Page 46 of Raised By Wolves

CHAPTER 33

THE SUN WAKES me early. I’m wet with dew and shivering under the blanket that I took from the cabin. I roll over in the grass. Holo’s already awake and staring at the clouds.

“I think we should call the pups Thing One and Thing Two,” he says dreamily.

I grin, remembering those sweet babies and their proud mama. There’s nothing more adorable than wolf pups—they’re all fluff and fang and feet. “Sticking with the Dr. Seuss names?”

“It’s tradition,” Holo insists.

Sam I Am was the first wolf we named. He was ornery and lovable. He died a long time ago, though.

Holo turns to me, and his eyes are suddenly dark with worry. “Do you think they’ll make it?”

A lot of wolf pups die before their first birthday. But I nod. “Beast is a good mom. She’ll protect them, the way she protected Bim and Ben.”

I’m more worried about the adult wolves, because they’rethe ones that people in Kokanee Creek talk about shooting. They don’t have mothers looking out for them.

Of course, neither do Holo and I.

“I didn’t see Ernie,” he says softly.

Ernie is Beast’s mate—the pack’s big, silver alpha male. “You know how he likes to be alone a lot,” I say. “And maybe he was just tired from minding the pups.”

“You think?”

I don’t know.“I hope.”

“Excuse me, but what thehellare you two doing sleeping in my yard?”

Startled, I sit up. The chief’s standing over us, looking confused and more than a little annoyed.

“Um,” Holo says, blinking.

It’s a reasonable question. Too bad I can’t really answer it. I wanted to sleep under the stars again, but why did I lead us back here? Why didn’t we just stay in the woods?

Because we don’t belong there now.

I rub my eyes. Take in the carefully mown grass, the pretty tended flower garden, the neat little space that the chief and Lacey have carved out of the woods.

But I don’t belong here, either.

The chief gives us a headshake and a resigned-sounding sigh. “Next time you want to camp out, I’ll put up the tent, okay?”

Holo lifts his face and sniffs. “Is Lacey cooking bacon?” he asks eagerly.

“Yes. Now come inside and get ready for school.”

I slowly get to my feet. I’m cold and stiff. “We’re suspended, remember?”

“No, you’re not. Mrs. Simon and I had a long conversation, and she agreed to let you come back. You just have to remember what you promised: No growling, no biting, and no fighting.”

“We didn’t actually promise that,” I tell him.

“You will now. Go on, get up and get dressed.” He reaches down and swipes the blanket away from Holo’s legs.

I scan the trees as my brother and I trudge into the house. The wolves are long gone. I don’t know when we’ll see them again.

“Eat,” the chief says, gesturing to the giant breakfast Lacey made us before she left for the diner.

---