Little Wolf

Ch 43 Rescue

Dad followed behind me, limping slightly. I don't know what he was thinking, digging through the ground like that; or if he had been thinking at all. He could have gotten himself stuck and died.

I stopped  in an area that had a bit of space and a few cracks that let in slivers of sunlight. Dad stopped behind me, his head hanging low.

"Unacceptable," rumbled out of me. The word was a combination of human and wolf, the man's upset disapproval spoken  without volition, wolf thought expressed using a human word.

He started to slink lower, stopping at my growl.

I instinctually lifted my snout in a commanding gesture.

"Maybe I should call you my beta," I teased. The sound of the words was coarse, rumbling from the back of my throat. The words themselves were spoken possessively, yet full of respect and love. I lowered my snout, motioning him to my side.

He came closer, carefully. He was practically instinctual wolf, giving me a huffy little growl that was barely more than a deep breath. I was close to being completely wolf myself; my humanity hanging in there by a thread.

My snout nodded into his ruff. I sniffed him, checking for permanent damage. I found only traces of blood by his feet. He'd have sore paws for awhile. I felt a grin work its way through me. He stood there, waiting.

My tongue went in his ear. He pulled away, his growl sounding under his breath. I huffed, bumping his shoulder. What was it he had told me? It takes family to keep you human? He bumped me back. I bumped him, swinging down to snap at a front paw, not fiercely but playfully.

He moved, but not much. I chuckled, reaching, shifting shoulder and paw, wriggling my fingers around his ears.

"Stop it, Little Wolf!" Like me, his words were roughly growled out.

It was hard finding the balance between being his alpha and being his son. Right now, I was opting for a little of both. I shifted to half.

"Later, when my pack is safe, stay with me while I sleep. I need you, Dad."

He shifted himself then, as if he needed me to show him the way. His brow scrunched, another slight growl coming out of him. I shifted to full human, letting him look at me in light enough for wolf eyes to see. My step forward was instinctual as I put my arms out and hugged him. I held him in the hug until I felt him completely shift back to human and hug me back.

"Little Wolf." Human words, sobbed out and spoken with love. All of his fears and worries for me came out in the sound of my name.

I let out a contented sigh, resting my head on his shoulder. "I'm fine Dad, just tired. We still have to get back to Derrick and get out of here. You good?" I asked, taking in the condition of his hands.

"I'm good, better than you by the looks of it."

I huffed in disagreement. "Let's go on two feet for awhile while we can."

Dad only grunted when I started walking again. I was much more at peace, having him at my side. We worked our way in silence until we came to a spot easier to get through as wolves.

"Remind me never to go spelunking," Dad said with a touch of humor.

"You just need to do it right," I replied. "Caves are fun when you go in prepared. We'll have to come back some time so I can show you the den I found."

"Den?"

"Hang on, there's another section good for two feet further up, I'll tell you then."

We shifted to four, making our way back toward Derrick, sometimes howling for the wolves above, sometimes talking. Both fed my soul.