MATE BY CHANCE

WOLFIE

~EINAR~

It took everything in me not to be scared of the whimpering creature at my feet. I turned off my infrared torch and knelt a good distance from the wolf. Under the dim moon light, I made out its physical features and immediately knew thanks to my shameful past as a hunter, it was a she-wolf. By now she had stopped whimpering and was taking labored breaths, I needed to move her asap but I couldn’t do it without knowing the extent of her wounds. Kneeling closer to her, I carefully brought my gloved hand towards the belly where her fur was matted with blood and dirt. Gently, I prodded the area and reeled back when the wolf let out a painful whimper.

“It’s okay Wolfie, am here to help. I just want to know how badly hurt you are.” I said to the wolf knowing well she couldn’t understand me but I still hoped that she would feel my sincerity. I then proceeded to check her pulse and test for broken bones so I could carry her to my cabin and hope to treat her. When I was done playing doctor, I picked her up and we headed toward my cabin. The walk to my cabin was slow and torturous since she was heavier than she looked. I couldn’t help but wonder who or what could have attacked a wolf and left her dead. Theories ran across my mind as I made my way to my hideout. Did she escape from a hunter's trap or was she attacked by other wolves? One theory that kept running in my mind was the thought of her being the wolf that always watched me. I wanted so badly to believe that she wasn’t my wolf. I had automatically decided for myself that the wolf was mine, I must have been mad but that thought made it easy for me to live in solitude deep in a forest.

Finally, we reached the cabin, my arms and back were on fire but my heart was at rest. Under my solar-powered lights, I got to see wolfie in all her bloody glory and I almost shed a tear at how battered and wounded she was. She had yet to open her eyes or make any sounds and it scared me. I took her back to my small kitchen hoping the warmth would help her. I put her on the rather small kitchen table and turned on my heater. I then filled a bucket with water and added in some antiseptic grabbed a cloth and began cleaning her wounds and fur. She slept through the whole process and I was glad. Once most of the blood was washed away, I could see the rich auburn color of her fur, and once again I was reminded of the same wolf my father had died for. They couldn't be related right? I dismissed the notion and continued to clean her paws and face. I went back to my room and got some anti-biotic cream to apply to the open wounds that mostly needed stitches but I wasn't trained to suture a wound. After dressing her wounds, I covered her and let her rest for the remaining part of the night. It would soon be dawn and I could go back out and check where I found her for any clues on what happened to her.

I crashed on my and tried to catch some sleep, I had a feeling tomorrow would be filled with more surprises. I spent the better part of the night replaying the events of the night my father was shot right in front of me. I never got why he would risk his life for a mere wolf. I had not thought of that day since I fled. I had decided to live like a coward instead of going after the man that pulled the trigger on my father. I wanted to avenge my father, but above all, I wanted to stay alive. It was at times like this that I regretted the life choices I made all because I wanted to be as far away from my father as possible. I did not hate him, I just felt suffocated in the small town and his stupid beliefs about animals. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I was jealous and angry at the fact that he ‘chose’ the shop and the animals over me.

I was too ashamed to begin wanting revenge for him. I kept having a feeling that somehow I was meant to save wolves just as my father did. To get answers, I would have to go back to the town I had run away from. I had managed to put most of our items in storage a few months after I had run away, working with a lawyer who executed my father's will. I glanced back at the kitchen table to the sleeping wolfie and wondered if she had a family. Instantly, I remembered how my father would speak of wolves having mates, and like the foolish boy that I was, I laughed at the word mate. I was taken back to that night…

Flashback ~14 year old Einar~

“Why do you always read that book?” I asked my father, he always seemed to read the same book every now and then. The book looked like something from a fairy tale.

“It's a book on Norse Mythology, today I am reading about wolves, did you know they are descendants of the moon goddess? ” My father answered excitedly. I rolled my eyes at the nonsense he always said. We were not a religious house but still, he kept saying things like goddess and spirits and none of it made sense to me.

“Just so you know, wolves always have one true love, they are called mates, and get this, they are mated for life, basically soulmates. ” He said when I looked interested in whatever he was saying.

“What if the mate dies, or something? What happens ?” I asked out of curiosity… and just to humor him. I couldn’t care less about his myths if anything, I couldn’t wait till I could just leave this town and be free of his weird ideas.

“Then the goddess can be gracious enough and give them another mate, often it's like a miracle since its a mate even they don’t expect, but the bond between them becomes too strong they have no choice but to give in. ” My father answered as he turned another page.

“It's a good thing that it's just a myth…” I said as I got ready to leave the antique shop.

“Well, you never know… it could still be true and such wolves may still exist, who knows maybe I am a wolf .” He said and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Yeah right dad, and maybe I will turn into a wolf on my 16th birthday. ”I answered with a scoff. Him, a wolf? Yeah right.

“Anyways, if you ever question, the answers are in this book. ” He said just as I left the store. The man was getting senile by the years, I thought to myself as I made my way to the movies and like karma, the movie being screened was titled “TEEN WOLVES”. I rolled my eyes and decided to visit the arcade instead.

~End of flash back~

I was brought back from my thoughts when I heard a low growl from the kitchen. I stood and hurried over to the kitchen, not caring that Wolfie would be awake. When I approached the table, Wolfie was still asleep but making the growling sounds. Was she having a nightmare?was such a thing even possible? I did what my dad once did for me when I had a nightmare and rubbed Wolfie’s head in an attempt to calm her down, and just like magic, she settled down and to my surprise, nuzzled into my palm. I pulled a chair next to her and continued to rub her soft fur, loving how it felt under my fingers. At some point, the growling had completely been replaced by light snores as wolfie went back to her sleep. I tried getting up after I sensed she was calm enough but sat back down when she began to whimper. I chuckled and made myself as comfortable as I could, laying my head dangerously close to Wolfie’s front paws. In my mind, saving Wolfie was me redeeming myself in my father’s eyes. I convinced myself that her life was somehow tied to mine, I was being irrational, but I needed something to somehow make up for my short givings with my father.

I remembered my father’s words and silently sent a prayer to the goddess, the forest spirits, and anyone who could hear. I did not want any more death around me, she had to live.

“Let Wolfie live…” I whispered as I stared out the kitchen window, at the beautiful crescent moon.