Chapter 2

Dinner

Sam's POV

I got some squirrels and chickens from my stash and brought them to the cave. Alex and Britney tended the fire. Their fur was shiny in the light.

"Hey, Sammy. What took you so long?" Alex asked as she turned around. Her ears perked up. "Whoa, what happened?"

Britney got me a rag and some water. I wiped my face. "I was getting more food when some hunters found me."

"Hunters?!" Britney cried.

"We can't leave yet! Clover's still in heat." Alex said, dismayed.

"NO, guys, it's ok. Another human saved me. I think he was patrolling his territory. He summoned more humans and they took the hunters away." I rushed to soothe them.

"I still don't like it." Alex frowned.

"But that still doesn't explain the blood." Britney said.

"I got in a fight." I said simply. They would make us leave if they knew I attacked a human.

"You got real lucky this time. Winning the fight and escaping the hunters." Alex told me.

"I know. I was trying to get back when the hunters spotted me." My ears flattened.

"It's not your fault." They hugged me.

"We should probably avoid the area for now." Britney suggested.

"Yeah…" I went the fire.

They cooked the meat and I warmed up. Alex's tail wagged as she talked. The dog Satyr was a few generations wild born. Her great grandmother was abandoned by her owner and she was taken in by a friendly dog pack. Britney was some kind of big cat like Clover was.

"Hey, girls." The cougar stretched as she walked out the heat nest.

"Hey, Clover." We greeted.

"What happened today?" She asked.

"Why you don't you tell her, Sammy?" Alex said.

"Well, um… Ok, it wasn't my fault, but I got in a fight." I decided that was easier to start with.

"Wh-" Clover frowned.

"Shh." Britney shushed her.

"And when I was getting food, some hunters found me…" I whimpered.

"HUNTERS?!" Clover roared.

We whined as the heat strengthened scent hit our noses. It was sharp and sour. We released our own scents to her calm. She still looked annoyed though.

"It was east of the cave, past the apple orchard. Another human was patrolling his territory and had the hunters taken away. He saved me." I explained.

"That's so far out." Britney furrowed her brow.

"I couldn't help it." I shrugged.

"You're staying near the cave for the next few days." Clover warned me.

"Fine." I mumbled.

"Good. Don't worry us like that." She nuzzled me lightly.

She smelt a bit stale. It was difficult to take a bath when the river was frozen. And we didn't really have enough land or Satyrs to make a steam lodge. Only well off packs would be able have them. We would have go to our old pack to use theirs. But I'd heard the city Satyrs lived in cages until a human decided they wanted a Satyr.

"It was bad luck. You couldn't help it." Alex patted my thigh.

"Here." Britney passed us skewer.

We ate quietly. Everyone had few pieces of chicken or squirrel. It had been a long night. I chewed the bones and thought. The man saved my life. Most humans wouldn't have cared. I'd go search for his den as soon as I could. I think they ate chickens…Then we cleaned up and let the fire die. We burrowed in our nests. I went to sleep as soon as I laid down.

Wild born, aka strays, are Pets that are born/live away from humans. The ones born in the countryside are considered to be pests. The city strays are more likely to be taken to shelters or fostered until they can find a human owner/family that will adopt or host them.

Even though I haven't specified, this takes place in America. Pet packs existed parallel to Native American tribes and had similar technologically achievements. The knowledge got shared and passed down. In modern times, packs are limited by space, resources, and geographical features. But sometimes they inhabit abandoned buildings.

Sam calls it a steam lodge, but it's based on muk'ee, Eskimos traditional method of bathing. Not to mistaken with sweat lodges, which are spiritual. Packs use the lodges the most during winter and fall.