Wolf Winter

Chapter 18

My tail went under my legs and I crouched to the ground. She was right in front of me - and there was no one else around. Which meant that she could kill me and no one would be the wiser. I could smell my cat fear-scent coming from me but it would only be smelled by other cats and not by other wolves. I made sure my claws were out in case she planned to spring at me. Holly looked at me; her ears perked - she was just sitting there. I stayed crouched; my neck fur on end and my tail twitching - like a cat does when its agitated. Holly was watching me closely; studying me for something.

"Are you going to say something, Demi?" asked Holly, as she got up to shake the river water from her fur. "I did just save you from drowning in that river." I was too stunned to speak for several moments but I eventually did.

"T...Thanks I-I guess," I stuttered, my eyes wide. "B...But...why?" She looked at me with a demonic glare but it was only for a few seconds. Then she smiled and not in her usual way. 

"You don't need to be so nervous around me, Demi," she replied quietly, then she winked. "Yes, I know your name - I've known it since our first encounter. Anyway." she stretched casually. "What are you doing out here alone?"

I wasn't inclined to tell her my business but she had saved my life. But what if she was doing this so she could kill me later? I looked in her eyes to see if that was her plan but I saw no hostility in her eyes - just kindness. Which was strange. I decided that I might as well tell her my business - she had saved my life after all.

"I'm following my Mother's trail - she often went to get food from wherever she went and I want to see if I can follow her trail to get food for the Pack." I explained. "Another Pack has stolen our elk herd and a pup nearly died earlier because of the ferocious fights that are breaking out among the pack." Holly looked at me; then looked away - her ears flicked back in what looked like regret. Had she something to do with the missing elk?

"I heard. By the way, I'm not the next Beta." she murmured, looking back at me. "I...I heard from the elders that Alpha Tina is planning on...." She paused, scraping her paw in the dirt. "She plans on making you Beta!"

Her tail wagged in celebration. She came over and crouched in front of me in the submissive position. I felt what I should do and I bent down to nip her on the ear; which gave her permission to stand up. I was standing up straight now. I looked past her to the river; I had misjudged how strong the current was - so how had Layla got across? She couldn't have flown across, she wasn't a bird. Had she dug underneath? No, that would've been suicide and she would've had no way of telling how deep the river ran.

"Well, if I wanted to get across a river like this," piped up Holly, reading my thoughts it seemed. "I would either, go over the top using a bridge, or have someone else with me to make sure that I didn't get swept away by the current." We looked at each other; then Holly walked into the part of the river where the current was strong but not as strong as the current in mid-river. She looked back at me, waiting for me to go and join her. I hesitated. As long as I had known Holly, she had always been the one who was not to be trusted. Especially after what she had done to Lupin.

"Are you coming or what?" asked Holly, watching me as I shuffled my paws on the shore. I looked back at her, not sure whether or not to trust her. All I saw when I looked at her, was the ten week old pup that had tried to drown me and the same pup who had destroyed my best friend's life.

"How can I be sure that you won't let me get washed away downstream or drown?" I retorted sharply, my tail raised slightly and my ears forward. Holly was about to reply when she suddenly cried out and her ears went flat against her head. She wasn't looking at me or in my direction; she was looking downstream. I heard a roar coming from my left and I saw a grizzly bear swimming upstream towards Holly. Suddenly, a huge burst of current made Holly lose her grip on the riverbed and she was being carried downstream; towards the grizzly bear. She was only in the shallow part but the current was stronger now after the burst and there was no way she could get a grip even if she tried.

"Help! Demi!" cried Holly as she turned and tried to fight the current. "Please!"

I watched her as she fought the current - the grizzly bear was trying to get to her but the current was keeping it at bay. I remembered all the times that Holly had hurt me or my friends. She had tried to drown me as a pup, she had destroyed Lupin's life and she had made Lara lame in the one leg. But she had saved my life. I shook away the bad memories and I ran downstream. Holly was about to call after me when I plunged into the water and attacked the grizzly. The water was as high as my shoulders and I couldn't stand on the river bed but I still attacked the grizzly nonetheless. The grizzly turned its attention from struggling Holly, who was nearly out of energy to fight the current for much longer, to me. I growled and I swam for the bank. The ploy worked, the grizzly followed me. I whirled round as it came on shore and I attacked its muzzle, digging my teeth in as hard as I could. Holly was out the river now; her struggle was over.

That distracted me and the grizzly managed to swipe its claws across my face; giving me cuts just below my right eye. The attack stunned me and I fell to the dirt in a daze. As I looked up, I saw the grizzly rear up, roar and it began coming towards my head with its huge teeth. I closed my eyes and whined - I thought it was over. But, a huge snarl broke out from somewhere behind me and I opened my eyes to see who it was.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" snarled Holly, as she leapt at the grizzly, knocking it into the river. She stood over me protectively, her teeth bared. During her struggle with the river, I noticed that her scar had reopened; blood going down her right leg. The grizzly roared at us but Holly snarled and rushed it; pushing it back into the water. I saw what her plan was and I got to my paws, snarling and baring my teeth. We ran at the grizzly in sync as if we were one, forcing it back into the water until it was mid stream. The current took hold of it and the grizzly was washed slowly down stream - roaring in rage at us. I turned and lay down, panting.

"You...have definitely... got Alpha blood in you," panted Holly, as she licked her shoulder wound then looked at me. "An Alpha always protects their Pack members...no matter who they are or if they have bad blood." I made sure that I kept my wound on my cheek from her eyesight. But I had to turn and face her to smile kindly. Her own smile faded as she saw my claw wound.

"Oh!" she gasped. "I-I'm so sorry, Demi! I...I!" I nudged her with my nose to get her to be quiet. She didn't need to apologise and that's what I told her. She looked at me, shook her head and began cleaning my wound for me. I smiled bravely, though my wound stung horribly. It seemed that we could now call ourselves friends and it seemed that we could trust each other. Our hatred towards one another had ceased.