Read Online The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis - Free Book Online

his pack. Didn’t hear no growling, no movement in the ferns, no stalking paws. This little cub was alone in this forest, just like me.
    I went closer, hand out in one of them gestures of peace. I didn’t have no meat to offer, and to tell the truth, I felt rude about that.
    He bounded off that log away from me, sent wood dust and moss showering all over the ground. He was gone, into the forest, quick as a jackrabbit. Then I noticed something lifted my heart so high, I thought I might just float away. That log had paw prints on it. Fat, fluffy wet ones.

    I leapt over the log and ran and ran. That pup weren’t breathing hard, he weren’t skin and bones, he found water close.
    Just over another rise I heard the most amazing sound. Don’t think I ever heard anything so beautiful since. Fast, rushing, magnificent water.
    I whooped and hollered and ran all the harder, I didn’t pay no mind to the forest then, didn’t care what was stalking me. I could a’ kicked a bear in the face for all the attention I was paying.
    There it was, the stupid, hiding, skinny Mussa. I fell onto my knees and I sucked up that crystal cool river, much as I could fit in. Then I lay on my back on the bank and laughed and laughed.
    I said, Thank you little cub, thank you bear trail, thank you forest. The head pain dulled and my wits turned sharp and fierce. Across the shallow river, on the other bank, young yellow eyes stared at me out a’ the reeds. Pup came to the edge and started lapping, black soot smudge on his head. I watched him for a minute, had a wonder where his momma was. Not often you see a pup on his own. Not often they survive. Forest got rules for wolves that are even harsher than rules for humans. A wolf needs a pack. Wolf without a family is as good as dead and this cub, for whatever reason, broke that rule and the forest don’t take kindly to that. Damn though, I thought, I hope the forest forgives him.
    He drank his fill and scrambled up the other bank, all gangly and flopping about, none of the skill and grace of a grown wolf. He looked back at the top, then something that weren’t me spooked him and he ran off into the woods. I didn’t expect I’d see that pup again, though I hoped I might. I went to fill up my flask, when I stopped. I looked where the pup had disappeared. I figured I could follow him, make sure he was safe, hell maybe he knew something I didn’t and could lead me to dinner if he weren’t so easy to spook.
    But I quick put him out my head when I saw what did the spooking.

I always figured I could run faster’n any fella in the Mussa Valley, sure as hell could outrun Trapper, but no matter how fast your legs can carry you, there ain’t no way you’re outrunning a six-hundred-pound brown bear. I put everything I had into my legs, making ’em hurt, making ’em jump over logs and slip ’tween close trees. Guess that bear didn’t like me touching his rubbing tree or drinking out his river.
    I know I shouldn’t have run. I know it like I know the sky is blue and snow is cold. You run, bear gonna chase you. But shit, that bear was big and it came up on me quick. White foam poured out a’ his mouth and I felt his breath on my back, hot and heavy and too damn near. All that water I just drank came out my skin in sweat and panic and I felt my blood drying up and slowing down.
    Dense trees and brush slowed that lumbering beast and I gained a bit of ground on him. My lungs burnt like smelting fire. Hottest you can get. Turned all that water straight to vapor. I couldn’t see nothing but strokes of mushed-up green and brown. All I knew was the thundering bear. I felt every footstep shake the earth and send critters dashing for cover. Felt every roar vibrating in my chest, but I just kept running.
    Then I saw something up ahead that scared the spit out a’ me.
    A clearing.
    No way I was outrunning a bear on open ground. I wanted to scream and curl up in the dirt and hope he got bored a’ me quick. One