the forest.

*

The miracle happened and Victor killed a boar. In fact boar was wounded after fight with some wolves and he barely escaped the chase to become a pray for accidental killer. Because dog was hungry he just pounced on hobbling creature, luckily overturning it with his impetus. Wounded and almost bleed-out boar died quickly leaving yellow furred almost two hundred pounds of meat. That was a life-assurance for a long time.

“I can’t believe it, Victor.” Said Agatha, seeing him carrying portion of boar’s meat.

“You will taste, you will believe it.” Murmured dog. “So, here you are…” He gave her a decent scrap of boar’s side. “But if you have any idea, how it transport it closer, that would be nice.”

“There is no use.” She murmured, quickly devouring the meal. “I guess that tomorrow you will see just pathetic scrapes of that. We have many scavengers here. You have to eat as much as you could and bring me as much as you could drag.”

“So I’ll be here soon.” Said Victor. “I’m going to carry the first part.”

In fact he managed to transport about thirty pounds of meat on distance of mile between Agatha and carcass. On the fourth route for food, dog sensed a presence of other animals and understood those were strong predator and he had no chance to fight with them. So he got back to wolfess at dusk.

“Some others guests found the smorgasbord.” Said yellow furred, tired of marching and sneaking away. “So I decided to leave the party.”

“It’s magnificent anyway, that you managed to get so many.” She comforted him.

“So, what we will do now?” asked dog.

“We have some supplies and in next few days I’ll try to teach you as many about hunting that it possible to say.” He nodded his head. “And who knows… I fell that I will be able to stand in three weeks. I hope.”

“Three weeks. Nice.” Murmured Victor and laid down next to her. Because wolfess was immobile, she had a serious problems with temperature. If muscles don’t work, the body just cant warm itself properly. That why Victor had to be her heater. She greeted that with sigh of gratitude. “I just wonder what would be then. When you are healthy.”

“I have to find some way to return you my debts.” She replied. “I have no idea how, but we will find something.”

“Have to?” surprised dog. “You are stronger, or at least you will be stronger then. You won’t <have to> anything.”

“As well as you didn’t have to helped me.” She said with pensive voice. “However you did it. I think that something inside you… natural goodness and sympathy made you to do it.”

“So there is no space for will?” smiled mongrel with bitter smile. “I had to? Maybe I did it, because you are wolf? Stronger, superior creature – so I’m obedient to your might anyway.”

“No, I didn’t mean that!” she gasped. “I meant that you are just… special and strong enough to throw those laws of nature away.”

“But just imagine that I broke my leg. Would you, as a healthy wolf, help me?”

“I hope that I would.” Said Agatha and licked with forehead with gratitude.

*

Frost were getting stronger, few times temperature dropped to less than minus fifty degrees. They had to move. Agatha was walking carefully on three legs, with constant support of Victor. It extremely important not to move the bone that was knitting. But because also second paw of wolfess was cut, she was hobbling very carefully. She certainly wouldn’t made it without dog. So they cave to cave in slope of Yukon Range. That was small cavern, in fact just a big crack in stone wall but it fit perfectly for them. It was easy to defend, covered from wind and hidden well. So Victor could left Agatha for long time without fear.

The new routine was created – he was going on hunt just when winter sun raised and was returning few hours after dusk. Meanwhile Agatha was trying to stood up, walk and hobbling in cave, to keep her muscles working and help her stay warm. When dog returned, he laid himself next to her and was warming her with his body. In that condition they were resting to the next dawn.

Agatha managed to get know Victor’s story. In return she told about her living in pack, however her life, although longer (she was three) was nothing special comparing to drama that dog had survived. It seemed strange, but adult mongrel, also still a pup seemed to be mature much over his age. He was just year, but he was thinking with logic of someone older.

“Victor!” she greeted him on some evening with smile on her face. “I’ve walked over twenty yards!” and she licked his forehead with puppyish joy.

“Wow!” called dog with genuine surprise. “In that rate you will be running in month!”

“I hope so.” She said and laid down in branchy bedding. He laid down next to her. “Finally I would help you in huntings… But I see that isn’t necessary – you manage to get everything what you want.” It wasn’t exact on that evening, because dog got just small fox, but usually it was correct – somehow small dog became a lethal predator.

“Ow, when you recover, there is no reason for us to hunt together.” Said Victori with a both tensed voice. “Then you could get back to your pack… or some other pack, maybe that would be better.” She was silent for the while then she said.

“But I don’t want to. It sounds strange, but what do you think I stay with you?”

“Huh?” asked dog a bit confused.

“Now we are something like family, whatever strange it looks.” She explained. “You are hunting for me as if I was your mate. But when I recover I would make that deal… a bit more honest.”

“By broking my leg?” asked Victor and they both burst in laughter. They laughed for a while, but then dog asked a bit shyly. “But do you want get back to some pack to… you now… to get a mate?”

“No, I don’t want to.” She replied with hard tone. “I could imagine males of my pack who left me to die and now, when I’m healthy and mating season is coming, they just grovel under my paws. It’s disgusting, showing how instinct – not feelings – drives us.” Victor nodded his head and she continued. “May I ask you a bit personal question?”

“I’m not sure what you consider as <personal>, but I will try to answer.” Said dog.

“What do you think about me?” she asked in bit awkward way. “I mean… if you like me as a female.”

“That is not personal, but <rhetorical> I guess.” Smiled dog. “I think you’re beautiful and somehow I envy the wolf who would convince you to drop your huffs.”

“Envy?” she asked looking on his carefully. “So maybe… I know it sound quite stupid… but we are good in stupid ideas, aren’t we? So maybe… when you grow enough – for next year, for instant – you… become my mate.”

Victor shook his head heavily thinking if that wasn’t a joke.

“Are you serious?” asked with amaze, but there was some tone – tone of delight in that.

“I you want to…”

“You happed to tell what I haven’t dared to think about.” He whispered. “That would be… wonderful.” She bended down to his muzzle and licked his cheek. Suddenly Victor froze and asked with confused voice. “But wait! Whatever I feel now… it anyway useless. I’m not wolf. I’m just mongrel… I would be happy to be with you… I think that nature… a bit limited a way we could be together.”

“Don’t you accept that I’m wolf?” she asked with breaking voice.

“No… but it isn’t natural… I know it sounds stupid, because we threw away our natural acting. But just imagine we have pups. They are hybrids and even not noble spitz hybrids, but… mutts.”

She cuddled to his side and started to talks with slow and decisive voice.

“I don’t care about it. You are the creature with whom I wish to stay. And you wish it too, we will mange somehow.”

“That is even crazier than what we did recently.” He replied, but he can’t resist the smile on his muzzle. “That mean I love you?”
”I think you should.”

“That’s good.” Said dog. “I was feeling something I couldn’t name. Now I know everything.” She kissed him. Then both canines burst in puppyish laughter.

*

In end of January, Agatha was walking easily. Bone knitted perfectly and wolfess was able to walk in snow and run. Victor was still hunting (it’s impossible, but he managed to secure enough food for two. It was both extreme goodluck and proof of Victor’s hunting talent) because he didn’t want to risk. Bad jump or fall could again broke Agatha’s bone. So routine that we got knew was sustained with just slight difference. Then both creatures were lying side to side not just to maintain warmth.

“Vic?” asked wolfess some evening. “What’s the problem. You seem to be sad.”

“Not sad.” He said. “Just curious.” She encouraged him to say more. “Are you sure that nothing has changed?”

“In what?”

“In us. Are still could honestly say that you love me?” she looked on him with confusion. “Do not be angry… I just understood that you are almost healthy now, you could leave me and mate with some wolf. Nothing is keeping you here and… it’s hard to say, but I would be better left alone than to be reason you chose bad.”

“Don’t you love me?” she whispered.

“I love you, of course… But I understand if you change your mind. I just want to see you happy.”

“I am happy right now.” She licked his cheek. “Just don’t say more about it. I love you because of your heart, not breed.”

“You are mad.” Laughed Victor. “How fortunate for me!”

*

Ravens Pack was dying. Black knew that few more days of hunger would surely kill Aniu’s pups. And that would kill Aniu. And that would kill him. And that would be the death of whole pack. How fortunate that it wouldn’t be his problem anymore.

Dog became an actual alpha of pack. It was odd, but authority of Aniu was unquestionable and somehow it was projected on Black. So husky decided to act like an alpha and make the pack for accepting him. He was doing his best to provide the food.

But there wasn’t too much to provide. They were tracking that moose since five days and suddenly they