Midnight Secrets

Gone

Deep in the forest of Atlanta, there was a wolf pack called Paws. Going east, towards the mountains for hibernation through the cold winter. Going through some rivers and near others packs territories...

"Mommy, are we there yet?" asked a young cub called Nathan, tired of walking and starving for dinner.

"Just a few steps, we are almost there" answered Nathan's mother called Hana, meaning flower in Japanese.

Nathan's family is a mix breed of timber and tundra wolves. His father was a timber wolf from norther North America with gray fur and yellow eyes. While Hana was a tundra wolf from Asia with white fur and blue eyes.

"We have arrived" said a wolf with a deep voice, leader of the Paws, also known has Noah Coy father of Nathan.

They stand before the Cave Paws, where they hibernate since when Nathan's great grandfather, Akio. Found it in the early 1800s. This cave was not only where they stayed during winter but also where they celebrate some traditions, for example, the begging of the new leader of Paws.

Paws entered the cave as it was dawning. The cubs were playing while the mothers looked for a spot to lay down .The rest of the males ran down the hill and jumped through a rock that connected the mountain with a forest, filled with trees, and usually there was a herd of deers.

* * *

  Noah and his youngest brother, John, howled, calling for dinner. Hana heard the howl and signal the rest of the pack with a howl. The cubs quickly reacted and ran to the males following there smell. As they reached there, they found two dead deer lying on the snowy floor.

After eating it, they just left a few pieces of bones and meat. The crows took over the rest of the deers and the pack returned to the cave. It was past the cubs bedtime, some were energetic while the rest were sleeping. The energetic ones made a circle around one of the oldest wolves to tell them a tale. After that they fell asleep quickly and only three wolves were awake, including Nathan. The other two were in a night shift outside looking after the pack. Nathan went walking slowly out but came in when Hana called him to get back to sleep. He looked for a second outside to the auroras dancing in the sky while feeling a cold breeze from nature, then he walked towards his mother and closed his eyes...

* * *

Nathan woke up with a yawn and said, "Mom, I'm hungry". When he opened his eyes everyone was gone. He thought maybe they are outside, but no one was around, just the sun rising and the cold breeze. He worried that they left them or that he didn't woke up before sunrise. So he thought that he couldn't die waiting, and began haunting.

Walking down the hill, Nathan tried to remember every single thing that his father had taught him. Then, he caught the smell of another small animal. Nathan followed the smell until he reach the small animal and he hid behind a bush. It was a little red cardinal, a bird specie. The cardinal flew where Nathan was and stood in a little branch near the bush. It looked at Nathan curiously and Nathan looked spooked of it.

"What are you doing little cub ?" asked the red cardinal while he looked back.

"Umm, looking something to eat" answer Nathan nervously.

"I could give you a little of my seeds, if you want" said the Cardinal politely and Nathan responded with a nod. The cardinal went to it nest to bring some seeds. Nathan ate the seeds and thanked it.

"My name is Red" said the cardinal.

"Nathan" said the little cub.

"Good, Nathan do you have a pack?" asked Red.

"Yeah I had but when I woke up they were gone" said Nathan.

"Oh, I'm sorry. But you're like me in a different situation" said Red.

"Really, What happened?" he asked curiously.

"Well, my family died cause a fire in the forest a few years ago..." she said, in a breaking voice while looking down.

"I'm sorry. Hey, wanna be mates? So, we don't get lonely" asked Nathan, Red smiled and nodded.