Episode 8

Everyone thought the same thing, but only Demetrio had spoken out.

"Yes, it was horrific. But continuing, I woke Blanca with great difficulty; she was in her bear shifter form and recognized me by scent. I asked her to hand over the little wolf and go into the cave, which she did, almost dragging herself. Inside was a stock of haddock I had caught, which she ate well. I took the little wolf and brought her to the back of the cave where it was warm and cleaned her."

"She was in her wolf form? But I'd never seen her shifted; we searched for a human child the whole time. My God!" exclaimed Demetrio.

"It's true, we hadn't looked for a little wolf," agreed the Alpha. "Continue, Uchoa."

"Well, after cleaning her, I tore a T-shirt to bandage her wounds and poured soup broth into her mouth, knowing that nourishment would quicken her healing. Yet, it took three days for her to begin healing. Her body still ached, but the wounds had closed, and Blanca alternated between sleeping and caring for her."

It was a harrowing tale.

Shirley was in the room, but from the silence, Zoren sensed she was listening and it must have been tough reliving this. To imagine her little one, transformed and devoured by wolves, was a lot for a mother who had always been protective of all children.

"Something broke inside the girl because once she returned to human form, she never shifted into her wolf again. She hunts, tends, and watches over the Pine Forest in human form; she's a very strong girl. The rest she can tell you herself. Blanca cared for her until her teens, then she went to study in the city, at the orphan institute—I apologize, she never spoke of her family or origins," the bear finished, standing to put a large pot of soup on to heat.

But right then, the cabin door opened and in she walked, carrying two elk legs. Zoren stood to help her, but she sidestepped him, heading straight for the sink to drop them off.

She turned, facing him and then eyed the two men standing before her. Something stirred within her at their gaze, unleashing an unbearable pain throughout her body; she fell to her knees, screaming, and began to transform.

In moments, a large white wolf stood before them, baring its fangs, ears pointed, growling.

Zoren watched the immense, beautiful white wolf with blue eyes, an Alpha, and thought there must have been something terribly wrong with her first transformation. She faced them so aggressively, growling, that they were lucky she hadn't attacked yet because Ava wasn't inherently violent.

Ava had killed poachers but not savagely, and though she'd been aloof upon meeting Zoren, she hadn't been hostile, banking on this, he slowly approached, but she bared her sharp teeth even more and growled louder.

Suddenly, the bedroom door flung open, and Blanca stepped through, instantly facing the massive wolf. She covered her mouth, her eyes welling with tears.

"My little wolf, have you come to see me?" To their surprise, Blanca wasn't scared but overjoyed.

The wolf recognized her and ceased growling. She lowered her head and whimpered softly, resembling a little wolf crying for something. Blanca approached and stroked her, her hand moving through the soft fur in a soothing caress. Seizing the moment, Shirley emerged, and the wolf, catching her scent, perked up, recognizing her mother's aroma.

Blanca stepped back as the wolf approached Shirley, licking her face and then resting her large snout on her mother's shoulder. She acknowledged her. But why did she respond differently to the men? What was it about them that provoked anger, or was it a defense instinct?

Shirley embraced the wolf's neck, which was so tall her mother had to stand on tiptoe. Gradually, the wolf calmed down, and it became clear she was returning to human form. Zoren quickly removed his coat, ready to cover his female. And so it was; she returned, still cradled in her mother's arms, as he draped his coat around her.

Ava gazed into Shirley's eyes and uttered the word she longed to hear:

"Mommy, I missed you so much," she cried.

"Me too, my girl, me too. Indeed, we all have," Shirley said, looking at the three men in the room.

But when Ava heard her mother mention the men, she growled at them, driving them back. Without a doubt, something in this situation had not yet been revealed. Was it men in general, or only wolves? Uchoa was a shifter and had taken care of her; she accepted him well, but he was a bear.

Blanca motioned for them to enter the bedroom so Ava could dress. Now the males felt even more unsure than before.

"What could have happened for her to reject us like this?" mused Zoren.

"And it wasn't just you; it was all three of us," added Uchoa.

"I might know why…" Demetrio spoke, his soul crushed, his wolf cowering, unable to forgive himself for his past actions.

"So tell us, boy!" his father commanded.

"Uchoa said she was attacked by wild wolves wanting to devour her. I remember we passed some while searching for Avenise, and they were abusing a pup already stretched on the ground, bloodied, yet they persisted. Remember?" asked Demetrio.

The two—the Alpha and Begai—searched their memories until the Alpha recalled something.

"I remember a scuffle of wild ones fighting for food, but I didn't see clearly what it was. You asked whether we should intervene, and I said it was their affair, not worth halting our search, especially since the creature seemed already dead. Is that it?" recounted the Alpha.

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