Episode 7

So Zoren continued with his explanation:

"All of you followed the problem with the hunters. Demetrio took part in the chase after them and found them dead. They brought back the spoils they found at the camp and…" Demetrio interrupted.

"That's it, the scent of the female, it was the scent of my sister," he said suddenly—"I recognized the scent but didn't know whose it was, and now, with all these memories, I recognized the scent, it was her, she had been there."

"To continue: yesterday I took some of the spoils and went to deliver them to Uchoa, as Blanca was about to give birth. Settle down, Demetrio, and listen," the young man could not stay still—"I arrived just in time to help Blanca give birth and when the last puppy was born, a female walked through the door and I recognized my mate."

"Your mate? But what does that have to do with my sister?" Demetrio, agitated, paced back and forth as if about to strangle someone.

"That's the point, she practically rejected me and when she saw what I had brought, she thought it was me at the camp, then I found out that it was she who killed the hunters. Do you understand now, Demetrio? Do you all understand that my mate could be your daughter?"

Everyone was static, covering their open mouths with their hands. Demetrio sat back down on the sofa, and the couple embraced each other, at a loss for words.

"There's more," they turned to me—"she lives in a wretched cabin, high up on the mountain, in the Pine Forest, her name is Ava, and she doesn't accept family, mate, or pack. It seems her only friends are Uchoa and Blanca. That's why I want you to come up with me to see her," he finished speaking and waited for them to agree to go fetch her, because he wouldn't allow her to stay even one more day up there alone.

Ava got up early and went to a certain point in the forest to check the traps she had set, after all, she needed sustenance beyond just soup. Unfortunately, or perhaps not, she was left without the hunters' spoils, but she liked seeing the alpha take some to Uchoa's family.

Entering the forest, she soon found her traps; in one hung a moose, looking weak and thin from the winter, but its meat would last for a few days, a fine catch. That one was enough, but in another trap lay a puffin, and Ava was puzzled—this bird, also known as the sea parrot, lives on rocky shores near the sea, what was it doing there?

Something was very strange in the territory that had always been peaceful and was suddenly invaded and ransacked, leaving nature in conflict. But now she couldn't do anything for the poor bird, except perhaps a stew. She disarmed the traps, put the bird in her backpack, and hoisted the moose onto her shoulders with its legs forward.

She began the return journey home and, along the way, heard the sound of a car, not knowing much about models, but it seemed to be the alpha's car. She hastened her pace, though it was difficult with the weight of the moose and the soft snow, but she managed to reach her cabin quickly. She took the moose to the back and pulled the bird out of the backpack.

She entered and stoked the fire in the fireplace, placing water in the pot and hanging it to warm. The water was really melted snow and the fireplace served as her stove, for she had none. But she managed well with what she had. There was much work to do, so she started right away.

It took over an hour to clean and cut up the moose, especially since it was almost completely frozen. She packed it in a box with snow and took two legs which she separated and wrapped in plastic bags to take to Uchoa. By this time, the alpha or whoever it was had probably left. But first, she would clean the bird.

***

Zoren climbed the snowy mountain with Ava's family. He first went to talk to Uchoa to see what he knew about Ava's story. Shirley also wanted to visit Blanca and help with something. Of course, everyone was anxious and apprehensive about the reunion with the little one, but they hid it very well.

They arrived and Zoren gently knocked on the door, not to startle the babies. Uchoa soon answered.

"Good morning, alpha, such a crowd of visitors," he said with a smile—"come in, Mrs. Shirley, Blanca is bathing the pups and it's no easy task."

"Don't worry, I came to help, and I brought a cake and homemade cookies, here, take them to the kitchen," said Shirley, handing over two bags.

She walked in and went straight to the bedroom, closing the door behind her. The men sat around the table in the living room and Zoren started the conversation that interested him:

"You must have noticed yesterday that Ava is my mate, but she was quite aloof, and I believe she is the daughter of Shirley and Begay, who disappeared 14 years ago," Zoren began to explain.

"I was unaware of this story. How old was the girl?" asked the bear shifter.

"Six years old," said Begay.

"Wow, it might really be her!" confirmed Uchoa.

"What can you tell us?" the Alpha requested.

Elbows on the table and rubbing his hands together, Uchoa began to recount:

"The winter that year was quite harsh and I sought out a cave to hibernate early on. I stocked up everything I needed inside and settled in. About a month later, my bear sensed an unusual scent at the cave's entrance and woke up. We went to see what it was and the surprise was terrible."

"Do you mean terrible in a bad way?" asked Demetrio.

"Yes. There was a lot of blood. That's when I found my mate; it was her scent that woke me. I went back inside the cave, returned to human form, and dressed. When I examined her, I realized the blood wasn't hers; she was just very weak but clinging to her arms was a wolf pup, badly injured, almost dead," his voice was low and gentle as he recounted, sadness evident in his features.

"Could you identify what kind of injuries they were?" asked the Alpha, equally moved by the narrative.

"They were bites from wild wolves. In this time of intense winter, hunger is so great they consume the weaker ones. They become cannibals. The pup was like that, all bitten, and in some parts missing pieces of skin and even flesh."

"How awful!" exclaimed Demetrio.

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