guarded. 

Saphrina shook her head, snapping out of her dazed, dream-like state.

“I’m sorry but you’re going to have to get your dinner somewhere else” Saphrina replied coldly. “This calf’s a part of my herd”

Solo made a face, as if considering whether to push past the much smaller dog or to be nice. He moved a step to the right and Saphrina copied his move, stepping back into Solo’s line of sight. A grin slid across the wolf’s muzzle.

“You know, for a simple little ranch dog, you got some pretty blue eyes”

Saphrina was totally caught off-guard.

“Excuse me for asking, but are you the only wolf around here that’s been killing livestock... and uh... dogs? Because you don’t seem like the type and I don’t think one wolf could do all that...”

“Oh, no. It was all me” Solo answered in an airy tone. “You and your humans are pretty right about that”

“So you’re the one that killed those four dogs last night?”

“Yuppp” Solo replied simply, starting to circle and keep his eyes on the shivering calf. 

“Why’d you kill them?!” Saphrina spat, almost not able to believe it. This wolf seemed charming, how could he kill anything?! “What did they ever do to you?”

“Actually, they were doing what you’re doing now” Solo replied, stopping and making eye contact with Saphrina. Saphrina froze and smothered a gulp.

“So why wait so long to try to go after me?” Saphrina asked in a quiet tone, ready to fight if he tried to make an attack. 

Solo shrugged, raising his brows. “Guess I never came across one so pretty before”

Saphrina frowned, eyes belying her anger and confusion. But Solo was as done with their little game as Saphrina was.

“Alright but seriously... uh-?”

“You don’t need to know my name” Saphrina snapped. 

Solo shrugged, but waited for her to answer.

“Saphrina” the frustrated dog finally spat.

“Alright Saphi, but it’s cold out, I just ran like ten or so good farm’s distance and I’m hungry out of my mind, so if you step aside and let me have my dinner-”

Solo dove one way but Saphrina moved just as fast, cutting the wolf off. 

“Fine, if you want to put up a fight” Solo smirked, furrowing his brow. Quick as lightening, Solo grabbed Saphrina by her bandanna and threw her down onto the ground before she could even react.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay there” 

Saphrina lay still for a moment but when Solo edged toward the calf, she was up on her feet in a flash and using all her strength, body slammed the wolf so hard, it sent him rolling. Before Solo got back on his feet, Saphrina lunged at the calf, driving it back to the cow herd which was now making a protective circle around it’s calves. Once the calf was safe, Saphrina howled as loud as she could to wake up John. Proudly, Saphrina turned to see Solo’s reaction. All traces of fun had left Solo’s eyes. Now they were just cold. The fur was standing on end all along his back and now that he looked angry, Saphrina had no problem imagining him killing the four dogs. The front door to the house opened, sending light streaming across the ground.

“Holly?! Holly!” 

John’s voice was comforting, as was the sound of a gun being loaded. Saphrina turned back around to look right into two cold blue eyes... the wolf was face to face with the her. Solo sank his teeth into the dog’s nose and threw her violently to the ground. John let out a yell and fired a shot into the air and when Saphrina looked up, Solo was long gone. Like Ridge had described, there was no trace of the wolf except for a faint scent trail. Saphrina rose slowly, legs shaking and felt something warm dribble off of her nose where Solo had bitten her.

John ran out to his dog, pulling a coat on as he went. Saphrina wagged her tail wearily and didn’t move when John examined her nose, dabbing it with the sleeve of his coat. 

“Good girl Holly” John said in a low voice, patting the shaking dog. “Very good girl”

Saphrina calmed herself down taking deep breaths and kept her eyes on the direction that Solo had disappeared in. 

     The next morning, when Saphrina stepped outside, Loki, Ridge and Nimbin were already there to greet her.

“Good morning” Saphrina greeted awkwardly, knowing why they were there. Ridge didn’t waste a minute and was up on the porch checking Saphrina over for any other injuries. As long as Saphrina had known Nimbin, she’d known Ridge. And as long as she had known Ridge, he had reminded her of a paranoid, less nice version of her own father.

“I’m okay” Saphrina said with a weak smile. “Just bruised and uh... I gotta cut”

“Cool gash though!” Nimbin grinned, eyeing the slash that crossed over the bridge of Saphrina’s nose. “I can’ believe it’s not broken!” Loki elbowed Nimbin who choked out, “But it doesn’t look that bad”

Saphrina had to smile at that. “Did anyone hear of him after?”

Ridge shook his head, satisfied that Saphrina was okay. “No one’s heard or seen of him since. But I doubt he’s gonna stay away”

Saphrina nodded, letting her eyes drop. 

“Well we’re staying here tonight” Ridge announced defiantly. “Trigg, Galileo and Pilot can handle the herd on their own”

Saphrina opened her mouth to tell them no, but she wouldn’t win an argument against Ridge. 

     Only a few hours later, the four dogs found themselves in the same state Saphrina found herself in the night before. Shivering, cold and wrapped in pitch-black except for a bit of moonlight to guide their way. The herd shifted uncomfortably in their big pen and Saphrina shivered. 

“He’s probably not going to come back tonight anyway” Saphrina mumbled to herself.

“Well we’re not going to take any chances” Ridge answered, overhearing her. 

Saphrina made a face and continued to pace around the herd. Ridge, Nimbin and Loki were all circling the herd as well as Saphrina was. They had tried to bring the herd closer to the house, but the big stupid animals stood stubbornly at the point out the pen closest to the woods. She lost sight of the other three for a moment, but she knew it was only a matter of time before Nimbin jumped out from somewhere. While she walked, she felt like something was following her and when she paused, the hair on her back stood on end. Her ears twitched backward and when she strained to hear, something was definitely breathing. Smiling to herself, Saphrina didn’t have to look over her shoulder.

“Nimbin, you’re going to have to work harder then that to surprise me!”

“Who’s Nimbin?” an eerie, smooth and familiar voice whispered in her ear, sending chills racing up her spine. Saphrina turned to look into the same blue eyes she had the night before. Solo was back.

“And I see you called in for backup” 

Saphrina didn’t say a word. She just stared hatefully at the wolf. 

“Not so talkative tonight, are we Saphi?”

“Don’t call me that” Saphrina spat. “Why are you back here? My human won’t let you near here and I’ve got help tonight”

“What do you want me to do then? It’d be pretty easy to silence you for good... that’s the only option you’re giving me”

On the other side of the herd, Nimbin called out to Ridge and Saphrina took her eyes off the wolf for just a second.

“Maybe it’d be easier to silence your friends instead”

“Stay away from them!” Saphrina growled. “I want you to get out of here!”

“I think I want one of your cows first” Solo said quickly, dodging around the dog. 

“RIDGE! LOKI! NIMBIN! He’s BACK!”

Solo paused for a second, taunting Saphrina to chase him and she didn’t disappoint him. Saphrina was right on his tail as he ran straight into the middle of the herd. The golden wolf slipped out of sight in the identical forest of the cows’ legs and only when she heard one of the calves bawl did she know where he was. Saphrina sprinted but faltered when she saw Solo... with a calf in his jaws. Then she ran faster then she ever had in her life, smashing into the wolf’s side like she had the night before, biting whatever she could reach. She could barely hear Solo’s snarling over her own. Suddenly, Saphrina felt herself be lifted and dropped onto the ground. Hard. She tried to get up but Solo’s strong paws held her down. 

“This was fun and all... but I think it’s time you learn that some little ranch dog isn’t going to stop me”

“LEAVE HER ALONE!” Ridge roared, Loki and Nimbin not a step behind.

“Don’t move or she’s dead” Solo shot back coldly, moving a paw to her throat.

“Don’t kill them” Saphrina said in a low voice, only loud enough for Solo to hear. Solo raised a brow. “If I were you, I’d be a bit preoccupied with what was going on to me-” 

“Let her go and we’ll let you go” Loki offered.

For the second night in a row, the door up at the farmhouse was flung open and John could be heard running down the