Buster's Story Ch. 02

Wolf sniffed the air. No predators. Mate safe. Pup safe. He rested his nose on his mate's limbs as she slept.

*

Brian had taken to running late at night as had many of the men who'd gone off to war. He shifted and headed for the woods.

Wolf followed the scent trail of a deer. It was near and didn't notice him. Wolf crouched waiting to pounce when it startled and ran. Wolf chased it and with a lunge, caught it on the neck right behind the ears. Wolf swung his body to the side and as he went down, the snap of the deer's neck could be heard. The deer died almost instantly. Wolf stepped away from his kill to see what had startled the deer. He smelled another wolf, but didn't see it. He waited, but no wolf or man stepped out of the undergrowth. He shuddered and shifted.

Brian stooped to shoulder the deer and headed back to his cabin. Thirty minutes later the deer was hung, gutted and ready to skin out in the morning. The cold night would keep the meat. He walked in the door to find Natalie standing by the fire.

"Natalie, why aren't you in bed?" he asked.

"My waters broke. Baby is coming. Sent Jenny for Grandma Davy," she said gasping as a contraction hit.

"What do I do?" he asked.

"Hold me until she comes. Then you take Jenny to Maman's and then you come back. This one I think will be quick," she said.

Brian nodded and held Natalie. When Jenny came back with Grandma Davy, he took his daughter to Celia's. He took a few minutes to calm down and then headed to the cabin. He sat in the kitchen while Natalie worked to birth their baby. He'd almost fallen asleep when he heard a cry. He rushed to the bedroom to see Grandma Davy wrapping up the child in a blanket.

"You have a son," Grandma Davy said as she handed him the child and then turned back to tend to Natalie.

Brian stood there with a silly grin on his face as he looked from his son to his wife. Natalie smiled weakly. Brian then tilted his head back and howled a joyful call welcoming his son to the world.

*

Henry was followed by Alice in 1921, Marie in 1923 and George in 1925. The cabin grew room by added room. Grandma Davy came by one afternoon when George was about two with a small baby in her arms.

"Who is this Grandma Davy?" asked Brian.

"A baby. Smells like Bizzet and Wildgirl," she said. "Left on my door. Natalie is the only one I know of that has milk at the moment. You think she feed this one?" asked Grandma Davy.

"Aye," said Brian. He took the tiny baby in his arms and headed back into the house. Grandma Davy waved and headed home. This wasn't the first baby Wildgirl had abandoned. He counted four before he found Natalie. He handed her the baby and Natalie nodded. She started nursing the baby who'd begun to fuss.

"This number four or five for Wildgirl?" asked Natalie.

"I think this is five. We raise it?" asked Brian.

"Aye," said Natalie. She looked under the swaddling cloth. "It's a boy."

"Quintus," said Brian and went to go talk to Kent about expanding the house.

*

Wolf crept around the house. He smelled another wolf, but didn't see it. Sniffing the ground, he could tell it had been under the children's windows. Quietly, he moved around the corner. It wasn't the first time another wolf had been near the cabin and his mate wasn't happy.

There in the moonlight was a thin wolf. Wolf growled. The other wolf turned, and he could see that there was only half an ear on the one side. Wolf buffed and then walked away. His mate wouldn't be happy, but he couldn't hurt that packmate.

The other wolf had dropped to the ground and rolled over showing his throat. When Wolf walked away, he stayed that way until he was gone. Then the lope eared wolf crept closer to the window and peered in. He looked at the small pups in the room. Smelling that all was okay with the smallest pup, he disappeared back into the woods.