Life Mates

The she
wolf had been waiting for three days and nights
now,she was so cold and hungry.Her mate had gone
to find food and she was waiting for his
return.But now as each day passed,she grew more
fearful that he would not be returning.Not this
night,not tomorrow,not ever again.On the day that
he had left her side she had heard off in the
distance a sound that she feared very much.It was
the sound that she had heard before,but it was
only now that she knew what that sound was and
what it could do.It was the reason she could not
follow her mate on the hunt.It was the reason that
even now though some time had passed that she
still felt the pain in her side that she had
recieved from that sound. A sound she would
remember and fear the rest of her life. She was
drinking at the stream when she looked up and saw
the man standing there with what to her looked
like a very long stick.In a flash this awful sound
had come from the thing and she had felt
something strike her side.Oh the pain,why was she
hurting so badly, the stick had not touched
her,why was there blood now coming from her
side,she did not know why. But she did know that
it was the man and that stick that had made this
happen,and with every ounce of strength she
had left within her,she had turned and ran.
Fast as the pain would allow her to, home to
her mate she had to make it back to him.

This need kept her strong enough to almost
make it home before she had fallen,to weak now
from the loss of blood to go on.But as she knew he
would, her mate had already started out to her
when he too had heard that sound. As he drew
nearer and saw his lifemate,his love laying on the
ground, he saw that her side was opened and
that she was in much pain.He knew that he might
lose her to the spirit world,and he would be
alone,without his love. As he too seemed to
feel the pain that she was feeling he raised his
head to the heavens,and a howl came from within
him that carried with it,all the pain,the
sorrow,the fear,the need that he had felt. Seeing
his mate laying there on the ground,not able to
move,and over and over he kept sending all those
feelings to the heavens with each howl.They seemed
to grow louder and longer each time,why he did it
he didn't know,he only knew that it was something
that came from deep within. That this was his
only way of letting all of those things he was
feeling out as he looked at his mate losing her
fight to live lying on the ground.The earth
growing red with her blood,so he howled to the
heavens one more time before going to her. He
licked her face with what could only be for them a
sweet kiss.Then he started to lick her wound,he
had to help her,he had to do all that he could to
save her.She was his soulmate,his love,And as he
licked her wound the blood began to stop coming
out as much.The hole that she had in her side
seemed to close just enough that the bleeding did
stop all but for some drops that still fell to the
now red earth. She had only been deeply grazed and
the bullet had not entered into her body. She
still had lost a great amount of blood,and she
was much to weak to move.So he laid down
beside her and kissed her face,and she opened
her eyes and looked at her love before she
fell asleep,so weak,so tired,and in so much
pain,that sleep was a blessing now.And so they
lay together two souls as one for two days. He refused to leave her side in all that time,he would not leave her here helpless. To weak to protect herself from other animals that had smelled her blood,he knew they would have to kill him to get to her.He was a very strong,young,and healthy wolf,and would not go down easily.But for whatever reason he had not had to fight another animal,he and his mate had been left alone.Now after two days and nights she begain to move,very slowly and in much pain. She was healing,and now was able to get up and walk very slowly down to the water,both were very thristy,he had not left her for even a drink of water,for fear of her being attacked.After they had drank their fill,they walk slowly homeward,he was very careful as they walked to watch and listen still fearful of his mate being attacked.

Soon home was in sight a small den ,under some rocks with trees all around,and how good it looked to her,she needed to lay down so bad,but she knew she had to make it home,where she could rest,and heal.So side by side,he only walking as fast as she was able to.They made it safely home,were she had then layed down and once more found comfort from the pain by falling asleep.Knowing as long as her mate was beside her she would be safe from harm.So she slept and healed.

He was only going a very short distance to hunt for food,for them,the rest of the time he would lie beside her,or out in front of the den,ever watchful.Now enough time had passed that she had healed and regained most of her strenght,but not enough to hunt.So she had stayed behind while he went further away to hunt.Now she was also feeling a movement inside of her,for she was soon to have her first litter of pups. Now days had passed and she feared for the life of her mate.After hearing that sound once more that had nearly taken her life,not long after he had left.

She truely thought she would never see him again.He would never see his pups,they would have no father to guild and help protect them,she was now alone.Two more days and nights passed,then on the third day she heard a sound very close to the den. Not knowing what or who it was she went as far back into the den as she could.She still had some of the fear that man had put in her,so unlike her she hid in the den at its darkest place.Soon she saw a shape at the entrance of the den,and her heart raced with joy,because there at the entrance stood her beloved mate.She ran to him and began to lick

his face and kiss him in the way that wolves do.What joy she felt,but she soon saw that he was hurt and bloodied.Not fom man but from a pack of wolves that had attacked him,he had been in a fight that most wolves would not have survived,but he had. He had been making his way home,but found that he had to stop and rest so much of the way,that it had taken him many days to return.

But at last he was home,now it was her turn to clean his wounds as he had hers. She did the hunting now,it was limited to small mice and other things that she was able to catch with out a lot of effort.But they were together once more and that was what mattered most,she had not lost her beloved lifemate.He healed quickly and soon she went into labor and they were then mother and father to three adorable pups.

written July 30thby Winters Child