The JavaWolfPack - Part 2

It's been a while since I told you the amazing story of how the Java Wolf Pack came to be. Last time, I told you the story of how Mira and I, along with three other wolves, named Samir, Haley and Cujo, took on the daunting task to travel over a hundred miles to our new home.

Well, ever since we arrived at our new destination, life as been nothing but joy! I finally figured out what Mira meant by "a few soon"... and to those who were confused with me, guess what! Mira is expecting pups! We are all very excited!

I guess you can call me overprotective, but I just don't want anything bad to happen to Mira and the pups. She always says she's fine, but how am I supposed to know if she really is fine, because that's the #1 think females lie about!? The stress is killing me, KILLING ME!

Anyway, everyone likes it here... Cujo and Samir love chasing prey, while the two girls relax in the meadow by the stream of the wolf's mouth. And... me, well... I guess I just protect the territory, go hunting with the guys, or make extra sure that Mira's okay.

When Cujo and Samir went hunting the other day, they brought back something unexpected... two wolves named Shojji and Sazu! I turned around to look at Mira, she just smiled at me. I couldn't help noticing Haley, just staring at Sazu! She looked as if she were in Lala land! I looked at Sazu, and he was the same way! Cujo was teasing him, and pushed him towards her. Shojji went up to Haley, and also pushed her towards him.

As for Samir, well... he was daydreaming about Shojji! His eyes where wide open, and he was just staring at her in amazement! He got hit by the love bug!

Love was in the air, as the soon-to-be couples met eachother for the first time. I just went up to Mira, and gave the others some privacy. Cujo joined the two of us. Poor guy! The only one without a lover!

As the weeks went by, Mira began complaining more and more over pain, and I became more and more anxious. She would get exhausted from nothing, and ate a lot more than usual. The two other couples were also expecting new pups, but a while after our pups would arrive.

One day, when Samir, Cujo and I were out hunting, I suddenly got this feeling that something was wrong back at Wolf Rock. That morning, we had left the territory, following a herd of elk that we found wandering near.

Samir saw the worried look on my face, and came over to talk to me.

"I'm sure Mira's fine, Puma!" he said.

I just looked ahead, worried, not paying attention to Samir, until he finished talking.

"I'm not so sure, Samir... what if something bad happens while we're gone?"

"Nothing bad's gonna happen, Puma! The worst thing that could happen, is-"

Before Samir could finish his sentence, we heard howling coming from Wolf Rock. It was a call... and Sazu was the one sending it!

We both looked at eachother, turned around, and bolted back towards the territory. Cujo followed. Frantic, I was running with all my might! It took us a minute to reach Wolf Rock, and when we did, my heart stopped!

Sazu was standing ontop of the den's roof, a clear signal that my mate was inside. I became worried, and hoped and prayed that nothing bad has happened to Mira.

I went ahead of the two, heading towards the den. When I came to the entrance, I heard Sazu say:

"Puma! Thank goodness you're here! Mira's inside! Haley's trying to comfort her. She won't calm down. She needs you, my leader!" he said, in a worried voice.

"Thank you, Sazu... without your call, we would have never have turned around."

I cautiously creeped into the den, looking around. Wolf Rock had several den entrances, so it took me a while to figure out which one she was in. Ofcourse, it was the Alpha den, but I wasn't thinking... all I cared about at that moment was Mira, and if our pups were going to be okay.

Haley came up to me, and gave me the news.

"Puma... Mira is calling for you. She needs your comfort."

"How is she?"

"She seems okay, but she's restless, and won't calm down."

We both traveled deeper down the path, where we came to the whelping part of the den. Mira was there. She seemed very much in stress.

"It's okay, my love, I'm here now." I said to my girl, trying to comfort her.

Mira was breathing hard, but looked calm, and there was a sweet smile on her face when I looked in her eyes.

"Look at your son, Puma." said Mira, as she lowered her head, licking the newborn pup.

I've barely noticed the pup, between all the pain, stress and emotion. He was so small, yet he was the biggest newborn I've seen in a long time.

Minutes went by like seconds... hours went by like minutes... yet, it felt like it was taking forever. As the hours went by, our pack grew bigger and bigger. By the hour of the full moon, all of our pups had been born. Haley and I stayed with Mira that night, to make sure that all was well.

That morning, the two of us, the new proud parents, looked at our offspring, and started naming them. We began with the oldest, and ended with the youngest. Haley got to name one, as she helped with the whelping, and was the new godmother of the pups.

"Hmmm, this little boy looks like a lion with his shaggy fur!" I announced.

"Little lion!" said Haley excitedly. "Lion... hmmm.... Lowe! It means lion!"

"Sounds perfect, Haley! Our little Lowe!" said Mira.

"You know, my dear, Lowe is the first-born, which makes him next-in-line for leadership!" I said out of nowhere.

Mira looked very excited, and gave Lowe a little lick on his tiny cheek.

"This one looks like an Agite!" I said. "She looks like she can agitate when she gets older."

We named all the pups, all with their unique little names, Lowe, Agite, Alona, Jasmine, Leo, and a few others.

As the weeks went by, and the pups grew older, my protective instinct grew stronger. Mira was a great mother to the pups, and Haley was a great pup-sitter. She and Shojji were also pregnant, so they had a lot to worry about themselves.

There were many close calls and hazards for the pups, but the one that proved to be most deadly, was the river near the territory border.

"Don't go too far now, Lowe! Jasmine! Stay with your brother! Agite! Alona, you pups stay with me." I told them.

There were only two pups by my side... and only two... would make it out of this situation, alive.

As the pups ran farther and farther from my sight, I became worried. I ran to catch up, but they were too fast for me, because I was trying to allow Alona and Agite to keep up with me, as well. When they were finally within my sight again, it was nearly too late to save them. My heart sank! The pups were leaning over, taking a drink against the powerful current, and before I could even tell them to get away, they all fell in, one by one. Lowe, as strong a pup as he was, managed to grab onto two other of his siblings, already in the water. His little paw was slipping, as he tried to keep his grip. He had two choices, yet again the same as my father and I, some time before... let go of his brother and sister, and save himself, or, let go and die with them. The only hope he had, was if I were to make it to him intime. I ran as fast as I could, telling the two girls to wait for me by the tree, far away from the river's deadly currents.

"Daddy!" Lowe screamed.

The screams of Lowe's desperation echoed in my head, once again. It reminded me of my terrifying screams, and the screams of the father who saved me. Before I could grab his paw, Lowe was swept away by the current, never to be seen... again!

I screamed and yelled, and cried so hard at that one second, I could not stand on my feet, and I collapsed to the ground. The pups were doomed! Just a beyond the spot where they fell into the river, there is a waterfall, as tall as an one hundred year old tree. Sharp rocks were located at the bottom, so even if the pups would have survived the powerfull currents and the fall, they would have certainly parrished at the bottom.

As soon as I was able to stand on my feet again, I grabbed Alona and Agite by their necks, and dashed to the bottom of the river, where the water was calmer. I jumped over the logs that kept part of the calmer side of the river from creating another waterfall. I knew none of the pups would have made it out alive, but I anyway wanted to search for survivers. Maybe it would've made me feel that there was nothing else I could do, or something, rather than just giving up, I don't know.

All three of us were crying, as the two pups also knew what had happened to their siblings. I frantically scanned the shallow waters after the falls, but did not find any remains of the pups. They were gone for good.

Agite and Alona fell asleep while I was doing my search, so after I found nothing, I took the remainder of my family home, to Wolf Rock.

Mira was happy to see us, but she became extremely worried and confused when I arrived back home with only two pups.

"Puma... where are the others?" she asked me.

I just looked down, and gently put the sleeping pups down in the soft grass by the den entrance, where we were standing. I looked at my mate, and decided, that it was time to tell her the truth.

"It's my fault, my love... I'm so sorry." I said, as I looked down to the ground again.

"What do you mean? What happened?" said Mira as she started to cry.

I looked back up at my mate, looked her in the eyes, and told her the truth.

"Our pups aren't coming back, my dear. They... they drowned in the river." I confessed as I too started to weep.

It was a quiet night, full of grief, pain, and sorrow... just as the night I had lost my father. I had trouble sleeping, as all the words and screams of my loved ones replayed in my mind.

At dawn, I exited the den, and sat alone, on Wolf Rock, watching the Sun come up. A few minutes later, Mira too, came up. She sat down next to me, and buried her face in the fur of my neck.

"I couldn't sleep last night." I told her.

Mira looked up at me, and allowed me to tell her what was bothering me.

"I should've died yesterday..." I said to Mira. "I should have... my father gave his life to save my life, why didn't I give my life, to save the pups?"

"Awww, honey." said Mira, in a calm, sweet voice. "It wasn't your fault. Mistakes happen, and sometimes, there's nothing that can be done about it.

I looked at her, surprized. Then I looked back into the sunset, this time, with a deep soul, and a heart of gold.

"That's what my father told me right before he died."

Mira nudged me, and we both looked into the sunset together. We both decided to let go of the past, and take care of the future. We still had Alona and Agite. They were all that mattered now.

About a year went by, and Alona and Agite became beautiful, strong young lady wolves. They became bold and independent as well, and learned from their mistakes.

I had a tough time letting them go... letting my little girls go... but I knew, that their lives were the lives that counted. They were to live their own lives, make the same mistakes I made, and share the love with another wolf.