His Oblivious Mate

Chapter 2 : Unexpected Guest

Catherine hummed as she prepared her breakfast. It was freezing cold outside, but that would not stop her from exploring the woods. She needed inspiration to sculpt. Her camera was ready at the door, just waiting to be used. She can't even remember the last time she used it. She herself was dressed warmly in thermal underwear, comfortable jeans, a long sleeved T shirt with a jersey and a thick jacket. Her faithful hiking boots and fuzzy socks completed the outfit. She debated whether to put on a beany, but then decided it was overkill.

All she needed was breakfast. She ate, her mind wandering to the woods outside. She wondered what was hidden by the trees. Maybe deer. She got excited at the prospect of possibly capturing images of wildlife. She finished eating and cleaned the dishes.

Closing the door behind her, she laughed when she caught herself locking it. "Who is going to break into your house Cathy, the squirrels?" she chided herself.

Choosing what looked to be an old footpath, she followed it into the trees. She stopped every now and then to snap photos of pretty rocks, and majestic looking trees. She breathed in the crisp, cold air deeply, and a serene smile graced her face. Her green eyes sparkled.

She drew a very deep breath and stared at the scene in front of her in awe. A mini waterfall, the water cascading down rocks and flowing away in a small stream. She took a few photos and then sat down on a rock, just enjoying the silence and peace of the moment. She could see herself packing a picnic basket and bringing a book to spend the day here.

She got up and continued along the path. When she passed through an opening in the trees, her heart sank into her boots. She cautiously approached the furry back she saw. Her first instinct was to run away back along the path when she realized she was looking at a wolf. But the expression on the wolf's face stopped her. It looked like a deer caught in headlights. When she looked at the wolf's paws, she saw that the hind leg of the poor creature was trapped in a bear trap. Anger at whoever placed it there, pushed the fear she felt away. "You poor creature" she spoke softly to the wolf, slowly walking around the wolf to get to where the trap is. The wolf looked into her eyes with its yellow eyes, and howled softly. "Don't worry, I will have you free in no time" Catherine comforted it gently.

She assessed the damage to the wolf's leg and saw that it didn't look too gruesome on the outside. She examined the mechanism, then pressed down on the springs and the trap fell open. The wolf gingerly moved her paw away. Catherine sat still, waiting to see how the creature would react, half expecting it to attack. The wolf licked her arm and pressed its snout against her side. "Hi there, girl. I am Catherine, or Cathy for short" she told the she-wolf after noticing the gender of the wolf. The wolf tried to get up then yelped when she stepped on her injured paw.

"Oh no, my first aid kit is back at home. Any chance you would trust me enough to come with me so I can see what I can do about those injuries?" Cathy questioned the wolf. The wolf looked at her and then barked, curiosity in her intelligent eyes. Cathy got up and headed to the path. She looked back and saw the she-wolf following her with a limp. "I take it that is a yes" she chuckled as she lead the way back to the cabin. She kept a slow pace so that the wolf could keep up with her.

She stopped at the mini waterfall again so the the she-wolf could rest and get off her injured limb for a while. She gently stroked they grey fur behind the she-wolf's head telling her "you are an exceptionally large wolf. So beautiful".

It almost looked to Cathy like the wolf was smiling. It yipped. "Ready to go girl?" she asked, getting up. The wolf rose slowly, then barked.

When they reached the cabin, Cathy held the door open for the wolf. The wolf stopped in the door, glancing in and sniffing the air. "It is okay Girl. You will be safe here" Cathy told her. The wolf stepped into the cabin and sat down. "Wait here, I will be back shortly" Cathy told her, going upstairs. She grabbed the continental pillows from the guest bed as well as a blanket, then collected the first aid kit from the bathroom. She went back downstairs. The wolf was where she left her, watching her intently. Cathy walked over to the fireplace and placed the pillows down in front of it. Then she spread the blanket over the pillows. She started a fire in the fireplace.

"Come make yourself comfortable" she invited the wolf. The wolf limped over to her, got onto the make shift bed, then lay down. Cathy moved close to her with the first aid kit. "Okay Girl, I am just going to look at your injuries and see what I can do about it. Would that be okay?" she asked the wolf. The wolf just c****d her head at Cathy. She reached for the hind leg of the wolf slowly, ready to stop and move away if the wolf showed signs of aggression, but there was none. She gently took the paw and inspected it. There was a gash and it was a little swollen. Cathy was surprised that the injuries wasn't worse, considering that it was a bear trap. But luckily it appeared that the wolf's leg was not broken. Cathy gently cleaned the gash, then bandaged the paw. The wolf didn't make a sound. Not even a small whimper. "You are so brave" Cathy commented, "if it happened to me I would be a crying mess right now. I do not have a high threshold for pain".

The wolf placed her head on her front paws and closed her eyes. "You can rest here as long as you need to Girl" Cathy told her. She got up and washed her hands at the kitchen sink. She took steaks out of the freezer and placed them in the microwave oven to defrost. "I will make us some dinner. Or would you prefer your steak raw?". This earned her a bark from the resting wolf, and a slight tail wag. "Wow, it is like she understood me" she thought to herself "but she probably smells the meat". While she was preparing the meal, she was blissfully unaware of the chaotic exchange between her guest and the beta of the pack of werewolves living about ten kilometres away from her cabin.

"WHERE ARE YOU CASSANDRA?!?" beta Duncan roared through the mind link, almost causing the she wolf to visibly wince. "I am safe. I was caught in a bear trap. I was going to shift to get out, but a human woman found me. She freed me, and she treated my injuries at her cabin" she answered. "Where is the cabin?" Duncan questioned. "Uhm. You are not going to like this. It is old man Johnson's cabin" she told him. "ARE YOU MAD? HE IS A HUNTER. HE WILL KILL YOU CASS. DID THEY FORCE YOU TO GO THERE? DON'T WORRY, I WILL COME RESCUE YOU!" Duncan's voice thundered in her mind again. "Wait Duncan. Listen to me. No one forced me to come here. The woman is really nice and gentle. I don't believe she is related to Johnson. I didn't smell him here either, the cabin only carries her scent" she linked. "Are you sure" the reply came. "Yes, I am positive that she isn't a threat. In fact, she is preparing dinner. And she is going to feed me raw steak. I need that to heal" Cassandra reasured him. "Fine then. But I am coming over to keep an eye on both of you. Don't let her suspect that you are anything but a wolf. You know the rules" his voice came again. "Don't be seen, and don't do anything to scare her. I like her" Cassandra shot back before closing the link. She peaked through her eyelids and saw Cathy working in the kitchen, humming and dancing to some unheard tune in her mind. She mentally chuckled at her. She is grateful for the little time off from patrolling their territory. She wondered what happened to old man Johnson, but then she placed all thoughts from her mind, drifting off to sleep. She was warm and comfortable, and her leg and paw was healing, so she didn't feel pain anymore.

She was woken up by Cathy that placed a plate with a raw steak in front of her, as well as a bowl of what smelled like warm milk mixed with egg. "I am sorry, I have no idea what wolves eat. I used to live in the city. I know milk and eggs are good to regain energy, but if you don't want it, I can get you water" Cathy said, looking at her with an unsure expression on her face. She quickly lapped up the milk and egg mixture, to put Cathy at ease, and then she wolved down the steak. Cathy laughed and sat down to eat her own dinner at the kitchen table. Cassandra went back to sleep.

When she woke up, the cabin was in complete darkness and she could hear Cathy's even breathing in the bedroom upstairs. She looked at her leg and noticed that it has completely healed. "Cass, are you okay?" Duncan asked through their mindlink. "Yes brother, I am fine" she answered, padding over to the window, looking outside. She saw him sitting next to a tree about 200 metres away. "See, I am in one piece and fully healed" she smiled. "Okay genius, how are you going to get out of there?" he questioned. "She is asleep upstairs. I am going to shift, open the door and leave. I am not a prisoner here, you know" she answered. "That will make her suspicious. Wolves cannot open doors. And you are supposed to be a wolf. You will have to wait until morning when she lets you out" he remarked. "Didn't think about it that way. You are right. I am going back to sleep then. See you later" she told him, before going back to her bed. She yawned and curled up. "I will be right outside waiting for you Cass. Sleep well" Duncan greeted. She fell asleep again.