Tyren Banks stared out the huge glass window of the classroom. She had tried to listen to Mrs. Walker fill their minds with WWI but the teacher had lost her 10 minutes into class.

“Hey Ty” she felt the girl behind her tap her shoulder and she turned her head sideways, still keeping her eyes on the teacher.

“Better pay attention, Walker’s been eyeing you the past 15 minutes” Tyren shrugged but kept her eyes on the woman for a while. Then, she looked at her desk which was full of writing. Between the heartagrams and names, she didn’t know who beat out who. After what seemed a century the bell finally rang and they were free to go home. She chose to walk instead of ride the bus. Doing so would take longer but she’d much rather be away from everyone else. Footsteps fell behind her obviously trying to catch up. Cody Adams fell into step beside her and Tyren continued to look straight ahead. The idiot had liked her for the past month and she despised him.

“Lookin’ good today” he said smoothly.

“Can’t say the same”

“Wow, that hurt” Ty rolled her eyes and he finally shut his mouth enough for her to get into the town of Cody, Wyoming.

“Hey look, I’m so good, they have a town named after me”

“It’s ashamed the town has to suffer” he ignored the retort and took a small road leading out of the town to his house. Ty walked to her father’s old country store until a flier stopped her half way up the steps. Anti-Wolves, shoot em’ or be shot. Her blood boiled and she swung open the wooden door. Her father stood behind the counter talking to one of his old friends from the Marines. Ty barely acknowledged the man.

“Dad, what the hell is that flier doing on the porch, I-”

“Ty, watch your language, now what are you talking about?”

“There’s an Anti-Wolf flier out there” she paused and stared at her father.

“Damn that man” he said and slammed his fist on the counter” Mr. Edwards, her father’s friend, finally spoke.

“Aw, Jim, you know Capps ain’t worth throwin’ in the ditch” Tyren gritted her teeth at the name. Jeremy Capps was the person everyone hated. Except for a bunch of old misfits and scalawags as his sidekick that were only there to do his dirty work.

“What’d he say?” she asked. Mr Edwards replied. “Aw he came in here and shoved that paper in his face asking if he could put it on the post rail” he paused and took a breath.

“Your father there told him no and he blew up” Tyren nodded and glanced at her father.

“He wouldn’t back off whatsoever” he said calmly. Ty cleared her throat and spoke gently.

“May I take it down dad?” he stared at her and nodded. “Rip it down for all I care” she grinned and strolled out the old store, staring at the flier with hatred. She ripped it down and tore into pieces. Her father and Ty were the only ones that agreed the grey wolves should be replaced back into Yellowstone National Park, but so many didn’t feel the same. Even Mr. Edwards was doubtful about it, but he wouldn’t dare shoot one. She shook her head in disappointment and opened the door enough to stick her head inside.

“Dad, I’m going to go ahead and walk home”

“Alright, be careful” she gave a quick nod and jogged out of the little town onto a trail she had broken herself. She took in the rich smell of pine and kicked a pinecone until a low growl rumbled in front of her. Stopping immediately, she looked around but saw nothing. Tyren cautiously stepped forward and around a huge boulder that towered over 75ft into the air. Fierce amber eyes protruding from a brilliant creamy, white coat stared at her. A pup no older that a month sat at her side. The wolf growled as Tyren stood petrified. She had never dared thought of an encounter with a wolf but their she lay in front of her face. Ty shook her head and noticed the mother was lying in a pool of blood. A bullet had lodged itself in between her ribs and the wolf panted heavily, obviously in excruciating pain. She kneeled down a few feet away and was surprised when the mother didn’t bother to snarl or leap at her. The only reason why she was still alive was too protect her young pup. Already she could see the life slowly draining out of her. She no longer growled but let her head rest on the dirt. Ty inched towards her and was only two feet away, yet the mother did nothing. She placed a hand on the wolf’s shoulder and moved to her head, stroking it. She fought back tears and tried to make the wolf’s last few moments proper ones. She looked over to the pup who was stared curiously up at her, she looked back down to it’s mother.

“I promise to take care of your baby” she said softly. The wolf blinked and flicked her ear that was turned towards her. Muffled voices came from behind the boulder, one being too familiar. Jeremy Capps. She should of known. Tyren grabbed the pup by the scruff of the neck and looked down once more at the mother who was baring her teeth once more at the voices.

“You sure you got her?” one of his men said.

“Yes I’m sure, she yelped like crazy” he replied. Ty ducked behind a bush loaded with blackberries. Jeremy rounded the boulder first, followed by his men but jumped back when he saw ivory fangs bared towards them.

“Told you I got her”

“Alright, just shoot her already” Capps pointed his barrel at the wolf and fired. Tyrens focus was unclear from the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She held the pup in her arms that was now looking around wildly from the gunshot. The placed the wolf in a blue tarp to hide their illegal act and carried the mother away and all Ty wanted to do was run out and tear the eyes of Jeremy Capps out. She didn’t dare budge though, The man was stupid and uneducated but he was cruel and was heartless. If he knew she had seen he would probably beat her into swearing she keep silent or worst kill her anyway. She slowly slid out from the bush and ran home with the pup bouncing in her arms. Her father was still at the store and she sighed in relief, placing the pup on her bed. It’s blue eyes stared up at her with curiosity and puzzlement. Tyren realized it was a male. She let him down off of the bed and watched his wonder around with his nose on the ground. Milk was most likely what he was looking for and Ty warmed some up in a dish. Only because a bottle was nowhere to be found. She placed the bowl on the floor in front of him and dipped her finger in, offering it to the pup. He licked it off and wandered over to the dish. She wondered if he’d lap up some but instead he stuck his paws right in the middle. A laugh escaped her and she grabbed a dishtowel and wiped his paws. The latch on the front door rattled and Ty whirled around, seeing her father stepping in the door. She hunched over the pup and picked up the bowl of milk.

“Ty, you ok?”

“Yeah I’m fine, just have a stomach ache”

“Oh, you take something?”

“yes” she walked briskly to her room and placed the pup on the ground with the bowl, making it spill everywhere. She winced and stuck her head out of the bedroom door.

“Dad, I’m taking a nap to try and get rid of this stomach ache”

“Alright” he replied. She closed her door and looked at the mess on the floor. The wolf pup had milk tracks all over the hardwood floor and she put a hand on her face and sighed. She chuckled and picked up the pup, cradling him in her arms and sat on the bed.

“I have to name you” she thought for a moment and looked at him.

“Flint” she whispered the name and said it more strongly when she realized it fit him.

It was the perfect name for the little fellow. Something lived in him that was powerful but silent until awakened. Such as Flint. Tyren grinned and pulled back her covers to her bed. She hated sleeping without a shower but it would be impossible and the pup had gone through enough for one day. Flint bounded at her side as she crawled under the bed sheets and lied down beside her. This surprised, she had expected him to howl a bit for his mother. Now that she thought of it she was glad. How could she explain that? “Yeah dad, I took up howling” she rolled her eyes and fell back onto her pillow. The pup stared at her and licked her hand as if knowing she was now his surrogate mother. A smile crossed her face and she stroked his back until the blueness only showed partially from his half closed eyes. Tyren thought for a while. Tomorrow she would run to the store and buy a few bottles. That meant she would have to miss school, she wouldn’t have enough time to go to the store, feed the pup and not be seen by her father. Whatever the case, she couldn’t hide Flint forever.

To be continued…..