Savior, Alpha Ch. 03

Dear Readers,

Sorry for the long delay. Between a long trip out of town and things at work, I haven't been able to get back to it.

Hope you're still interested in reading.

Enjoy,

KemMyst

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The morning meal was spare and quiet, with glances to where the children generally sat. "Well." Everyone, pulled out of their own thoughts, jumped and looked at Anne. Her voice seemed unusually loud in the room. "OK. We have to assume no one's found them. Does anyone have any idea which direction they went yesterday?" Everyone started wracking their brains. "Alright then, how about the last time you saw them. Lorna?"

"I think they were playing up on the ridge."

"Emily?" "On their way out the door."

"Beth?" "They were running around the yard." "Yes, chasing each other around the buildings."

"Ethan?" "They took off up the hill." "And I last saw them in the yard."

Anne closed her eyes, thinking. "OK, I want someone to stay here, to update whoever might come and lock the children in a room when they come back." A little chuckle from the others. "Now, I want three of us to head off over the ridge to the northeast and search for them. The other two I want south, toward town. We'll have to call since all sign and scent will be gone. Meet back here in two hours. Hopefully, help will be here by then."

"We'll go northeast."

Anne closed her eyes. "OK. Lorna, will you take first watch here?"

A pause. "Uh, sure."

"Thank you. Shall we?"

*****

Rose was sandwiched between the two boys. She yawned and stretched. Something was different. She didn't smell her parents, nor breakfast. Opening her eyes, she looked around. It was gloomy. They were stuck in a cave. And both Evan and Grant were asleep. She rested her head on her brother's shoulder, looking at the cave wall.

Grant rolled over and yawned loudly. Scratching his ear on the floor.

Evan shifted and woke. He stretched and looked around.

He trotted out to the front chamber. It was cold. He could see his breath. He drank a bit from the puddle and peed in the other corner. Heading to the entrance he called, listened. Nothing. He tried again. No response.

Rose and Grant came out to take care of their needs too. Grant crunched a bit more of the rabbit carcass, while Evan chewed at the weasel. Rose shivered and went back into the back room. She curled up on the warm spot they'd just left.

*****

Anne and Ethan have headed off to the south. Anne headed directly for the edge of the range. They skirted the edge, searching and scenting. Seeing no sign of human activity, they began calling.

They called and listened. After a time, Ethan shifted. "Why here?"

"I just... want to eliminate the thought that they may have been captured by..."

"Humans?" She nodded, worry in her eyes, on her face. "There're no tire tracks, no footprints, no marks that they've been digging, or have set anything up. I think we can assume we're safe in that regard."

"Oh, Ethan. Where are our babies?"

"They're alright, love. We just have to find them."

"How do you know?"

"Two things. No, three." She looked at him. "One, they're wolves. Two, they're our kids. And three," he took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes, "you'd know if something had happened to them."

She closed her eyes, took a breath, and nodded.

*****

Beth, Nick, and Emily spread out, sniffing, calling, searching. Looking for any clue as to where the pups had gone.

As the time passed, Beth sank to the ground, her head on her forelegs. Emily came over to her and whined. Nick came by as well, rubbed up against her, and licked her head.

After a bit, she rose and they continued their search.

*****

With nothing else to do, the pups have curled up together again, to stay warm. Every so often, Evan called. They listened for an answer. Curled up together, warm, they dozed.

*****

Everyone gathered back at the compound.

Eddy and half a dozen others had shown up to help with the search. There were others searching the McKenna range. The children hadn't been found.

After some tea, a snack, and some consultation, the searchers spread out.

They checked back in periodically: to report findings, to get something to eat, and get direction for another trip out.

Gwen had brought Jeane, along with food and drink for the searchers.

The area echoed with calls.

*****

Rose had come out to the outer chamber and was batting around the weasel skull. The day had warmed and a sliver of light fell into the cavern.

Evan called, they froze and listened. Then, a game, beating the weasel skull around.

A noise. They stopped and listened. A deer.

Grant's stomach growled. It smelled good. There was nothing left to eat in the cave.

*****

The parents were getting frantic now. Darkness was coming. The range had been covered, twice. They'd gone into the edge of the Riordan range as well.

Nothing. No trace of them. No sound. No scent.

As if they'd vanished off the face of the earth.

*****

Riordan called. "Have you found them?"

"No."

"Some of the pack have volunteered to help you look for them."

"Thank you, Steven. I think we have our range covered. We'd appreciate it if you could check yours."

"Of course. We'll let you know if we find them."

"Thank you for your help."

*****

"I'm bored."

"I'm hungry."

"I wanna go home."

"Where's mama and daddy?"

Evan was getting tired of both the questions and the company. "It's getting dark. Why don't you go to sleep?"

"I'm not tired." Yep, it was just great being oldest.

*****

The McKennas drifted back to their compound. Beth was an absolute wreck. Nick was in only a little better shape. Anne was sitting with her eyes closed, fingers on her temples. Ethan scrubbed his hands over his face and knotted his fingers in his hair. His children, both of his children, were missing.

Emily looked at them. "Where could they be? We've looked everywhere."

"We couldn't have looked everywhere. We haven't found them."

"Nothing. Not a scrap of fur. No tracks. No sign."

"If they're hiding from us..."

"If they moved, we'd have got their scent."

"They would have had to stash some food somewhere."

"Oh, gods, they haven't eaten in more than a day. It's threes, isn't it?" They all turned to look at her. "Three minutes without air, three days without water, three weeks without food?"

Beth started sobbing and Nick went to her. Ethan cradled Anne to him. Emily and Lorna stood by, holding each other, feeling helpless.

*****

They all worked their way, regretfully, to their respective bedrooms. Emily and Lorna clutched each other. Beth laid, trembling, sobbing, in Nick's arms. Nick held her, trying to be brave, to be strong.

Ethan held Anne, praying that he'd see his children again. He was spooned against her back, face in her hair. "Oh, Anne. Our babies. Where are they? We have to find them."

He laid behind her, as she sniffled, thinking of his children and suddenly realized he'd gotten hard. What in the world? He inhaled a little more deeply. Ah, yes. Her scent was reaching another peak. But now was not the time, now, he just tried to lose himself in her scent, in the feeling of her skin against his, in the warmth of her body.

Exhaustion. They fell into some light sleep patterns.

*****

Rose whimpered in her sleep, paws twitching. Grant's stomach was doing nothing but growling. Evan began to wonder now if they were going to die in this cave. They weren't that far from home and it had been a whole day now. No sign of anyone looking for them, although one or another of them had perked an ear at a potential call. He fell asleep trying to figure out if they could get Rosie out, if she could get to help.

*****

Everyone was up early, most blurry-eyed. Lorna and Emily had, perhaps, gotten a bit more sleep than the others. A small breakfast was made and a little eaten as the sun rose.

Lorna then went and stood over the maps, now marked up and smeared.

"Looking for divine inspiration?"

"They didn't just disappear."

"No scent, no track, no fur."

"No kills, no urine, no feces."

"What are you thinking?"

"They aren't outside. They're inside, somehow."

"They aren't at McKenna; Riordan says they don't have them. Anyone else would have come through somebody's range."

Callum had brought a topo map. "Under something. In something. Old mine shaft?"

"Beth, do you remember anything like that?"

Beth closed her eyes and shook her head, unable to speak without losing control.

Lorna looked again at the maps. "I'm going out this morning."

A long pause from the others. "OK."

*****

They went out again, searching. Lorna was allowed into the bedrooms to get the children's scent. She and Emily took off, following both Lorna's hunch and nose.

Anne, Ethan, and Nick started in the northwest corner of the range and started searching again. There were now tracks and scents everywhere. They called, and listened, and searched.

*****

The pups woke. Sore, hungry, missing their pack, and wanting out in the worst way.

After a little drink and relieving himself, Evan called to Grant. "Hey, Grant. Climb up. See if you can get out."

"Aww. Evan, c'mon."

"Just try it." Grant scrambled up but couldn't reach.

"Rosie, c'mon, get up here."

Rose was unhappy about it, but started climbing up on the boys. Grant moved and she fell back on that hurt leg. She sat down and started crying, "They're never gonna find us here."

"They will, Rose. They'll find us."

"I wanna go home!"

He hugged his little sister. "I do too."

*****

Emily followed Lorna's lead. They were following a stream course where Lorna kept pushing her nose into little holes and gaps. Emily called; there was no answer.

*****

Beth sat in the common room, crying as if her heart would break.

*****

After breakfast, Callum asked again for volunteers to help in the search. Several of his pack members agreed but not as many as the day before. Callum sighed, and began dispensing orders, who would go into the Winters range, who would search McKenna. He could tell they felt the chance of finding the pups had dropped. And it had. That they hadn't been found the first day meant it was less likely with the passing hours. But he would do what he could to find his baby brother and sister.

*****

Lorna and Emily had moved on, to a part of the range closer to Riordan. Another gully, with a small stream. Emily watched as Lorna's nose went up. Her nostrils flared and her eyes widened. Two more steps, and another deep inhale. She yelped, and sprang forward. She called, and was answered!

The reply was low, echoing.

Moving forward, another call, another answer, and more than one voice!

Rose heard a noise, and headed for the entrance. "A call, a call!" She called back.

"Evan, Grant!" The boys came forward and heard another call. The three of them answered, all excited, tails twitching.

The light at the entrance was blocked by a body. Lorna looked in, then jumped into the cave with them.

The pups crowded around her, yipping, jumping, licking.

Emily poked her head in and, looking at the scene, smiled a wolfish grin.

Lorna shifted. "OK, everyone. Who wants to go home?"

More yipping. Lorna picked up Rose and placed her outside the cave entrance. She turned, took Grant, and put him outside. Evan looked once around the cave, then allowed Lorna to set him out. Taking a quick look around, she shifted and leapt back out.

Emily has sniffed and licked each of them, and then Lorna.

*****

Anne sat on a high spot, looking out at ... nothing. It had been 36 hours since she last saw her babies, and she began to despair of ever seeing them again.

Ethan sat beside her, trying to keep his hope alive, that he'd see his children again.

Nick sat nearby, eyes closed, trying to figure out where his son was.

Ethan nudged Anne, and she turned sad brown eyes on him. He stood, and the three of them trotted off toward home.

*****

Their movement was slower than Emily would like as Rose was still limping on her sore leg and refused to be carried. "I'm not a baby." Grant's stomach was doing nothing but grumbling. Evan had taken the lead.

*****

Beth came to the door upon hearing them return. The briefest of hopeful looks fell as she saw they'd come back without the pups. Nick shifted and hugged her. Back inside, Ethan leaned over the map as they waited for Emily and Lorna to return. Almost at the end of their tethers, Ethan made a suggestion and Nick snapped. An argument ensued, an argument over absolutely nothing.

*****

Getting close to home now, Lorna barked an alert. They were surprised when there was no response. Emily shifted and they all stopped, within sight of the compound. The pups were eager to get back, but sat at their elders' command.

"OK, children. I want you to howl."

*****

Voices loud, Ethan and Nick faced off. Anne's temper was stretched to its limit, as was Beth's. "ENOUGH!" They looked at her and objections started. "Quiet!"

Their heads all whipped toward the door when they heard the howl and they practically fell over each other trying to get to, and out of, the door.

The two groups came together in a joyous tangle of voices and bodies.

Back in the cabin, food was prepared for the hungry pups. Anne called Riordan, to thank them for their help and to tell them the pups had been found. As she dialed the McKenna compound, Callum and the others showed up.

Callum knocked on the door and opened it to the call, "Come in."

As he opened the door to the sounds of joyful chaos, Anne was telling Eddy that the children had been found. She put down the phone, then hugged Callum and the searchers, smiling broadly and thanking them for their help.

Callum clapped Evan on the back, tickled Rose, and ruffled Grant's hair. "Troublemakers."

He turned. "So, where were they?"

Emily pulled a reluctant Lorna forward. "They were stuck in a small cave. Lorna found them."

Callum took her hands and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you for finding my baby brother and sister."

"Hey!" came from both of them.

Grant talked around a mouthful of food. "What about me?"

"Yes, Grant, you too."

After a brief visit, the McKennas returned home.

The third winter

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Winter came, and, stuck inside mostly as they were, the early discussions began with plans for more room. Expanding living quarters to accommodate more pups and, possibly, additional members. They could add onto the building but any excessive expansion could bring undue attention. Hidden expansion would be better. That meant one thing, digging. They would start working back into the hill behind them.

They had already put in a root cellar and hadn't had a great deal of difficulty. Hopefully, this wouldn't present too much trouble, but they would have to move, and dispose of, a great deal of earth. And hold up an unstable roof.

They settled into winter projects. Ethan was carving and Evan was starting to show interest in woodworking. Beth drew and maintained the medical stores, as well as reading texts. She sketched individuals, families, scenes from books. Nick worked on his rope making technique, trying to figure out how to make it thinner, stronger, softer. Emily spun tales to keep the pups occupied and played with them. Lorna made fairly elaborate meals, given what they had. They took time, and care, and she kept track of the stores. She'd also been teaching Emily how to make fermented drinks and vinegars. Emily tended the hydroponic garden. Anne kept the pack's records and worked on the loom that Ethan had made.

Evenings consisted of watching the occasional show, as they still needed to be mindful of their electric usage, reading books, or telling stories. Anything from stories of when the older members were young to myths to older stories of the four packs the adults came from to word games or complete fabrications.

The children were taught about the various packs, their Alphas, and the council.

Ethan talked about living with the humans

*****

Everyone's attention turned to Anne at one meal in late winter. Depending on the meal, she sometimes went for seconds. Tonight was venison roast cooked in an apple sauce. She reached for the meat and started in on a third helping when she realized all the adults were staring at her. "What?"

The answer came from Beth as Ethan stared at her, grinning like a fool. "I've only ever seen you eat like that when you're pregnant."

"What? Pregnant? I'm..." She was thinking, figuring dates, and her mouth dropped open. She looked at Ethan, shaking her head, a smile slowly spreading over her face. "How did that happen?"

He took her face in his hands and kissed her around a mouthful of venison. "I could show you, if you'd like."

She swallowed and laughed, putting a hand to his face. "Could you, now?"

He rose and put his arms around her, his hands covering her belly. She tilted her face up to him, and he kissed her again. Taking her hand, he had her rise from the table and, with an arm around her waist, guided her towards their bedroom.

"Why are they going to bed now? We were gonna play a game."

"We can still play it. Your parents want some time to be alone to celebrate."

"Why are they celebrating?"

Emily tickled Rose. "Because it looks like you're going to get a little brother or sister."

"Yay! I want a little sister."

"No, a little brother."

"You've already got Grant."

"He's not our brother."

"Hey, hey, children."

"I wonder what mama and daddy want?"

"Let's go see."

"No. No. No. You can ask them later. Don't bother them now. They'll be back out in a bit."

The children were herded back into the common room and Emily sat down to tell them a story. "Okay, who wants to start this one?"

"Once upon a time there was..."

Grant yelled. "A magic pool!"

"The pool was up in the mountains in a little valley..."

*****

"How did I not realize it?" Ethan was nuzzling her neck, arms around her, holding her close.

"I think you've been so convinced it wouldn't happen that it didn't cross your mind." They heard Rose's yell.

"Well, the kids know."

"This'll be interesting. I finally get to watch the whole thing this time."

"You may not appreciate it later."

"The later part didn't seem too horrible."

"You weren't the one with the baby in your belly." He smiled.

"You know, I think you smell different." She chuckled, leans back against him, and placed her hands over the ones around her waist.

"You've heard that before, huh?" She nodded slightly. "I wonder if you taste different."

"It seems to me you had the opportunity last night." She tipped her head to the side and he took the opportunity to work on the hollow under her ear. He then spun her, so that she faced him.

"Are you excited?"

"Not as excited as you, I think."

***

"We should go back out there. We promised the children we'd play Monopoly with them."

"Grant's gonna end up with all the railroads again."

***

She woke the next morning to find him up on one elbow, staring at her. She closed her eyes again, then cracked an eye at him. "OK, how long do I have to put up with this?"

"Another forty, fifty years. Maybe more."

She closed her eyes, shook her head, and chuckled.

"I'm just looking forward to watching the whole thing this time. Watching the changes, feeling the movements..."

"Backaches, cravings, peeing all the time..."

"Rose wants a little sister."

"What would you like?" She put a hand to his face.

He looked a little thoughtful and then broke into an enormous grin. "A little girl."

She smiled at him. "I'll see what I can do."

The third spring

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The weather turned. Anne began attending the new moon meetings again in person.