I know I've said before that I really don't care for the wolves. Buuuut... I have recently read some really good FF that have started to sway me. Also, the developments in Vita Mirabilis and the next book in that line have made me LOVE Leah - at least how I write her. :) Anyhow, this was just a random idea that started in the back of my mind and exploded into a complete story line and I have been typing as fast as I possibly can to get it down and published. I really hope you'll let me know what you think about it and leave any thoughts or ideas if there is a way to make it better. :D ... Sari

Emily Young was starting to feel burned out from cooking enough food for thirty five people three times a day; although it was consumed by only eight to twelve people. She was presently setting platters of sandwiches and a large crock-pot of stew out for the hoard of boys that would invade her house at any moment. There were already bags of chips, bottles of soda, pickles and hot peppers set out along side paper plates, bowls and plastic cups. She wasn't going to serve them, or even be there to oversee mealtime as she usually did. No, Emily was going to take advantage of the sunny weather and do something for herself.

Her sheets were sitting in the washing machine just waiting to be taken out and hung on the clothesline that was so rarely used. She smiled as she went to retrieve them, looking forward to climbing into her bed that night. She loved the smell and feel of freshly washed sheets that had been hung out to dry. When there was a cool breeze it somehow gave them an extra crisp feel. She knew the boys would be laughing if they knew her inner thoughts but she didn't much care. She spent so much time taking care of the pack that she hadn't had a chance to do any of the little things that made her happy. But that was going to change. She had decided that to keep her sanity and her relationship with Sam in good standing, she was going to take the time every day to do one thing for Emily.

She stepped out into the bright sunshine, enjoying the fresh cool smell of the early fall day. She turned her face up to the sun loving the feel of its warmth. Crossing to the small clothesline structure, she set her basket on the low shelf screwed to the supporting post. As the ground was almost constantly wet she had made the boys add it when she had restrung the lines. She was humming softly as she shook out sheets and pillowcases, slowly hanging them in precise straight lines. There was something so therapeutic about doing laundry, and hanging it outdoors was the best part. She was down to the bottom of the basket when a flash of movement to the right caught her attention. She turned and looked but saw nothing. Shrugging it off as a figment of her imagination, she shook out the last pillowcase with a snap before hanging it on the line.

With a feeling of immense satisfaction, she picked up her empty laundry basket and turned to go back into the house. She stopped with a jolt, her hand on her chest, as she saw a dog crouched by the apple tree about twenty feet from her. That must have been the movement she had seen, she thought, relieved that it was something so innocuous. She smiled as it looked at her with pitiful eyes.

"Oh, look at you," she murmured, her compassionate side immediately feeling bad for the creature. It looked as if it had not eaten in days. She stepped closer very carefully, taking a better look at the dog. As she studied it she realized it looked a lot more like a wolf than a dog. Although filthy dirty, she could see that its fur was white. Despite the dirt and emaciated look of it, she thought that with a little food and a bath, it would be a beautiful creature. As if knowing that her thoughts were sympathetic and kind, the dog whined and dipped its head. Emily looked towards the house where she could hear the boys entering from the front. She pointed at the small wolf.

"Don't go anywhere. I'll bring you out something to eat." The little beast whined again and waved its tail as if it knew exactly what she had just said. She grinned at it before hurrying into the house. Sam was coming through the front door as she came in the back and they smiled simultaneously as they set eyes on each other.

"Hi," she greeted him breathlessly as he slid an arm around her waist and kissed the side of her face. He smiled at her, "Smells great in here." She rolled her eyes and pushed away from him playfully. "Of course it does. When does it ever not smell good in here?" Her question was saucy and she was proud of herself for keeping even a thread of sarcasm from her voice.

She understood why things were the way they were, but sometimes, she just wanted a few days alone without a half dozen overgrown boys storming into the house at all hours. And she really wanted to do something other than cook all day! It would be nice if there was someone else to help out at least, or to just take one meal off her hands. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she smiled as she watched Sam join the boys and load himself up with a mountain of food.

Opening the fridge she debated what to feed the little mongrel outside. It wasn't like there was a supply of pet food on hand, although she did feed a pack of dogs daily. Emily grinned with humor at her own joke. There was still a good third of the stew in the pot and as all the boys had already gotten a portion, she scooped out a nice helping into a paper bowl making sure there was a lot of meat included. Setting the bowl of hot food in the freezer to cool, she took the opportunity to make herself a plate of food before the wolves could devour it all.

The boys were all eating heartily and didn't notice when she slipped outside with the food. The wolf/dog was still waiting where it had been told and when it caught sight of the bowl in her hand it pawed the ground as it whined loudly. Emily moved cautiously and set the bowl a few feet from where it was before backing up.

"There you go."

It moved closer and sniffed the bowl before licking the stew in a cautious manner. She laughed quietly thinking that it somehow resembled a picky child tasting something they weren't sure they liked. It was probably a sign that she spent way too much time around the boys/wolves and was now attributing human characteristics to a stray dog. It obviously found the food edible as it suddenly started wolfing it down. She had been right in her assumption it had been a while since it had eaten, as the full bowl was gone in a matter of seconds. It licked every stray drop of broth and then looked at Emily with soulful eyes and once again her overactive imagination made her think it was trying to convey thanks.

The screen door creaked as it was opened and she looked to see Sam in the doorway, sandwich in hand. He was looking at the dog and she glanced back to see it standing frozen, staring at Sam with terror. He took a step out onto the porch. "A pet?" he asked in a teasing tone. The sound of his voice seemed to shock the dog into movement as it turned and streaked into the woods so fast Sam stared after it. "Wow that is some speed!" He said admiringly. She picked up the empty bowl and crossed back to the porch and smiled up at him. "It just looked so pitiful and hungry that I had to give it something to eat." He smirked but didn't say anything more as they went back into the house.

The little white wolf was shivering in the forest a good mile from where it had just eaten the bowl of hot stew. When the huge human had come out on the porch the wolf/dog smelled something about him that struck terror in its little being. Tucking away the information of the location and the nice human who had given food, the grungy white beast turned to the east, keeping its senses on high alert as it continued its search for its lost family.

I wanted to do something different, so I wrote this in the third person POV. I did however revise it to be first person POV. If you think it would be more interesting 1st person POV, leave it in the review and I may change it to that version.