"What were you thinking?" Mitch asks lightly as he looks down at Mato.
"What does it matter?" Mato questions, gasping for breath. The rest of the pack transform into their human shapes, and follow Mitch back toward the den.
"Are you trying to kill yourself?" Mitch questions, looking down at Mato with demanding eyes as he walks toward the den.
"No...it's just my natural reaction when I get majorly hurt." Mato says in-between gasps. She eventually closes her eyes, and clings to his chest. "Am I going to die?" She asks in a light voice.
"We're not going to let you. Just hang on." Mitch says with a determined look on his face. Mato nods just as they get to the den. Mitch carries her inside, and toward their great aunt.
"What happened?" Their great Aunt Persia demands as she walks toward Mitch.
"I punished her for being stupid, and she decided to transform back into her human shape." Mitch says, looking down at Mato with worried and angry eyes.
"Bring her over here." Persia commands, ushering Mitch toward a bed made out of grass and leaves with a stream of light coming through the top of the cave. Mitch nods, and walks with the old woman toward the spot.
"Can you help her?" Mitch asks, looking at Persia with serious eyes.
"Yes. Take the pack out hunting." Persia commands after looking at Mitch for a moment.
"Everyone!" Mitch gasps, looking at the old woman with wide eyes.
"Everyone except Yukki." Persia says with a sigh.
"Yes." Mitch says with a bow, knowing better than to argue with the old woman. He turns to everyone, and they all follow him out of the den.
"Okay, young one. Let's get you fixed up." Persia says, looking down at Mato's heavily breathing form. She touches one of the huge cuts on Mato's stomach, causing her to yelp, and almost fly to her feet. "It'll help a great deal if you would stay still, young one." Persia says, holding Mato still. Mato nods, closing her eyes. Persia begins her delicate work to heal her.
A couple hours pass, and Persia had just moved Mato to the leaf bed when Mitch and the pack return from the hunt. He walks over to her, and kisses her forehead.
"Is she going to be all right?" Mitch asks, turning his head to look at Persia.
"She'll be fine." Persia says with a smile on her face. She looks down at Mato, and smiles. "She has a strong will." She says in an affectionate voice.
"I know." Mitch says, turning his head back to look at Mato. He sighs, and sends everyone to their respective places within the den. He lays down next to her, and kisses the side of her neck. She wakes up, and looks over her shoulder at him. "I was serious when I called you my bitch. I will not let you die yet." Mitch says in a serious voice as he lays his head on her shoulder.
"Yeah well..." Mato says in a tired voice. Mitch shuts her up by pulling her into him. He smiles at the confusion he can smell coming off her.
"Mine, forever." Mitch says in a light voice as he falls asleep, leaving Mato to her thoughts.
*I can't belong to him! That just can't happen. I have to get back to my pups.* Mato mentally says, torn between her maternal instincts and the warmth Mitch is giving off. She tests his grip on her, before deciding against trying to break away tonight. *I'll try tomorrow.* She says with a mental shrug as she closes her eyes and goes to sleep.
A couple months pass, and Mato is having her puppies when suddenly, Persia walks out of the den and over to Mitch.
*Well?* Mitch questions, looking at Persia with impatient eyes.
"She had seven pups." Persia says with a smile on her face.
*Can I go see her?* Mitch asks, looking past Persia, toward the cave.
"Only you. No one else is going to go by her for the next few days. Understood?" Persia demands, looking around at the other wolves gathered there.
*Yes!* Everyone says, bowing their heads. Mitch walks past Persia, into the den. The moment he had gotten inside, he hears the pack all raise their heads in song at the new members of the family. He smiles as he walks to the far side of the den, and looks at Mato with hesitant eyes.
*How are you doing?* Mitch asks, looking down at her.
*I'm...fine...* Mato says, still breathing hard.