Cana rode around with him as he monitored park visitors. He left her in his truck a few times but made sure to stay in sight of her. Is this what he did every day, she wondered? Was his main duty keeping park visitors in line and make sure they didn't tamper with the park's animals and sights?
When he returned to her again after dealing with another batch of rowdy park guests, he turned to her and scratched her head, just like she liked. The movement soothed and comforted him as much as it did her. It was still strange to him that he cared for someone so much in such a short amount of time. He knew that all he could do was accept it though. He felt like he didn't have a choice, but he didn't mind it as much as he should.
" I'm sorry, but if you want to come out with me, we need to get you a collar and leash." She snorted distaste, but she knew it was that way for humans.
The few times she had watched the human hikers, they had always had their dogs on a leash and a collar. It was park rules, and she was passing as his partner. If they wanted to keep up appearances, she knew it made sense, but she would not be restrained. His car would have to do for now.
" Tending to tourists is only what I will do for today. Tomorrow I will go back to my usual duties in studying the area around the Black Plateau." That's what the rangers had called her pack's lands.
The Black Plateau Pack. It had been her pack, her family. The plateau had been their home until that other pack had taken it, but Cana knew another would likely take it one day. It's hunting grounds and resources were the best in the park and when it came to a fight for survival, packs would trade numbers for security.
" The captain will want me to study the plateau's new residents and I'm hoping since a friend of mine knows the area better than me." He said, and her ears perked up at him at the idea of visiting her old home.
" That she will help me find them." Would she? Cana immediately thought, realizing her was referring to her.
If the alpha pair caught her scent, they would know it was her instantly and would likely recognize her. On the other hand, though, if she was with a human, they would avoid her. She reasoned. Wolves avoided humans, those of the park even more so because of being hunted in the past before this area became a park.
He turned back towards the front, oblivious to her inner thoughts as he started the car. So, she laid her head down next to him on the seat as the world faded and her inner thoughts took over. She wondered what had happened to the rest of her pack members. Did they join other packs? This time of year, it was hard for a wolf to survive on their own. The snow and cold would sap their energy faster and make tracking prey stronger. A lone wolf's only hope this time of year was finding rodents beneath the snowline.
She stayed with Owen all day and he immediately noticed the change in her mood. He continued to do his job, but she saw him watching her more often. She was almost in a daze, lost in thought and he didn't like it.
Since he had brought up the Black Plateau, she had been different. She seemed almost depressed. She must miss being in a pack, he decided. He didn't want her to go though and immediately dismissed the thought of letting her go. He wanted her here with him. It was selfish he knew, but he hadn't smiled this much in years and there was something special about her that affected him in so many good ways.
The feelings her gave her weren't from her being a wolf shifter. He meant her personality. Being a wolf was only a plus to what was already there, underneath. He would go there to the plateau first tomorrow, he decided. Maybe if she ran in her homeland again and in her homelands, she would feel better. No animals liked being cooped up in one place and not able to run.
He forced himself to focus on his job though when he nearly ran off the road watching her. He couldn't be distracted anymore so he made a mental note to do something to cheer her up as soon as he could and shoved his worries to the back of his mind, focusing on his job.
When they arrived at his place, he was relieved that tomorrow he could spend more time without her locked in the car. He then went inside and started up his stove, intent on making dinner for them both. When he started it, she showed no interest from where she lay under the table. This only made his worry for her increase.
He still made her a plate, hoping the smell would increase her appetite enough that she would eat. Instead, her plate was left untouched, and she refused to come out from under the table. He tried to coax her a second time, but when it failed, he ate his own, then put hers in the fridge, in case she wanted it later.
" Come on." He said afterwards as he headed to bed and further worry rose inside him when she hesitated.
She hesitated for a moment, but to his relief she came. He didn't want to push his luck, so he didn't ask her to change. He just pulled the covers over her and relaxed against the heat of her fur.
" I am here if you need anything." He said and when her ears turned towards him, he knew she had heard him.
He laid there in the dark for a while. The thought of losing her hurt him. He knew she was probably hurting that much though, by staying here with him. She had lived in a pack for how many years? Being around humans all the time had to bother her and he constantly insisted and pressured her to take shed her wolf one. Did she constantly hurt like he did at the thought of losing her?
What had she seen the night her parents had died? He knew from the feds tone of voice there was more to that night, then what he had said. Her reaction to him asking only affirmed that. She was hiding from whatever had happened and still didn't want to face it. Whatever she had seen is what had forced her to the wilderness. It had to be for her to be out there for so long and constantly feel drawn back to the wild.
His attention turned outward and from his thoughts when the mattress next to him moved. When he looked at her, she was human again and he smiled. As if she knew what he was thinking, she moved closer to him and he pulled her the rest of the way, until she was against him and she let out a content sigh before he felt her body relax. He listened to her breathing until it evened out, then he closed his eyes and forced his mind to stop worrying. He fell asleep moments later with her still by his side.
The internal war had once again begun as they made their way into the park. She wanted to run free, but her wolf wanted to stay near Owen. Being so close to her own pack lands was making the desire far worse. At least today they weren't surrounded by humans. She thought as she eyed the fields and plateaus of her home.
His home was near where her pack's denning site had been before the other pack had taken it from them. As if sensing her inner turmoil, she turned to find him watching her. A soft whine came from her when she realized it. He was just as restless as her it seemed, and he was also worried about her. That she also knew.
" Go ahead and run." He said, and confusion rose inside her. He was giving her his permission?
" I know you want to run. I would to, if I were you." He said as he crouched down next to her on the grass so that his eyes were level with hers. She still didn't move though so he gave her a forced smile as gently pushed her side, assuring her that it truly was okay.
" Go ahead. I will be out here all day and we both know you can easily find me with your nose." He teased her with humor, knowing his words were true.
"You can take as long as you want. I will still be here waiting for you." He reassured her, and her head turned sideways as she continued to wager her inner war. She glanced out at the fields and the wind blowing in them, carrying the scent of nature to her, only tempted her more.
She did want to run, but she wanted him to with her. She wished it were possible. That he could feel the dirt beneath his paws and the crunch of the dried leaves as they ran through them, silent and almost flying with a wolf's grace.
" Go ahead." He said again and this time she listened to him. She gave him one last longing look and darted from the clearing.
She headed straight for where her pack would be this time of year. She had to know if they had returned and taken their territory back. When she reached the area though, her hopes were smashed. She smelled them before she saw them, but she recognized the scent of the alpha that had marked his new territory. Last time she had seen him, she had left limping.
She snorted and turned away, running for no man's land. She ran for no man's land, knowing it likely wouldn't be long until she was discovered, an enemy in her own homeland. No man's land was the only place a solo wolf like her would be safe. She would be attacked or worse if she was discovered by the pack. What had happened to her pack members? Was anyone left? She wondered. Had they found new packs with the smaller ones that made up the park's population? She could only hope that those who had survived had found a new life with new packs and families. Maybe if she was lucky, she could find a glimmer of their presence to ease her worry for them.
It had been hours since Cana had left, and he felt every minute of her absence. When it started to get dark, he started to worry if she was coming back today at all. He had just finished packing up his truck when she came trotting out of the woods. Relief coursed through him, but it was soon dampened. He had told her to run because he thought it would help, but if anything, she looked worse.
Her trot was slower and her head and tail down as she came to him. He opened the door for her, and she jumped inside. Maybe he could at least get her to eat something tonight? He could only hope. He knew the wolves in the park went extended amounts of time without food and that she was likely used to it, but that didn't mean that he liked the ideas.
As soon as they were back at the house though, she surprised him, and she changed back to human form. He immediately handed her clothes, and she sat down on the couch. He sat down next to her, and she immediately turned to him and buried her head in his chest. Something was definitely wrong. What had happened out there to make her this upset? He didn't ask the question out loud, he let her cry into his chest. When she finally quieted, he waited until she was ready and spoke.
" I spent all day searching, but I couldn't find anyone from my pack. I don't know if any of them even got away." To her, her pack had been her family. He couldn't imagine how she felt. If he lost his parents or sister, he would die inside, and she was handing it with far more grace than he would have.
" They left me, just like my parents." She added so quietly, he almost didn't hear it.
"I'm still here." He tried comforting her, not sure what else to say as his heart ached for her. Her pack had become her family after that night and now they were gone to.
"And I'm not going anywhere." He added as she buried her face further into his chest. Just as he had wrapped his arms around her though, the doorbell rang.
The sound made her jump, then she bolted like a cougar was on her tail as she ran to his bedroom. No doubt she was going to change back, he reasoned. Being a wolf was her safety blanket. Dammit, she had just started to open to him when whoever was at the door had interrupted and he had waited so long for this progress.
The knock came again, and Owen sighed in annoyance. The moment had been lost, so he might as well answer it. He thought as he got up and went to the door. Whoever it was, wasn't going to be here long though, he promised himself. When he opened the door, Christian stood with a smile on his porch. It hadn't taken him long to get back here, Owen thought with annoyance.
" How do you know where I live?" Owen asked as the thought occurred to him that he had never told him. Christian just chuckled at his question like the answer was obvious.
" I have my ways." He said as Owen moved aside, and Christian came in. The moment had been ruined anyways, he thought again with further annoyance.
" I brought that file for you, but before I give it to you. I want to know if you will help me find her." Christian said as he moved deeper into Owen's home, keeping the file in his hand close and in view.
" It depends on why you want to find her." He admitted honestly.
Christian sat down on the couch and Owen sat down in the chair, next to it. It was only moments after they sat down, that Cana came back in the room. Like he suspected, she was a wolf again. She came straight to him and set her head on his leg. He felt himself smile in response. The way she was looking at him was extremely cute.
He knew she liked it when he pet her, so he reached down and began to pet her as he considered Christian's request. If he agreed, he could keep Christian from the truth, but his guilt would weigh on him if he did. Christian seemed like a good person who genuinely cared. Was it wrong to deny him, or should he truly help him. If Owen denied him, he wouldn't be able to read the file and finally understand Cana's past.
Cana wasn't ashamed to admit that she liked it when he pet her. He probably thought it was very dog like, but she didn't care. She preferred this form, but she could tolerate her human one. She only changed to human because of the smile he gave her when she was.
Curious, she jumped up onto the couch, as Christian handed Owen the file. Cana didn't know what it said, but she didn't care. That part of her life was behind her. It isn't what mattered now. She had hoped that her being near would distract him, but he was not deterred.
" I haven't agreed to help you." Owen said with an arched eyebrow as Christian offered him the file.
" I have a feeling you will." Christian said simply, and Cana looked at Christian to see him watching her. She snorted in annoyance, then rolled over so she was laying on her side and her head resting just below Owen's stomach.
" Have you seen the news today?" Christian asked Owen, changing the subject.
" No." Owen mumbled over the file he was now looking at. It started with what the feds assumed had happened that night.
" You should turn it on." Christian said, his voice was laced with amusement.
Owen tossed Christian the remote to him, then continued reading the file as if entranced. Something inside it must really interest him. She knew some of her mom and dad's notes were in there, maybe that's what held his interest. She thought to herself as she watched him.
Inside the file he had found the information about her parent's research. They had found a virus that had been infecting the wolves, but her parents were told the virus was killing off the park's population. They had then come to the park to try to protect and save the parks wolf population. They were genetic researchers as well as wildlife conservationists and the more he read, the more respect he had for them both. The world had truly lost two treasures when it had lost them.
Owen looked through the pages and found that the virus was changing the wolves by making them stronger, instead of killing them like her parents had been told. The file didn't specify their definition of stronger though, which made him frown. Was it just physically or was there more to it? Cana had been able to heal so fast, he reminded himself. Intrigued, he kept reading.
Without them realizing it, their employer was trying to get them to isolate the virus and see if they could find a way to make it behave the same way in humans. Her parents were told they were saving wolves from extinction by isolating the virus, but her parents were smart and had figured their employer out. So much made sense to him now, Owen thought as he digested all this new information.
They must not have been able to isolate it completely, he thought as he looked at Cana. They must have gone to the feds before it was finished and that was why the virus still had wolf DNA in it.
Had they able to change into wolves to, or was that just how the virus manifested in Cana, because she was their child? The man that was funding them, Dr. Bryant, must have injected them, knowing that if they survived, they had done it. The file was vague on how her parents were affected. It only said that they were and that it was suspected that their child would be to.
" You really should turn the news on." Christian emphasized, but Owen ignored him. He was busy and he had the remote if he wanted to watch it so bad.
Owen read everything the government had on their research. He then read the police reports about what had happened when the doctor had escaped and come after her parents. He then realized that he had come after Cana and her parents when he had broken out after Cana was born.
Had he known about her? Owen wondered. Did he now? According to the police reports, she was immediately ordered to go into the witness protection program and all evidence of her existence had been hidden. It also described her as unresponsive and evasive of anyone who came near her right after.
What had she seen that night? Owen again wondered. It was going to haunt her for a long as she held it inside. She couldn't hold it in forever. Maybe some of the emotions he had seen that today when he tried to force her to open up about it had been part of them. They had to be.
She had said her parents had left her to. He wanted to reassure her she would always be safe with him, but Dr. Bryant was still out there. He had never been caught after killing her parents. That likely also meant he was out there, trying to weaponize the virus. Which also explained the feds interest when her name came up in the system. She wasn't completely safe until they caught him.
He was vaguely aware of Christian turning on the TV, but he ignored him and turned his attention to Cana. Her head was laying on his leg and she watched him with gentle eyes. When he scratched her head, her eyes closed in bliss, and he smiled. A sense of possession rose inside him as he watched her. He wanted to protect her, but how could he?
He could help her by helping her face the emotions that had made her run to her wolf form, but he couldn't do anything about Dr. Bryant. He could help her with what she had seen, but not until she opened her heart to him and let him in. He guessed he would just have to wait until she was ready to discuss that day. She will let him help her more when she was ready and if Dr. Bryant came, he would find a way to protect her then to. That he made a silent promise to himself.
" Here we are." Christen said, breaking into his thoughts.
He opened his mouth to ask Christian what he meant, but Cana let out the most ferocious snarl Owen had ever heard. It was all beast, and he was shocked she could even make a noise that deadly.
When his mind finally recovered from the outburst, he looked up to see Cana growling at the TV and Christian's wide eyes. Cana's hair on the back of her neck was standing on end. That was a big sign of aggression in wolves. So was her raised hackles and tense tail. What had gotten into her so suddenly and made her react in such a way?
He glanced up at the TV and cold immediately seized his limps at the sight. The picture he had seen of Dr Bryant in the file was on the TV screen. She must have recognized him, and her wolf reacted to the threat. Her fear must have had made her forget it was just a picture.
Owen grabbed the remote from Christian and turned the volume up. If he was in the news, Owen wanted to know what was going on so that he could prepare for what might come. A errie silence filled the room as the volume climbed until it filled the room and Owen tried his best to not hold his breath in expectation as he listened.
I am sure all of you remember Dr Bryant from the media a while back. Well, the police have informed us that he has been found and passed away due to an apparent animal attack.
Cana's growls quieted as she understood what the news caster was saying. Animal attack? Had one of his experiments gone wrong? He hoped so. That would be true poetic justice, he thought with satisfaction at the idea.
"It's true." Christian said before he could ask, confirming the newscaster's words and making the last shreds of his doubt break. Relief coursed through him with the confirmation. That meant he wouldn't come after her anymore.
" I heard the announcement on my way here and my boss confirmed it when I called him. He said the agents in charge of investigating said that they had found evidence he was studying the same research, so they think one of his subjects got lose and went after him." It was probably inappropriate, but good for those who had got him. Owen immediately thought at his words. Who knows what kind of stuff he was doing to them, and a sense of justice rose inside him at the confirmation.
Dr Bryant had been charged with many counts of animal cruelty along with many other charges. Though the news comes to a relief to some, the friends and family of Daniel and Luna Stone wished for justice for their deaths. Forensic evidence had proved that Dr Bryant was in fact been responsible for their deaths.
That's why he had recognized the last name. He had been following the case, but it had said nothing about a daughter. It had been in the file though, that the feds had done their best to erase all evidence of her in case Dr. Bryant hadn't known about her. But she had run before they could give her a new name, ruining their plans to protect her.
He looked at Cana as she stared at the TV. Her eyes weren't looking at it though, they were turned inward and dazed. He couldn't say anything with Christian here, so he just walked over and picked her up.
When he grabbed her, she yipped and squirmed until he whispered to her reassuringly. That reaction showed how much the picture had bothered her. She should be relieved that Dr. Bryant was gone, but instead she was still afraid of just his picture.
" You know, there are moments when your dog doesn't act like a dog." Christian said suddenly, and Owen stiffened. He hadn't thought about Christian evaluating her reaction and he was smart.
" I told you she's a wolf dog, not a dog. There is a big difference." Owen answered, hoping that would convince him. He just mumbled a hmm and went quiet. Owen prayed his explanation would be enough.
Relieved that it seemed to have worked, Owen sat down in his chair and set her on his lap. She hesitated for a few seconds, then laid down and he felt her sigh. At least she had settled down, he thought with relief.
" What do you think of the file." Christian asked moments later, changing the subject. Owen was thankful he had changed the subject but chose to not comment.
" I find it interesting. I don't know how it will help you find Cana though." Owen said being truthful.
Everything in it was so old and it barely mentioned Cana at all. They hadn't known much of anything about her. Her parents had done their job protecting her from anyone who was perusing the virus. Again, he felt their loss though he barely knew them. They seemed like such genuine and inspiring people. All he could do was promise to protect their daughter. That he could do in their honor, he told himself.
" Her parents used to work alongside your family. The park that was created from their donation was the one they used to do their research. This park is that park." Christian said firmly.
That couldn't be right, Owen immediately thought. It hadn't been mentioned in any of the files and his mom and dad would have told him if that was the case. They had always been big on wolf conservation and had fought hard for them to be reintroduced here.
They had even sent him to school in hopes that one day he would help them with their dream to start a wolf conservation center. They had bought a location and everything. They said they were just waiting for the time to be right. He guessed they meant when he was ready so that he could help build it up, then one day take over it.
" I had hoped that when I let you look at the file, you would help me find the cabin that used to be their research base. They had continued their research into the virus after the trail that sent Bryant to jail, but under the supervision of the government this time." And Dr. Bryant had probably discovered they were still doing research, so he had gone to see what they had developed after the escape mentioned in the file. That was when Cana came into the picture.
"That is why I know there is a cabin here and that is where they were when Dr Bryant found them. It has remained vacant since that day and its existence was forgotten." Christian explained. Even if the cabin was still there, his mom and dad would know about it. He needed to have a talk with them about all this.
"After you found her here, it made me think about that cabin and I believe she might still be hanging around it." Christian finished, then after a breath spoke again.
"You know the park better than most." He finally explained, giving Owen a hopeful look.
" Why do you want to find her so bad?" Owen asked him again.
If he was going to help, he wanted the truth. Christian had really thought about every angle of this and was downright determined. Christian stayed quiet as he watched both Owen, then Cana as he seemed to consider. Owen knew Christian was still reluctant, so Owen decided on a compromise.
" Tell me the truth and I will help you search for the cabin, as long as I am not at work." He added as an afterthought. Christian seemed desperate enough he might try to get Owen to take time off to help him search for it.
" The truth?" Christian sighed again, then looked at Owen.
" She is my niece. My full name is Christian Stone and I'm Daniel's little brother. That's why I want to find her so bad. I want to take care of her like my brother did for me when I was younger." He was what? Owen's mind thought as he tried to process what he heard. Even Cana had lifted her head to look at Christian, completely focused on him.