Velvet's Misfortune

I followed Velvet's trail to the other side of the forest, to a small cabin near the forests edge.

Velvet was curled up in her bed the rangers had made for her, which she hardly left only to eat a little a bit and go to the toilet, she didn't like being inside with humans but at least she was safe. Her food in front of her wasn't empty as she only nibbled at the food, she never eats it all. The ranger named Dante always kept keeping an eye on her and letting her out while the other ranger, Lok continued trying to find why she was so different to any other wolves they had seen.

Velvet stood up when the ranger opened the door and followed him outside, her eyes and pelt were dull and lifeless, the ranger always saying softly "We will find them little one." He always tried to cheer her up but nothing cheered her up she missed her parents and pack. When she was outside she picked up a scent she recognized but she wasn't sure. She nuzzled against Dante's leg as if to say can I stay out a bit.

He smiled and gently petted her and said softly "You may I'll live the door open little one." She nodded and watched him go into the cottage. She walked over to the edge of the trees after she had done her business and asked softly "Swift paw is that you?" Her eyes scanned for the grey of his pelt but she sighed softly as she couldn't see him, she lay down and whimpered softly as she curled up in a ball at the edge of the forest.

Dante walked over to his colleague and said softly "I worry about her Lok, have you found any information on a pack around our area?" Lok shook his head and said softly "No sorry Dante I haven't found anything on a wolf pack. I can see you worry about her, you would though, you always worry about wolf pups we have found, this bitch pup is very unusual though, I've never seen a wolf of her pelt colour all the time I've been a ranger. " Dante nodded and said softly "That's why I want to find her pack to take her back to the wild, she needs to be out there with her family not in here with us. She looks sad and alone when she is with us.

It scares me that we won't find her home and family again. Her pack might come and find her, she had scent something that she recognized because her ears pricked up. I think she is unsure though. I believe she is hoping one of her pack member's finds her. Its strange why would a pup run away from the pack, unless something has upset her." He scratched his head and looked out the window at Velvet and sighed softly.

I peeked around the tree I was hiding behind and saw Vel lying on the ground, looking miserable. I quietly walked over and nudged her, saying,"Hey, now, why the long face?"

Velvet lifted her head and said softly "Swift Paw I knew I scent you." She smiled and nudged him in return. Her pelt wasn't beautiful anymore it was dull and lifeless because she hadn't been eating properly or groomed herself. Her eyes were also dull from being away from her home and deep down she was ill but not as much as she has been.

Dante continued watching her and saw they grey wolf come up to her and for once he saw her happy, but he knew she was homesick which is why she looked not so great. He said softly "Lok come and look, she had caught a scent. There was another wolf in the forest, he has a normal pelt though. Do you think the little one is the only one of her pack to have that sort of pelt, silver and blue?"

Lok got off the computer and walked over to his colleague, when he looked at of the window, he said softly when he saw the other wolf and said softly "I believe she is Dante, that wolf would have to be some of her pack, who is a higher rank then her because she is submissive to him, I don't think he is the alpha though but I don't know, we should go out quietly and tell him that we have looked after her." Dante nodded and said softly "Not yet let her be a bit. She hasn't seen him for about 2 months.

Velvet said softly "I'm sorry I run off Swift Paw, I just couldn't cope with Ghost, or mum curled up and dad unconscious, it scared me, I had to run to cry softly. I don't think I'll ever find a mate which also scares me and makes me upset." She lowered her head submissively and nuzzled his chest softly.

"Hey, you, don't be so hard on yourself," I urged, nuzzling the top of her head. "I was just at your den a little while ago, and you're mom and dad are back on their feet. Now, as to you getting a mate, don't worry too muchabiut it. You can't rush these things. Although, I believe that you are missing someone that's right under our nose, who is pretty sweet on you," I finished slyly.

Velvet looked at him and nuzzled him softly, she said softly "I still shouldn't of run off though Swift Paw." She lowered herself again and mumbled softly "Ghost was but not anymore. Look at me I'm not a normal wolf, the rangers even know my pelt is unusual." She gestured to the cottage where the rangers were watching them.

She said softly "They have tried their best to help me, but since I've been here I've hardly eaten and I've hardly left the bed cause of what I did to my parents by running off without telling them, I can't help being hard on myself." Her ears lay against the top of her head in sadness. Dante and Lok came out and Dante lowered himself to his knees and said softly "Hello, I bet she has told you we have tried our best to find your pack. Your very well hidden from any cameras. She is a truly beautiful she-wolf." He smiled and gently stroked her head softly aware that Swift Paw would growl at him, if he went to far.

Velvet said softly "They're not that bad Swift Paw they have fixed my health up a bit, I'm still not a 100 percent though." She looked at him as she was trying to figure out what he meant that someone was sweet on her right under their noses.Its was confusing her a bit. She whined softly as the confusion got worse. She sighed softly and lowered herself to the ground under her Beta male's chest.

Dante stepped back slightly so not to unease the brute, but didn't leave them, Lok stayed near the door trying to figure out what the wolves were thinking about he sometimes wished he could talk to them and understand them, but he knew that would never happen.

"Come on now, Vel, you're right, you do have to stop being so hard on yourself. Your parents love you no matter what, we all do. You don't have to go running off because you don't want to burden us with your troubles. Thats how the pack works, we all help each other out when we need to. And I know that one day you will be 100 percent, trust me," I murmured. I nudged her to her feet and grinned. "So, how about we go home?"

Velvet nodded and said softly "Ok Swift Paw I'll try not to do it again." Dante said softly "Before you take her home, would I be able to put a tracking collar on her?" He shows the brute the collar and said softly "It won't hurt her. Just so if we come across your pack we know its, the wolf pup we found a bit ago." He kept hold of the collar so the brute could look at it and sniff it.

Lok said softly "We promise we won't go looking for you just in case when we are patrolling for poachers and we spot her. Also so we can keep an eye on your pack if poachers are seen around your territory we know where to find you to warn you all about the danger." He was next to Dante now.

Velvet looked at the collar curiously as if she wouldn't mind them tracking her and her family, they had saved her life and looked after her until a pack member came to look for her, they deserve to keep an eye on her family, she nuzzled Swift Paw as if to make him for them please. Her eyes glinted as she was still trying to figure out what he meant right under their noses. She continued nuzzling him occasionally as if to persuade him to let her have a tracking collar on.

"I suppose it's all right. We do owe them for watching over you," I sighed. I looked at the man and nodded.

Velvet smiled and licked Swift Paw's nose and said softly "Thank you Swift Paw." She lowered her head so Dante could put the collar on her and said softly "Thank you, we will protect your pack with our lives, and keep an eye out for any poachers that would want your she-wolf's pelt. Look after her well, time and time we might check on how the pack are doing so please tell your alpha or alphas that if they see our jeep, he pointed to it just next to the door it had a wolf's head on either side of it and their names on the bonnet of the car above a wolf pack.

Velvet understood most of what he was saying so she thought and nodded, she gently nuzzled Dante's leg softly and against his side as if to say thank you for helping me. Dante smiled and said softly "Your welcome girl, look after yourself." Lok knelt down and activated the collar and kissed her head softly and said "Be careful girl, we don't want to find you in a sad state again, we will keep your bed in our home in case we do find you or any of your pack injured and look after them like we did you." He looked at the brute and said softly "Keep her safe. She needs you and the pack more then she thinks." He gently stroked the brute's head and stepped back and made his way back into the cottage to look up the park and forest.

Dante said softly "Go on you two, before the pack worry about your brute as well as you, be safe and we will never forget you, hopefully you won't forget us silver girl." He smiled and followed after Lok back into the cottage. To start making food for them both, then cleaning her food bowl and bed.

Vel and I turned and started running back into the forrest. I made sure she ran in front of me, and I let her set the pace. We made good time, but I knew we wouldn't get home before nightfall, so I searched around until I found an old oak tree with a small burrow carved out of the soil under it. I called Vel over and we slept in the trees comforting embrace.

Velvet smiled and curled up next to Swift Paw, he was warm and comforting to be sleeping with him then sleeping by herself which she did do. She snuggled into his side as they slept. Her nightmares were amazingly gone when she was near Swift Paw like they are when her mum is with her. She continued thinking what he meant but what he said at the cottage, she was thinking if he liked her more then a friend but she didn't know and she was to scared to ask what he meant, after all she still was a pup and he was older then a lot older then her so she thought.

She forgot the collar was on that's how light it was and it wasn't digging into her neck or Swift Paw's side, she sighed softly as feeling of happiness whelmed up inside her, she hadn't feel this happy for nearly 2 and a half months. Yes the Rangers helped her survive and looked after her until a pack member came to find her, she still was unhappy with herself for running away in the first place, she still wasn't quite used to the pack, telling them everything that would still take time to adjust to it.

She knew she would eventually though, she still didn't think she would find a mate at all but she'll take Swift Paw's advice anyway. She snuggled closer to his side in her sleep happily.

The next morning I woke up before Vel and I was struck by something I'd said yesterday, about the person who liked her being right under her nose. I probably should have told her I'd benn talking about Ghost. I'd seen the way that He had looked at her when she wasn't looking, he really liked her. I'll tell her when she gets up I thought.

Velvet curled up and shuddered slightly, when Swift Paw moved from behind her. She woke up and walked out from the tree roots. She looked around for Swift Paw and couldn't see him. She shook the leaves off her pelt which was even more dirty now. She sat on her haunches outside the tree and started grooming herself she was rather hungry.

She continued grooming her pelt while she waited for Swift Paw to return. When she finished as much as she could, she thought of Ghost, well she thought he liked her a lot, but I guess she was wrong. She lay down and sighed softly while she waited for Swift Paw, her tummy rumbling slightly for some food. She watched around the tree and smiled when a baby rabbit run past her. She smiled and pounced on the rabbit and killed it, she started eating it while she looked out for Swift Paw.

i was just freaking out trying to scent vel. "damn it vel where are you," but there were way to many tracks here to follow. i was still pritty beat up, stupid bears braking into our den. i sniffed the air somethingwasn't right not at all

I got back to the den in time to see Vel kill the rabbit. "Looks like you've been rather successful yourself," I said around the two quails I had caught. I gave one to Vel, and as she ate I explained how I knew Ghost liked her, or at least was starting to like her. She looked confused at first, but then she smiled and nodded, and we started back for the dens. Halfway there, we came across Grey Hude, who was looking at a path deeper into the forest.

Velvet smiled and said "guess so Swift Paw." She finished the rabbit and then ate the quail, then she followed him and smiled when she spotted her dad she bolted to him and nuzzled his side softly and said "I'm so sorry I ran off dad. I just need to get used to sharing things with the pack. That's really hard after so long without anybody." She nuzzled his neck softly submissively. Not knowing how he would react to the collar.

i licked her face cleaning her

Had noticed Grey Hide's expression as we had approached, so I quietly asked, "Everything all right?"

Velvet murred softly as her father licked her face. She nuzzled her father's chest lovingly and looked at Swift Paw and smiled. The collar was nothing. Her father couldn't feel it on his chest or he just didn't notice it and she could hardly feel it on her neck. She knew that Dante and Lok, will look after her pack very well and warn them in case of poachers or hunters.

She continued nuzzling her father's chest submissively, cause she still felt bad for running off like she did without saying anything to anyone. Her eyes glinted softly her pelt still wasn't completely clean, but she knew it would be soon.

i keep cleaning her i'd answer swift in a bit

Velvet murred softly as her pelt slowly started getting clean. As her father licked her she continued snuggling into his chest as he cleaned her.

i licked her and say "don't ever do that again"

Velvet said softly "I won't dad I swear." She nuzzled his chest some more her pelt was starting to look clean again.

"So, notice anything over there?" I queried, nodding towards the part of the forest he'd been staring at.