A Son of Wolves 3
Chapter 12: Diggers
Eve couldn't relax; neither could Kate and Lily who sat either side of their mother, the three she-wolves wanting to spend some quality time together in this dark time. She knew Leo was progressively getting worse at a rate she didn't anticipate, far quicker then she first thought. Both Kate and Lily, as well as the rest of the family, knew this; they knew he had a month at least before the disease took full effect. Everyone reassured each other that Charlie and Skye would be back in at least four or five days, giving both Leo and Cara plenty of time. Cara was still another case for Eve. Cara couldn't even guess how long ago she was bitten; she had to estimate at least three or four weeks. If she was at the stage where they can't control their actions and become more violent, then Eve had to guess herself as say she too had around the same time left as Leo. Eve couldn't relax, for she knew there was nothing she could do to help Leo, Kate couldn't think straight for the fear of losing her first pup, and Lily, being an Omega, couldn't think of a way to lighten the situation.
So this morning, Eve needed to spend some time with her daughters, the only things she had left of Winston, even though they looked nothing like him, they had half his blood in them. They lay outside Kate's den, the front of it and looking out and over the Valley from the tall cliff they were on. Eve had her head rest on her paws, her tail delicately swishing in the dirt behind her and Kate mimicking her actions while Lily had her head up and looking over her pack's territory. The silence was beginning to get too much at one point for Kate; things were tense enough as it is so the last thing she wanted was for it to follow her here. "So, Lily, how's being Pack Leader treating you so far?" She asked and lifting her head.
"It's ok. It's great that I can control the pack, but it just…"
"You're an Omega." She smiled. "It's not you style." Lily shook her head in agreement.
"I'm not made for responsibility, neither are my girls and they're both Omegas, but still one of them is going to be Pack Leader some day."
"Garth will train them up." Eve sighed as she raised her head. "If anyone can make a leader out of them it's him."
"I don't doubt it." Lily laughed slightly. "I know he loves the girls with all his heart, but I also know he wanted a boy to make have as an Alpha and therefore a leader of the pack."
"So sexist." Kate giggled. "What's wrong with a female leader? I mean…his mom was the leader of the Northern Pack."
"I don't know, but then again I've always wanted a boy as well. We've been talking about trying again for pups lately too."
"Lily, that's great!" Kate exclaimed happily. "Do you really think you're ready for more?"
"I think so; I've always missed when the girls were tiny pups. It would make me happy and also Garth if we had at least one boy."
"That's amazing dear; we can't wait to hear the news later on." Eve grinned and placing her paw over hers.
"Thanks." Lily replied happily, now seeing things lighten up around the three of them. "What about you Kate? Are you and Humphrey thinking about it?"
"Are you seriously asking me that?" Kate asked back with an obvious tone and facial expression. Lily didn't think of her words before she said them. She was so stupid, Kate was barren; it was a miracle that she even conceived Japer, Dom and Skye, let alone more afterwards. "As much as I'd love you Lily, and as much as I'd love to have more children running around, A. You know that's not possible. And B. We've got enough as it is. Six, that's enough for one lifetime for me I think." She laughed quietly.
"Sorry, I didn't think straight."
"It's ok, if anything its great, means I can have a better sex life then you."
"Ok girls…" Eve interrupted before hearing too much. "No need to go there."
"Sorry mom, forgot you were here for a moment." Kate giggled. "But seriously…" She then whispered over to Lily. "Sucks to be you."
"Shut up!" Lily laughed and sweeping a paw full of dirt in her direction and covering her in it. The she-wolves started laughing. Admittedly, Lily did feel ever so slightly jealous, but by the fact that Kate was Barren, but because no matter what time of year it was, they could mate without consequences and satisfy any urges.
"Mom! Grandma!" Someone screamed from their right. The laughter quickly subsided as they looked down the slope to see Grave running at paw press speed towards them.
"Grace, what's wrong honey?" Lily asked.
"It's Leo, something wrong. We think he's getting worse!" She said in a panicked frenzy. They didn't waste any time, bolting straight down the slope. Kate, being an Alpha and Leo's mother, found herself running faster then her elderly mother and Omega sister and niece, she had to get there to see for herself. What they found was the den, outside it Sahara right up against the bars, as normal, but Dom, Jasper and Collette a little distance away. Sahara looked back as they came running towards them.
"Eve, please help, I can't get him to stop." She pleaded with watery eyes.
"Why, what's happening?" Kate asked as she reached them and looked through the bars. At first, she thought he had done something to Cara, or the other way around, but no. Car was stood on the far side of the den, curled up in the corner and shaking from what looked like fear as she watched Leo. He was to the left of the den, digging a hole, his paws going fast and flicking the dirt out behind him. He was up to his shoulders in the den; he had already dug what seemed to be a few feet inside.
"Leo, what are you doing?" Kate asked. He didn't answer; he continued to dig as if digging for his life. He grunted and groaned as he dug deeper into the hole he was making.
"Leo, can you hear us?" Eve asked. Still nothing.
"It's to enveloping stage, isn't it?" Sahara questioned, although she knew she was right.
"It can't be, it's too early for that stage." Eve said shaking her head.
"The what stage?" Kate asked, ready to cry and do something. What was happening to him?
"The enveloping stage, it's when mad wolves need to be in a confined space. They'll dig, find a bolt hole or even a small den, they just need to get into a place that's really small."
"Mom, what's going on?" Collette asked as the children walked closer.
"Stay back guys!" Lily called back to them.
"But this only happens at the later stages." Sahara sniffed. "You said he had a month."
"I though that too." Eve muttered. "Cara, just stay back there sweetheart." She called towards the shaking she-wolf in the corner.
"He was growling at me." She sniffed as well. "He looked at me as if he didn't know who I was." She gulped.
"He'll be ok, just stay there." They watched as he continued to furiously dig, he'd hurt himself if he didn't stop soon. But Eve knew he wouldn't until the hole was finished, which could take over an hour. She looked a little way into the den, seeing the phone Charlie left behind, but it was too out of reach for her. Leo moved it away from the bars last time they used it so any rain wouldn't ruin it. "We've got to let Charlie and Skye know about this, they must hurry up."
"But we can't reach." Kate said as they all looked around for a way to reach it.
"I… I can' get it." Cara stuttered. Eve didn't see another way. Leo was in the stages of a Mad Wolf; he could attack and even kill her if she wasn't careful. Eve nodded her head.
"Just…be slow and careful." Cara shakily got to her paws and hugged the wall as she walked around Leo who didn't notice her moving. He was far to preoccupied to notice her. But she was playing it safe, so she had her side grazing the wall as she walked around him and towards the phone. Her tail was tucked tightly under her as she watched him carefully, never taking her eyes off him until she felt herself stepping onto the phone. It made a few beeping noises as she trod on it and suddenly Leo stopped what he was doing and moved back out of the hole enough to look at them. His eyes, they couldn't stand seeing the red starting to show in them, but no-where near to the amount of red Cara had in hers. Nobody moved, they all saw what Cara had said; the look he gave them was of one emptiness, a look that showed he didn't know who they were or what they were doing here. It was an aggressive and violent look. Cara didn't move, she kept her paw in the air as they watched him growl quietly and go back into the hole to carry on digging. Cara nudged to phone towards them, letting Eve scoop it out with her paw and bring it out. Cara didn't move for her new spot.
Eve walked back away from the den a little and dropped the phone between her paws. She started blankly at it as she tried to figure it out again. "Now how did he say this thing works?" She questioned to herself. She placed one paw on it, then it all came back to her. That first button, she pressed and held it, then it started to make a buzzing kind of noise, meaning it had worked. She looked back at the den, seeing Kate and Sahara watching Leo continue to dig and Cara who watched him, fearing the fact she was only five feet from a killer. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, putting two violent wolves in the same small space.
On the other side of the line, Charlie heard his phone ringing from his pocket. He looked at it, seeing who was calling them. "Eve?" He asked into it.
"Charlie, is that you?" She asked.
"It's me, is everything ok?" He asked.
"You guys need to hurry up, you don't have much time."
"Why, what's wrong?" Skye asked from the passenger seat.
"Leo's getting worse." She answered, making the two look at one another in worry. "I don't think he has much time left, the disease is spreading quickly."
"Does he have a week?" He asked. "We won't be any only then five days at least."
"I think so, but you need to hurry up."
"What about Cara, grandma?" Skye asked.
"We've got her; she's in the same den as Leo. She's fine for the moment. By the looks of her I don't think she has much time either."
"Keep up updated; we'll call you back when we find the pack."
"You haven't found them yet?" She asked.
"No, we only got into Alaska last night." Skye answered. Eve began to worry; they were taking a lot of time to do this.
"Just…be quick. I'm not sure if Leo will get worse any quicker."
"We will. Take care Eve." And with that the line went dead. She looked back to the den, Sahara and Kate continued to try and get Leo to stop, if not that then to try and get him to recognise them, all of course to no success.
"Hurry up Charlie, please hurry." She took the phone back into her mouth and walked towards the mouth of the den. She readied it throw it inside, but her tooth pushed down on a button, causing the phone to let out a loud, buzzing and high pitched ring. It caused her to seethe a little, but it caused Leo to loudly whine and fall to the floor and clasp his paws over his head as well as Cara. She relaxed and squeezed her jaw again, another one of her teeth pressing another button and the noise stopped. Leo looked back towards them, that look no more apparent in his eyes as he looked to them dozily.
"What happened, I think I blacked out?"
Meanwhile, Charlie placed his phone back into his pocket and let out a long sigh as he did. "She sounded desperate." Skye said.
"We're nearly at the park, let's just find this pack and get home." He replied and looking to the road ahead of him.
So that's what they did. From their overnight to the park, which they were currently halfway between, it would take six hours. But Charlie soon found himself putting his foot down and going faster, reducing their journey time by an hour. But still, they had a lot of ground to cover to fins this pack. They parked at the top of a cliff, amazingly giving them a great view of the park, the meadows, great plains and dense forests. Even the higher, rockier areas known for their mountain lions. The pack was over one hundred kilometres wide and nearly two hundred from south to north, it could take days, if not over a week to find this pack in this great area. Still, Charlie was determined to find them, and with Skye it shouldn't take as long as they initially thought. Which was good.
They hopped and stepped out of the doors, groaning as they stretched off and being happy that they could move more freely. They didn't have a single break this time, the journey only took five hours and they needed to hurry now more then ever. The relief they felt as Skye arched her back up and stretched her forepaws outwards and Charlie reaching up and twisting his back. But this couldn't last long, they couldn't hang around. "So now that we're here, what now?" Skye questioned.
"What do you think? We go in there and find this pack." He replied as she walked around to the back and opened the trunk.
"Of they're still around, I can smell them out."
"I'm banking on it." He replied as he rummaged around for his rifle. He pulled it out and as well as a small rucksack. Inside there was spare ammo, water, some snacks, they'd sleep in the car tonight if they didn't find them today. It was mid-afternoon, they had about five hours of light left before it was dark, and Charlie was prepared for anything to come his way. He rested the rifle against the back as he went in search of the tranquiliser gun, and as Skye came around to join him she nearly walked into it. She couldn't take her eyes off it, she had only seen on before when she was at Alpha school, they had one as a souvenir to show the "Alpha's in training" what a human bang stick could do and how they kill. Charlie had one, would he use it on her? Meanwhile, Charlie opened the small case the gun was kept in. He took it out, checked it over and also removed from the box some ready-to-use darts, filled with Triosene Proximate, a fast acting anaesthetic. It would put a wolf out cold in ten seconds. He loaded one into it, it was for the pack should they find them and they weren't willing to come. He put it on safety and tucked it into the back of his trousers and put the spare darts in his bag before getting up. Skye shook her head to get rid of the thoughts that dwelled in her mind at the same time Charlie picked up the rifle and shut the trunk. He readied the gun, dropping in a round and placed it on safety for his and Skye's protection.
"Let's get this over with." He said as they walked towards the cliff where a gently path was made and lead down into the park. The cliff was fenced off for the public's safety. "Where would you propose we start? You're a wolf, if you were a rare species and in hiding, where would you go?" Skye looked around, her eyes darting from place to place as she thought long and hard.
"I'd go somewhere that nobody would think I'd be, someplace nobody would even come." Her eyes then set onto the rocky slopes a few miles further. It reminded her of a larger version of the howling rock; it was covered in jagged rocks and points as it reached up high in steeper parts then other. "There." She pointed. "Where better to hide then in a spot full of cougars, a place humans wouldn't even go to."
"Then let's go, we don't have long." He insisted as he walked around to and to path down into the forest with Skye following after. "If you get a scent of anything, let me know."
"Got it." She replied as they started walking down the path. "We're nearly half way there; I've enjoyed this so far." Charlie couldn't disagree more; she wasn't exactly the greatest travelling companion.
"Let's just find this pack, and get home." She saw he disagreed, to be honest she agreed with him, he wasn't exactly the best person to travel with either. He lacked a sense of fun and risk, something her Omega personality gave her.
"How do you even propose on getting one of them to come with us?"
"I'll ask first, if they still say no then I have no problem in wolf-napping." He answered with complete honesty.
"You can't be serious?" She asked as they neared the bottom of the steep slope. "You're the expert on our kind; you should know a pack isn't going to just let you take one of them."
"Why else do you think I brought these?" He questioned and gesturing to the guns.
"I don't approve of this." He sighed and shaking her head. "This isn't a good idea."
"I'll bring the wolf back in one piece, they'll be safe and I'll explain everything."
"At least let me do the talking." She semi pleaded. "A talking human would not only spook them, but it would sound like a trap to me." He didn't like that idea either; she hasn't exactly been doing as she's been told lately like she first promised. But he did see some sense in it. Plus he was carrying a gun; it would give off the wrong impression.
"Fine, but if your way doesn't work we're using my way."
They walked and walked, Charlie followed Skye who seemed to know where she was going. She could smell the faint smell of cougar being carried by the wind, so simply she just had to walk into it and it would lead them to that rocky area. Several times, Skye tried to strike conversation between her and Charlie, it never lasted long, his eyes were set on finding this pack quickly and getting home. So was she, but they could at least try and ease the tension a little. As the light started to fade, the trees around them started to thin out and be replaced by rocks and boulders as the ground started incline into a slope. In Skye's nose, the smell of mountain lion was growing heavier the higher they started to climb, so she became more alert with each step she took. Each sound she heard she treated it as a possible threat and readied herself for anything.
Dusk was turning the sky orange, and as much as Skye insisted that they head back before something finds them, he wanted to find this pack before they did. They were so close, they couldn't turn back now. Who knows, the packs could be just around the corner. Or…over the next ledge.
Charlie threw Skye up and onto the ledge that she wouldn't be able to climb up. She couldn't stick the landing and fell onto her front with a thud, and because of the place they were in; it was hard stone she fell onto. "Whoops." Charlie chuckled sarcastically. She groaned a little as she pushed herself back to her paws and looked around where she was. It was like one of the platforms of the howling rock back in Jasper, only to a far larger scale. She scented the air before wanting to continue, it was then she had a breakthrough. Not only did the huge scent of cougar flood her nostrils, but also, and for the first time since they stepped out of the car, the scent of a wolf came to her. She laughed and opened her eyes to look, she couldn't see them, but they were here somewhere. "Got anything?"
"They're close, I can smell them." She answered and turning to look back down at them. But there was on problem… "How are you going to get up here?" He couldn't reach, not even if he jumped, the ledge was out of his reach.
"I'll find another way up, just stay there and don't move." He answered as he picked up gun back up and started walking around and to the right. Of course she was going to ignore him, she could find them and convinced them by the time Charlie came to sue his method. She turned and walked towards the centre of the clearing like platform, lifting her nose into the air and inhaled deeply.
This was dangerous; this place seemed to be the heart of cougar activity. And it was dusk, the time they like to come out and hunt. She had to be quiet. The same smell came back to her, that of a wolf's. It was either somewhere close or it had been here within the hour. Her ears perked and she readied to fight when she heard the sound of small pebbles falling to her right. There was nothing there, but something had to cause them to fall, right? She quickly looked up, seeing something white quickly move away from the ledge about her. It looked like a tail. Her eyes widened, they were her!
She turned around and ran back the way she came in search of a path leading up there, there had to be a way if the pack was up there. She found one, a steep and jagged gap inside the mountain, filled with rocks and boulders. She climbed them, careful not to slip or fall to spook the pack away. She and Charlie had come so far, they couldn't lose them now. She struggled in a few spots, but the same saying her heard constantly in Alpha school came to mind. "An Alpha never gives up!" She pushed herself to go on and finally she reached the top. As she did, Charlie came around after finding his own way up, and also seeing her disappear up the top of the crack, a gap too small for him to climb up. "Oh for crying out loud." He muttered angrily.
To her right was a steep drop back down the mountain, to her left were lines of large rocks and beyond them was another platform much like the area for was on earlier. She hid behind one of the boulders and peaked over, but to something she didn't expect to see. There wasn't a pack; this clearing was huge, enough for a pack to live. Another cliff face was to the right of her, a large cave inside it and facing the circular clearing. There was grass covering most of the area, the rock only laid in front of the den. To her astonishment, there wasn't a pack, but a single white wolf, who at first sight she thought to be her Aunt Lily or Sahara. She used one paw to dig into the soil, not aware of her presence. Clearly it was a she-wolf, so some girl on girl talk would do her some good before Charlie found her. But just as she was about to step around, Charlie made an entrance.
"There you are! He exclaimed loudly. "I told you not to move." Skye couldn't believe him, what an idiot! She looked back to the she-wolf who looked to them, unable to believe she had been found by a human. She turned to run away in the opposite direction when Skye did something. "Wait!" She called out. "Please, we're not going to hurt you!" The she-wolf stopped just as she made it to the corner, it must have been another way off this platform. "Please, we just want to talk." Skye pleaded calmly as she stopped in the middle of the clearing. The she-wolf opened her mouth to answer, but then Charlie stepped, a human carrying a bang stick in her eyes.
"Bozhe moy…" (Oh my god) She gasped. Skye tilted her head and Charlie stood just behind her wondering if heard what he just heard.
"What?" Skye asked in utter confusion. She was talking gibberish, was she sick?
"Tam v chelovecheskiy!" (There's a human!) She yelled loudly and pointing back to Charlie.
"Is…is she talking Russian?" He asked as he looked towards her. The she-wolf started to run again when Skye stopped her.
"Please don't run!" She called out again, making the she-wolf stop again and look back to her. "We need help."
"Chego ty khochesh'?" (What do you want?) She said, a tone in her voice made it sound if she was asking a question.
"Great, she's Russian. She can't understand a word we're saying." Charlie scoffed. Skye just growled in annoyance.
"Please, my name's Skye." She said simply and as if she was talking to a pup, simply and sweetly. "This is Charlie…" She added pointing back to him. "We're looking for a White Wolf and we were wondering…"
"White Wolf?" The she-wolf asked.
"Did she talk English?" Charlie asked.
"Oni ne vokrug lyuboy beloy Wolve zdes'." (There aren't any White Wolves around here.) She said afterwards and shaking her head. Ok, this wasn't getting anywhere. This was a devious plan this wolf was pulling off. They couldn't understand a word she was saying; she could have some fun with this.
"You're white, are you a White Wolf?" The she-wolf didn't answer.
"She's close enough." Charlie answered and quickly pulling out he tranquilliser pistol and firing it. He hit her in the shoulder, a loud yelp escaping her muzzle as it quick flowed into her system and started affecting her.
"Charlie! What the heck!" Skye screamed.
"She'll be fine." The she-wolf turned to run away, as soon as she did however she grew faint, her legs turning to jelly and her vision impairing. She didn't take three steps before she was on the floor and out cold.
"Why did you do that?" Skye continued to yell as they walked towards her.
"She'll be fine; she won't wake up until tomorrow." He knelt down beside her and pulled out the dart. "White Wolves originate from Russia, she's a wolf talking Russian, she has to be one of them." He put a lid on it and put it back inside his back and pulled out a dog's muzzle. Skye watched him this wasn't the plan, but then again she hasn't exactly been following his after all. "It's so she doesn't hurt one of us later on." He said as he slipped it over her muzzle and clip it on, now she wouldn't be able to open her mouth. He put his bag back on and scooped her up in his arms to sling her over his shoulder. "Let's just get back to the car; we'll deal with her in the morning."
"How can you be so sure she's one of them?" Skye asked.
"She's either one of them or she's very good at talking Russian. If that's the case she had to learn from someone, a White Wolf maybe. She's either one of them or she'll lead us to one."
