thought. They still haven't forgiven me for taking Laura away from Adam. Aloud, he said, "I'm well, thank you. How are you?"

"We're fine - just fine," said Hoss. He tried to smile, but just couldn't quite manage it.

"How's Adam?" Will felt guilty about the way things had happened, but he and Laura had fallen in love. They hadn't meant it to happen, but Adam had been busy - building a new house as a surprise for Laura, as it turned out - and Ben had asked Will to help her with business at the Running D. He'd been attracted by her delicate porcelain beauty, her helplessness, and her gentle ways. He'd enjoyed being with her and Peggy - joined them for picnics, taken them for rides, and listened to Laura and soothed her fears. She had been a good listener, too. Whenever they talked, she looked up at him with her blue eyes and made him feel confident in himself and protective of her.

"He's doing well, Will." Joe answered this time. "He's gone to San Francisco to see a doctor there about his back."

Will looked away. Adam had fallen from the roof of the house he'd been building for Laura and seriously injured his back. He'd been confined to a wheelchair for weeks, and then had forced himself to walk to prove to Laura that he didn't need her to care for him, that he released her from their engagement so that she could marry Will. Will had seen the expression on Adam's face that day. It had been agony for him, but he'd forced himself up from the wheelchair, and taken a few painful steps. Laura had run to Will then, and he'd caught her in his arms. They had ridden away in their wagon while Adam had limped into the house with his father's help.

"Is he still having trouble?" Will asked.

"Yes." Joe's answer was short.

To everyone's relief, Ben returned with the coffee. "Well, what have I missed?" he asked. He was trying to put a good face on their first meeting with Will since he and Laura had married, but it was hard with the tension in the room.

"Nothing, Pa," said Joe. "We were just making small talk." He faked a yawn. "I'm sorry, Will, but I'm very tired and I have an early day tomorrow. I'll say goodnight." He turned and went up the stairs without another word.

Hoss watched him go, and then turned to his cousin. "I'm worn out, too,Will. It's good to see you again." He followed Joe up the stairs, and Ben and Will were left staring at each other.

Ben began to apologize. "I'm sorry, Will..."

Will waved his words aside. "No, Ben, it's late for a visit, but I - I don't know what to do. I'm sorry to bother you, but there isn't anyone else." He walked over to the settee and sank down with a sigh. Ben poured the coffee, handed a cup to Will, and then taking a cup for himself, sat down in his favorite chair and waited for Will to explain the reason for his visit.

Now that they were alone, Will seemed to be at a loss for words. He sipped his coffee and wondered how to begin. Ben finally broke the silence.

"How are things at the Running D?"

"Things aren't going well. We have a small cattle herd, and over the past few weeks, a wolf pack has been killing them off. ."

"It's unusual for a pack to be attacking cattle this time of year," he said.

"I know. Have you had any trouble here?"

"The hands haven't said anything, and we haven't seen any signs of wolves. Well, Hoss can track anything. Tomorrow we'll go over to the Running D and see if we can find the pack's trail. Was that all?"

Will kept his seat and stared into his cup as if he could find the words there. "No, no, it isn't, Ben." He looked up at his uncle. "My marriage was a mistake. I'm going to leave Laura and let her get a divorce."

Ben took a deep breath. "Will, have you really thought about what you'll be doing to Laura and Peggy - and yourself?"

"That's all I've thought about for the past two months. I love Peggy as if she were my own child, and I hate the thought of leaving her, but Laura...well, Laura and I just can't get along."

"Will, you're newlyweds. You've never been married before, and Laura's first marriage was unhappy. Maybe you're expecting too much from each other. Every couple has periods of trouble." Ben was truly shocked at Will's decision. "You have to give each other a chance to adjust, give the marriage time and effort."

Will stood up and began to pace. "Laura still loves Adam - I was just a crush - the equivalent of a schoolgirl crush." He spoke bitterly. He walked over to the fireplace and stood looking down at the flames.

"Why do you think she feels -"

"She told me so," Will cut Ben's words off. "She's told me several times as a matter of sorry fact."

"Oh, Will." Ben got up and stood next to his nephew with his arm around his shoulders. "She just spoke out of anger. She didn't mean it."

Will shook his head, and turned to face Ben. "My mind is made up. I'm going to wait until spring before I leave. I want to make certain that Peggy and Laura are safe through the fall and winter." He took a deep breath and sighed. "I wish..." he broke off. "I appreciate everything you've done for me, Ben, everything you tried to do for me." He turned and left without another word.

Ben picked up the cups and took them to the kitchen. He was washing them when Hoss and Joe joined him in the kitchen. "So things aren't working out for cousin Will and Laura?" Joe sneered.

Ben turned on him sharply. "Don't speak that way, Joe! No matter what you think of Will or Laura or the way they treated Adam, this is a tragedy, and an innocent child is involved!"

"I'm sorry, Pa. I didn't think of Peggy, but it's hard to forgive Laura and Will for hurting Adam." Joe looked contrite.

Hoss had picked up a towel and dried the cups and coffee pot. "We heard everything, Pa. I reckon we better get to bed so we can get up early to help Will track that wolf pack tomorrow."

...

As Will cut across the Ponderosa towards the Running D, he heard the howls of wolves running behind him. He bent over Dealer's neck, and dug his heels into the big horse's sides. Dealer moved to a hard gallop. The stallion was as frightened of the wolves as Will, and didn't need encouragement to run full out. They jumped the fence separating the Running D from the Ponderosa, and Will managed to hang on. The wolves followed them over the fence easily. Will glanced over his shoulder, and saw that the pack was getting closer. As he turned back to face the road, he saw wolves coming out of the woods ahead of them. He urged his horse on, hoping the wolves would get out of his way or that Dealer would trample them as they ran.

He turned Dealer off the road, and heard jaws snapping at his heels. Then he felt a sharp pain as one wolf, faster than the rest, sank its teeth into his leg. He kicked it off, and managed to stay on Dealer. Then another wolf gave a leap and bit into Dealer's hind leg. The horse gave a terrible scream and fell. Will went flying through the air, striking a tree, and landing unconscious on the ground. The wolf pack circled the fallen horse, and, as he screamed one last time, they moved in for the kill.