Wolves prefer to eat large hoofed mammals such as deer, elk, bison, and moose. Adults can eat 20 pounds of meat in a single meal.
Twenty pounds of meat… Nat sat back in her chair, staring at the computer screen with wide eyes. How had he survived this long? And what on earth could she possibly bring him? The only meat she usually had around was Spam.
Her brows lifted. That was pork. And she could maybe get a hold of a lot of it. Would it make him sick? That much Spam… Her stomach turned over.
It’s not like he was even going to be there anymore. With as thin as he was, he must have roamed far from his normal territory searching for food. And she wanted him to go. He could get hurt if he stayed near.
But her heart raced hoping that somehow he’d still be there when she got home.
The bell rang, and Nat got to her feet, pulling at the arms of the shirt she was wearing, as if that would somehow make it fit her. At least animals didn’t care about clothing.
“Heads up!”
Nat didn’t look up but buried her face in her books as she walked down the hall, ignoring the laughter and his sound of disappointment as whatever had been thrown whizzed over her head. It was the same boy who was always picking on her. Preston Taylor.
She didn’t know what his fascination was with bothering her in particular, other than that she was unlucky enough to have the same bus stop. He wasn’t even one of the popular kids. Everyone at her bus stop lived on the wrong side of the tracks, although she was on the worst side. She guessed she might be the only one he could pick on.
She sat down and opened her math book, trying to quickly cram as much information in her brain before the test as possible. She’d been so busy thinking about the wolf, she had completely ignored her homework and test prep. Failing the test wouldn’t be ideal, but her mother wouldn’t even notice, and she wasn’t close enough to flunking yet for it to be a major concern. But missing her homework for the third time this week…
“Natalie, you have something for me?”
Nat looked up, groaning inside. Why did this teacher always have to remember?
“I forgot it, Mrs. Smith,” she said in a small voice. Forgot to do it, that is. Again. Although even that wasn’t exactly true.
Mrs. Smith sighed loudly.
“Then I have no choice but to place you in detention. You really need to learn to take responsibility for yourself, young lady. Life won’t always be as easy as it is when you’re young.”
The students around her snickered derisively. This wasn’t the first time the three strikes and you’re out policy had struck. But she had no intention of going to detention today. A simple nod and a small apology would have to do until Mrs. Smith could manage to hunt her down after school. And Nat had grown fairly good at dodging her.
When the last bell of the day rang, she hurried to her locker, keeping her head down and hugging her books close. A silent groan went through her when she saw the girls hovering around it, whispering and giggling.
Trying to avoid their eyes, she opened her locker.
“It’s so sparkly!” one of the girls said, eyeing Heather’s ring. Probably a Valentines Day gift from her boyfriend.
Heather was the most popular girl in school, and her locker would be beside Nat’s. She always looked so pretty, with her long blonde curls and perfect face. She was a nice girl, too, but her friends weren’t.
“Excuse me! Trying to talk here!”
One of the girls bumped into her as Nat crouched putting her books in her bag, and Nat mumbled an apology while the girl rolled her eyes and turned back to the group.
She hurried and shut her locker, racing away and toward the exit before Mrs. Smith caught sight of her. The school wasn’t very big.
“Hand me my pills before you go, baby.” Her mom was lying on the couch watching tv, and Nat exhaled. Refusing was pointless. She’d just get up and get them herself, hurting her back more. Then she’d take more pills than what Nat would give her.
Nat brought her a couple and refilled her water.
“You’re so sweet to me, baby. Don’t let the boys steal your sugar.”
Her mother still seemed to think she was a pretty little doll. She used to dress her in doll clothes, which Nat only knew from the pictures and the stories her mother would tell. Used to tell, that is. She got clean for a while to get Nat back from foster care, and for about a year Nat really thought life might be different. But it hadn’t lasted.
She didn’t seem to noticed when Nat opened the front door and left.
The snow fell in big, loose flakes that got stuck in her eyelashes only to melt quickly. She wished she hadn’t outgrown her boots, but at least today she was prepared. Her eyes fell to her feet. Trash bags wrapped around them, secured with tape, keeping her sneakers and socks inside nice and dry. She looked ridiculous, but what else was new.
Her pace quickened. The corner store wouldn’t have much Spam, but they always carried at least a couple cans. And if the wolf liked it, she would make the longer trip to the grocery store and get as much as she could afford. Her summer earnings were already gone, but she’d recently figured out how to manage her mom’s bank account. It was constantly overdrawn from her mother’s checks, so she hid her checkbook and kept a careful eye on how much money was going in and out. They could afford a couple cans of spam for the wolf, even if she had to have a few lighter meals herself to compensate.
An hour later and she had trudged through the wood again, armed this time with food. A knot grew in her stomach as she approached the spot where the wolf had been. Had he already moved on? What if he’d forgotten her? Or what if he’d just been in a good mood the other day and today he’d decide to eat her?
She swallowed when the clearing came into view. Empty.
That’s okay. Maybe he was just off doing something else. He hadn’t been there when she’d first arrived before, either.
This time she sat close to the edge, trying not to intrude into his space too much.
The wind blew the canopy above her, and particles of snow and water fell through. She drew her knees to her chest underneath her coat, huddling in a small ball as the minutes crept by.
Every sound made her jump and look up, hoping to see him. But nothing was there. And the evening grew dark.
Nat stared at the bag of Spam at her feet, her eyes filling with tears. Of course he’d moved on. And he should have. It was safer. She should be happy for him.
She buried her face in her arms, silent sobs shaking her body, and didn’t look up the next time she heard a sound. Until the warm breath warmed her and a nuzzle nudged her head.
Her startled wet eyes flew up as his tongue slipped in to lick her cheek, and she threw her arms around him, crying even harder. She didn’t let go for a long time, and he didn’t pull away.
Finally she pulled back with a shaky laugh.
“I brought you food!”
He growled immediately, and a frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. Had he been growling every time she said food? Maybe he recognized the word from other humans somewhere? If he’d been watching them from the woods, maybe he’d seen people eating.
She pulled out one of the cans and opened it, and he jumped away.
“Oh, come on. It’s not that bad.” She smelled it. Okay, it wasn’t like steak, probably, but he ate raw meat. How bad could this be? Maybe it’s because it wasn’t fresh. “I’m sorry I can’t afford real meat. I know this sucks, but I just…I don’t really have a lot.”
Her voice ended quietly as she stared at the open can. What a waste she was. Any other kid could have grabbed all sorts of food from their home for him.
He whined and walked over, leaning toward the can and sniffing it. She started to pull it back.
“Wait, don’t lick—“ But it was too late. His tongue reached out, and the edge of the can sliced it.
The can fell from her hands at his yelp.
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” she gasped, her hands reaching for him. “The edges are sharp! I was going to take it out for you!”
He was sitting back on his haunches and pawing his mouth, his head snapping back and forth, and she slowly pulled her hands back to herself. The last thing he’d want now is for her to touch him. She was surprised he wasn’t growling.
His head shook with a small snort one more time before his eyes met hers again. But he didn’t move away. Or growl.
Nat hesitated before reaching for the can again and turning it upside down until the meat slid out enough for her to grab. She broke off a piece and held it out to him, her eyes uncertain.
“Do you still want to try it?”
The wolf sat still for a moment longer but then leaned forward just enough to take the bite from her hand, licking her fingers. She saw the thin red line on his tongue, and a small sound escaped her. He flattened his tongue against her skin, licking more slowly. Maybe it didn’t hurt him too much.
She ended up feeding him both cans and then pulled out the bottle of water she’d brought. He must have a water source somewhere, but she didn’t know how far away it was. And Spam was salty.
“Drink?”
He sniffed it and nudged her hand toward her.
“You don’t want it?”
He nudged her again, this time causing the bottle to come close to her face.
“You…want me to take a drink?”
The wolf sat back and watched her. She shrugged and took a drink before holding it out to him again. When he didn’t move, she took another and tried again.
“Do you have water around here?”
He nodded, and she fell back, the bottle falling from her hands. He cocked his head at her.
“There is no way you understand me,” she breathed. When he didn’t react, she sat up on her knees, staring at him intently. “Do you understand me?”
For a moment he didn’t move, and she started to laugh at herself. But he nodded again, and she blinked. Maybe he was just doing it no matter what she said.
“Did you like licking the can?” His head jerked to the side with a snort. “No way…” She stared at him wide eyed. “Sorry for bringing up the can. I just wanted to check. You really understand me?”
He nodded again, and a small laugh escaped her. This was so weird.
“Then I…I guess I should ask you if I’m bothering you. To visit you. Is it okay…if I come back?” Her voice shook a bit, a sickness settling in her stomach. Of course she was bothering him. She was a clunky girl who just stumbled into his home and acted like she lived there.
He whined and began licking her face again, and she realized she’d dropped her eyes.
“Sorry. Answer again? Do you want me to stay away?” His head shook immediately before going back to licking her face. She buried her hands in his coat, the warmth stealing into her icy fingers. “This is so crazy…”
Drowsiness was beginning to seep into her, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up on the ground beside him. Her mother probably wouldn’t even notice if she stayed out all night.
But her eyes fell to her body and the bags wrapped around her legs, the slippery material of her puffer coat…she would be about as cuddly as…trash.
She sighed once more and leaned down to clean up the mess she’d made. Tomorrow. She would return tomorrow.
Wolves prefer to eat large hoofed mammals such as deer, elk, bison, and moose. Adults can eat 20 pounds of meat in a single meal.
Twenty pounds of meat… Nat sat back in her chair, staring at the computer screen with wide eyes. How had he survived this long? And what on earth could she possibly bring him? The only meat she usually had around was Spam.
Her brows lifted. That was pork. And she could maybe get a hold of a lot of it. Would it make him sick? That much Spam… Her stomach turned over.
It’s not like he was even going to be there anymore. With as thin as he was, he must have roamed far from his normal territory searching for food. And she wanted him to go. He could get hurt if he stayed near.
But her heart raced hoping that somehow he’d still be there when she got home.
The bell rang, and Nat got to her feet, pulling at the arms of the shirt she was wearing, as if that would somehow make it fit her. At least animals didn’t care about clothing.
“Heads up!”
Nat didn’t look up but buried her face in her books as she walked down the hall, ignoring the laughter and his sound of disappointment as whatever had been thrown whizzed over her head. It was the same boy who was always picking on her. Preston Taylor.
She didn’t know what his fascination was with bothering her in particular, other than that she was unlucky enough to have the same bus stop. He wasn’t even one of the popular kids. Everyone at her bus stop lived on the wrong side of the tracks, although she was on the worst side. She guessed she might be the only one he could pick on.
She sat down and opened her math book, trying to quickly cram as much information in her brain before the test as possible. She’d been so busy thinking about the wolf, she had completely ignored her homework and test prep. Failing the test wouldn’t be ideal, but her mother wouldn’t even notice, and she wasn’t close enough to flunking yet for it to be a major concern. But missing her homework for the third time this week…
“Natalie, you have something for me?”
Nat looked up, groaning inside. Why did this teacher always have to remember?
“I forgot it, Mrs. Smith,” she said in a small voice. Forgot to do it, that is. Again. Although even that wasn’t exactly true.
Mrs. Smith sighed loudly.
“Then I have no choice but to place you in detention. You really need to learn to take responsibility for yourself, young lady. Life won’t always be as easy as it is when you’re young.”
The students around her snickered derisively. This wasn’t the first time the three strikes and you’re out policy had struck. But she had no intention of going to detention today. A simple nod and a small apology would have to do until Mrs. Smith could manage to hunt her down after school. And Nat had grown fairly good at dodging her.
When the last bell of the day rang, she hurried to her locker, keeping her head down and hugging her books close. A silent groan went through her when she saw the girls hovering around it, whispering and giggling.
Trying to avoid their eyes, she opened her locker.
“It’s so sparkly!” one of the girls said, eyeing Heather’s ring. Probably a Valentines Day gift from her boyfriend.
Heather was the most popular girl in school, and her locker would be beside Nat’s. She always looked so pretty, with her long blonde curls and perfect face. She was a nice girl, too, but her friends weren’t.
“Excuse me! Trying to talk here!”
One of the girls bumped into her as Nat crouched putting her books in her bag, and Nat mumbled an apology while the girl rolled her eyes and turned back to the group.
She hurried and shut her locker, racing away and toward the exit before Mrs. Smith caught sight of her. The school wasn’t very big.
“Hand me my pills before you go, baby.” Her mom was lying on the couch watching tv, and Nat exhaled. Refusing was pointless. She’d just get up and get them herself, hurting her back more. Then she’d take more pills than what Nat would give her.
Nat brought her a couple and refilled her water.
“You’re so sweet to me, baby. Don’t let the boys steal your sugar.”
Her mother still seemed to think she was a pretty little doll. She used to dress her in doll clothes, which Nat only knew from the pictures and the stories her mother would tell. Used to tell, that is. She got clean for a while to get Nat back from foster care, and for about a year Nat really thought life might be different. But it hadn’t lasted.
She didn’t seem to noticed when Nat opened the front door and left.
The snow fell in big, loose flakes that got stuck in her eyelashes only to melt quickly. She wished she hadn’t outgrown her boots, but at least today she was prepared. Her eyes fell to her feet. Trash bags wrapped around them, secured with tape, keeping her sneakers and socks inside nice and dry. She looked ridiculous, but what else was new.
Her pace quickened. The corner store wouldn’t have much Spam, but they always carried at least a couple cans. And if the wolf liked it, she would make the longer trip to the grocery store and get as much as she could afford. Her summer earnings were already gone, but she’d recently figured out how to manage her mom’s bank account. It was constantly overdrawn from her mother’s checks, so she hid her checkbook and kept a careful eye on how much money was going in and out. They could afford a couple cans of spam for the wolf, even if she had to have a few lighter meals herself to compensate.
An hour later and she had trudged through the wood again, armed this time with food. A knot grew in her stomach as she approached the spot where the wolf had been. Had he already moved on? What if he’d forgotten her? Or what if he’d just been in a good mood the other day and today he’d decide to eat her?
She swallowed when the clearing came into view. Empty.
That’s okay. Maybe he was just off doing something else. He hadn’t been there when she’d first arrived before, either.
This time she sat close to the edge, trying not to intrude into his space too much.
The wind blew the canopy above her, and particles of snow and water fell through. She drew her knees to her chest underneath her coat, huddling in a small ball as the minutes crept by.
Every sound made her jump and look up, hoping to see him. But nothing was there. And the evening grew dark.
Nat stared at the bag of Spam at her feet, her eyes filling with tears. Of course he’d moved on. And he should have. It was safer. She should be happy for him.
She buried her face in her arms, silent sobs shaking her body, and didn’t look up the next time she heard a sound. Until the warm breath warmed her and a nuzzle nudged her head.
Her startled wet eyes flew up as his tongue slipped in to lick her cheek, and she threw her arms around him, crying even harder. She didn’t let go for a long time, and he didn’t pull away.
Finally she pulled back with a shaky laugh.
“I brought you food!”
He growled immediately, and a frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. Had he been growling every time she said food? Maybe he recognized the word from other humans somewhere? If he’d been watching them from the woods, maybe he’d seen people eating.
She pulled out one of the cans and opened it, and he jumped away.
“Oh, come on. It’s not that bad.” She smelled it. Okay, it wasn’t like steak, probably, but he ate raw meat. How bad could this be? Maybe it’s because it wasn’t fresh. “I’m sorry I can’t afford real meat. I know this sucks, but I just…I don’t really have a lot.”
Her voice ended quietly as she stared at the open can. What a waste she was. Any other kid could have grabbed all sorts of food from their home for him.
He whined and walked over, leaning toward the can and sniffing it. She started to pull it back.
“Wait, don’t lick—“ But it was too late. His tongue reached out, and the edge of the can sliced it.
The can fell from her hands at his yelp.
“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” she gasped, her hands reaching for him. “The edges are sharp! I was going to take it out for you!”
He was sitting back on his haunches and pawing his mouth, his head snapping back and forth, and she slowly pulled her hands back to herself. The last thing he’d want now is for her to touch him. She was surprised he wasn’t growling.
His head shook with a small snort one more time before his eyes met hers again. But he didn’t move away. Or growl.
Nat hesitated before reaching for the can again and turning it upside down until the meat slid out enough for her to grab. She broke off a piece and held it out to him, her eyes uncertain.
“Do you still want to try it?”
The wolf sat still for a moment longer but then leaned forward just enough to take the bite from her hand, licking her fingers. She saw the thin red line on his tongue, and a small sound escaped her. He flattened his tongue against her skin, licking more slowly. Maybe it didn’t hurt him too much.
She ended up feeding him both cans and then pulled out the bottle of water she’d brought. He must have a water source somewhere, but she didn’t know how far away it was. And Spam was salty.
“Drink?”
He sniffed it and nudged her hand toward her.
“You don’t want it?”
He nudged her again, this time causing the bottle to come close to her face.
“You…want me to take a drink?”
The wolf sat back and watched her. She shrugged and took a drink before holding it out to him again. When he didn’t move, she took another and tried again.
“Do you have water around here?”
He nodded, and she fell back, the bottle falling from her hands. He cocked his head at her.
“There is no way you understand me,” she breathed. When he didn’t react, she sat up on her knees, staring at him intently. “Do you understand me?”
For a moment he didn’t move, and she started to laugh at herself. But he nodded again, and she blinked. Maybe he was just doing it no matter what she said.
“Did you like licking the can?” His head jerked to the side with a snort. “No way…” She stared at him wide eyed. “Sorry for bringing up the can. I just wanted to check. You really understand me?”
He nodded again, and a small laugh escaped her. This was so weird.
“Then I…I guess I should ask you if I’m bothering you. To visit you. Is it okay…if I come back?” Her voice shook a bit, a sickness settling in her stomach. Of course she was bothering him. She was a clunky girl who just stumbled into his home and acted like she lived there.
He whined and began licking her face again, and she realized she’d dropped her eyes.
“Sorry. Answer again? Do you want me to stay away?” His head shook immediately before going back to licking her face. She buried her hands in his coat, the warmth stealing into her icy fingers. “This is so crazy…”
Drowsiness was beginning to seep into her, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up on the ground beside him. Her mother probably wouldn’t even notice if she stayed out all night.
But her eyes fell to her body and the bags wrapped around her legs, the slippery material of her puffer coat…she would be about as cuddly as…trash.
She sighed once more and leaned down to clean up the mess she’d made. Tomorrow. She would return tomorrow.
