Why a Wolf Cries - Julie Steimle (read a book .TXT) 📗

appropriate for me to be learning that stuff at school. I told them it was just a fiction story from China. Dad says it’s harmless, but Mom thinks it has some kind of connection with Falun Gong, which she heard was a crazy cult.”

Audry shrugged. She didn’t know anything about it. Not the story or of that obscure Chinese religion, though she had heard rumors, good and bad about them and China.

The wolf groaned.

Audry halted, this time looking back. The she looked to the sky, wondering over how much time had passed since she last gave him a sedative. “He’s waking up. I might have to sedate him again soon.”

Skyler nodded, leaning away. “Yeah… Dad says a hurt animal is the more dangerous one.”

And reminded of that truth, Audry nodded. She pulled off her backpack and dug into it for the kit to get more sedative. She did not have much left as the jar had only contained three doses, and she had already used one. Looking to the wolf, also concerned about how much would be too much. Her wolf, she noticed struggled a great deal to keep conscious.

A crazy idea occurred to her as she took out the vial and then dug in for clean syringe. Crouching down next to the wolf, she whispered, “Settle down. We’re taking you to safety. Just relax. I don’t want to have to sedate you for the entire trip. If you make noise, and squirm, I will have to put you out again.”

“Does he even understand you?” Skyler demanded skeptically.

Audry shrugged, rising as she watched the wolf settle down. “I don’t know. Maybe. He knows me. I mean, look at him. He’s already calmed down. So maybe he just reacted to my calm voice. That can be enough.”

Skyler snorted. “Whatever.”

Rising, she said, “You suggested he was a werewolf.”

And he laughed, ducking his head between his shoulders, nodding.

 

They stopped for lunch on the path around noon. They gathered off the path just a bit. By that time, Audry chose to sedate the wolf again, just in case he decided to get up. He seemed to be content at being dragged, as long as they continued to move, but he always lifted his head whenever they stopped or slowed down.

Most of it was premade spring rolls, though the kids were eating cheese sticks and crackers. It was difficult for Audry to not cast judgement, as she truly had been promoting veganism for such a long time that it seemed impossible not to see this turn from the diet a failure.

But Jean really wasn’t the first of her acquaintances who had quit veganism. She had heard rumors of other friends who had in fact swung the other way and had gone paleo. It was jarring, really. It was a bit like watching someone ‘leave the faith’ and join the persecutors.

Maris crawled off her father’s lap over to Audry, gazing at the wolf. She then reached out to stroke his head.

“Be careful,” Audry said. “He’s still a wild animal.”

Hesitating, Maris gently put her hand on the wolf’s head, patting its blood-caked fur. “Poor wolf. It will be ok. Aunt Audry is the best. She’ll take care of you.”

Tears welled in Audry’s eyes. And she noticed the wolf closed his eyes and sigh, leaning into Maris’s hand. The wolf even smiled under his muzzle, contented. It struck Audry then that perhaps he had actually been worried for Maris, and he had not known how she was until that moment.

“He’s sweet,” Maris said, still stroking his head. “I hope he gets well.”

“How are you feeling?” Audry asked.

“It still hurts,” Maris said, “But Mom gave me a pain pill. It’s sp’osed to help.”

“We’ll get you to a hospital soon,” Audry said.

Maris absently stroked the wolf’s head. “What about your wolf? Is he coming to the hospital too?”

Lowering her eyes to meet Maris’s gaze, Audry set her forehead against her niece’s. “Now… you know he can’t. He’s a wolf. I have to take him to the ranger’s station.”

“But I heard… but I heard sometimes wounded animals are put down,” Maris whispered.

The wolf lurched.

Audry pulled Maris’s hand away. “No. We’re not taking him to the Humane Society. We’re rescuing him.”

Oddly, the wolf laid down again, breathing softly.

Maris patted him again. “But what if those rangers don’t agree with you? Dad said the wolf looked like he was in a bad way.”

Cringing, Audry wished Doug would keep his mouth shut. “It’s not as bad as he thinks. The wounds are mostly skin deep. No vital organs were harmed, and as far as I can tell, no major blood vessels were cut. If they were, he’d already be dead.”

Hearing that, Maris nodded with relief, sighing.

The wolf sighed too.

Both Audry and Maris blinked at him.

“I think he understands you,” Maris said.

Audry angled around and examined the wolf again. “No way… I think… I think he just likes the sound of us talking.”

Maris shook her head, eyeing the wolf. “No. I think he likes you.”

A shiver whipped through Audry, down her back and up her arms. Her heart pounded in her chest. She looked at the wolf more closely, watching his unfocused gray eyes track her. For a second, he seemed embarrassed. She could feel it, actually. Petting his fur, Audry stroked it from his eyes and peered at his gaze more fully. “Why would a wolf do that? You’ve only seen me once. I mean, yeah, I did take that bullet out of your leg, but… we’re square. It’s what I do.”

Yet the wolf’s gaze softened on her, so fond. He nuzzled his bound snout against her knee, his tongue licking it through his barely clenched teeth.

“He really does like you.” Maris smiled, patting him on the head. “Maybe he’s in love with you too.”

Audry rolled her eyes. Yet she stooped down and kissed the wolf the nose. He licked her back.

What a thought. She was in love with a wolf. Of course it was a silly thought. Absolute nonsense. But, for a boyfriend, he would have been the first to not try to molest her. In fact, he’d be the first to save her from trouble rather than getting her into trouble. Problem was, he was just a wolf.

“We should name him,” Maris declared.

The wolf lifted up his head at her, looking incredulous. It made Audry laugh. It also made her consider that perhaps the wolf was becoming resistant to the sedative she was giving him. She had never seen a rescued animal that resistant before. Or, and this was possible, the sedative was too old and less effective. Audry dug into the bag to check the date on the bottle.

Nope. It was new. The date was last week.

Audry looked to the wolf again.

“How about we call him Howley!?” Maris declared. The wolf groaned as if he had just been told an old dad-joke. “Howley is a good name.”

“I don’t think he likes it,” Audry said, closing one eye as she put the sedative bottle back into her bag.

Shrugging, Maris then thought more. “Ok, what about Henry?”

The wolf huffed.

That was a ‘No’.

Staring at him, Audry smirked.

Maris laughed. “Ok… Not Henry? Do you like Harvey?”

Audry laughed. “Why are you choosing all names starting with H?”

“Because you like boys with H names,” Maris said.

Laughing, Audry blushed. “No. Please. I only had two boyfriends whose names started with H.”

“But what about that guy you told us about? Wasn’t his real name Howard?”

Audry pulled back. “Why do you remember stuff like that?”

“Come on!” Doug called back to them, opening his arms to carry Maris again. “Let’s go!”

“Can I walk with Aunt Audry for a bit?” Maris called up.

He smiled, shrugged. “Ok. But if you get tired or start to hurt again, you can come back to me and I’ll carry you.”

Maris waved with her good arm. Then she turned toward Audry again while Skyler came up to help drag the wolf carrier once more. “So… is it true?”

“He was never my boyfriend,” Audry said, her cheeks still hot. “He was just a friend.”

Yet the wolf sighed, sounding content.

Maris peered over at him. “How about Honey-cake?”

Audry heard someone choke on a laugh. She peeked to Skyler who was making a face, mouthing ‘Honey-cake?’

“Not manly enough,” Skyler said out loud.

The wolf nuzzled his hand, licking it. Skyler looked, surprised.

“I think the wolf has spoken,” Audry said, chuckling. He really did seem to understand.

Maris shrugged. “Ok, what do you think then? What name should we give him?”

Skyler walked in silence, thinking. Then he said, “Rufus.”

Audry heard another smothered chuckle. She saw Maris roll her eyes. “Rufus? You want to call every dog you meet Rufus.”

He shrugged. “I want a dog named Rufus. It’s the perfect dog name.”

Yet Maris closed one eye and said, “No. I think I think I’ll go back to Howley. It fits. And I don’t want a dog named Rufus.”

The wolf rolled his eyes, stuck with Howley.

 

Maris eventually returned to her father after a few more hills when her arm started to ache too much and her feet hurt. But when she had been with them, she had petted the wolf and told him that he could live with them. Unfortunately, that forced Audry to have to correct her and tell her that I was illegal to keep wild wolves as pets. Maris was disappointed after that—another reason she had gone back to her father. It was difficult for her to walk with her disappointment and with an aching arm at the same time.

Clover and Zachary Bruchenhaus, the grandparents, ran ahead to the parking lot when they could finally see it. Jean had tossed them their keys so they could start their cars enabling them to load up quickly and take off as soon as they got Maris inside. It was well into the afternoon by then.

“Audry,” Doug turned with Maris in his arms as they got closer to the lot, walking backward. “We’re going to take Maris to the Lake Clinic. What do you plan to do?”

Nodding, feeling her shoulders burn as she continued to drag the wolf’s weight with Skyler. “I plan to go to the Norris Range Station. They have Canyon Emergency Services there, and I might catch someone who is a veterinarian.”

“And if you don’t?” Doug lifted his eyebrows meaningfully.

Sighing, meeting his gaze, Audry said, “I’m not abandoning him. I’ll take him into town and find a vet myself.”

Doug rolled his eyes. “What sane vet would treat a wolf?”

A name popped immediately to her mind and she blurted it out. “Randon Spade. But he lives on the east coast.”

Doug huffed. “Fine.” He then looked to Skyler. “You coming?”

Skyler hung back, clinging on to the drag stretcher handle. “Can I help Aunt Audry?”

Sighing more heavily, Doug said as he handed Maris to Jean, “Ok. Just meet with us later, alright?”

“I’ll go to the Lake Clinic right after I take care of the wolf,” Audry said.

He patted her on the shoulder. With Maris, he walked to his car which was now ready in the parking lot. His mother got out, helping Maris into her seat with Jean. “Ok. See you there! Call us if something changes!”

Hanging her shoulders, Audry moaned. “There is no cellphone reception out here!”

But he had already climbed into his car, pulling on his seatbelt. They shut the doors.

Audry handed Skyler her car keys and had him open all the doors as she continued to drag the wolf herself. He helped Audry heave the wolf into the open door of her backseat, folding the carrier and sticking it on the ski rack on her roof. They were off as soon as Skyler was in the passenger side seat, shutting the door.

The trip south to the canyon village did not take long. Audry didn’t speed, as the roads were winding with switchbacks down mountain roads. When they pulled into the canyon village the sun was high and hot.

They parked. Audry got out to unstrap the stretcher. Skyler opened the doors, hoping the wolf would stay down and not wake up. He was currently