Vulfu (Primal #2)

Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

S o, evidently, I’d passed out upon the news of my pregnancy. I suppose I didn’t handle it very well, but could anyone blame me? I was terrified… the prospect of not only having a baby but being so vulnerable out here with one was petrifying and not on my bucket list.

When I finally came to, I found myself inside our home, wrapped up in furs, with four faces earnestly staring down at me, Vulfu’s brows were pulled together, his expression filled with worry as I slowly came to. The moment I woke up, he moved closer, offering water, food, anything and everything. I took the water but shook my head at all else and sat up so fast I swayed. I didn’t think my stomach could hold any food at the moment. If anything, I wanted to get outside and throw up again. But Vulfu forced me to lie back down, pressing against my shoulder, his brows tucked over his eyes in warning to mind his decision.

“I need to throw up…” I breathed, my head reeling from the quick movement.

“Mmuh! Stevvy shusha!” he commanded and piled a fur under my head. He took the water skin that Krahu had offered me and helped me drink from it himself by cupping the back of my head and lifting it. I swallowed, feeling a little better after a few sips, and decided that maybe lying down was for the best. I settled back in the comfy spot he’d made for me while the others went about their business. The light outside was getting dim, the nights now coming on earlier than before, forcing us to spend most of our time inside.

I shivered a little, glad that Vulfu had found that fresh kill. We needed more furs, more meat. I was unsure how we could last another four or possibly five months like this. Did it snow out here in late April? Early May? We were at a high altitude, so I wouldn’t be surprised. The thought of living like this for so long, while carrying a baby, was incredibly overwhelming and daunting.

I reached for Vulfu’s hand, and he eagerly took it, settling at my side, brushing my hair back from my forehead over and over with that same gentleness he always showed me.

“Vulfu…” I whispered, and he leaned in closer to hear. “Stevvy scared.”

His brows furrowed together, remembering the last time I’d used that word when his reaction to my smiling had sent a tremor of fear through me. “Scccurrrrrduh…” he murmured.

I nodded.

“Stevvy Scccurrrrrduh cht?”

Stephanie scared what/it/that/thing?

“Stevvy scared of gweehbruh.”

He looked confused, his hand instantly sliding down to my stomach where he tenderly caressed the tiny bump of my belly. I suppose he was wondering why I was scared of a baby. Babies weren’t scary. They were tiny, weak, and defenseless. I thought hard for a moment, then looked around at our home, and pointed at the few furs we had, the small pile of food storage we possessed, and shivered in the cold. “Stevvy scared.”

His clear gaze moved around the space, thinking hard about what I was saying, desperate to understand why I was so fearful. I watched as he analyzed the small store of food, our meager furs, the way the rest of the family was so huddled together, and finally… it clicked.

His expression fell, the emotions shifting rapidly from joy to confusion, to… shame? Defeat? I hated seeing him like this. Unable to bear it, I reached up to cup his cheek, smiling without showing my teeth, a habit I’d learned long ago. “Stevvy love Vulfu. But Stevvy is still scared,” I admitted again. I didn’t want him to doubt for a moment that I was unhappy with him . It wasn’t his fault, but I knew the burden he was carrying over our family’s situation was heavy.

He reached up, gripping my wrist tight before turning his lips to press against my palm, and murmured softly, “Vulfu khuhgwo.” He nodded vehemently like he was making a promise. “Khuhgwo, Stevvy.”

“I know it,” I reassured him. “Yahv. Vulfu Stevvy’s aghaal.”

He leaned over my stomach then, moving one of the furs aside so he could press a kiss to the little bump, and whispered to it, “Vulfu khuhgwo.” He covered me up once more, and moved to the far corner of the dome, quiet, looking like he was lost in thought.

Mowha came over then, tending to me happily like she’d done so many months ago. I smiled at my adoptive mother, so grateful that she was here. If anyone, besides Vulfu, could reassure me that all would be well, it was her.

We were leaving… again.

I woke up a few mornings later, confused for a moment when I noticed the others around me gathering up their belongings, rolling what little we had in furs before tying them tight into bundles to load onto our backs. Blearily, I rubbed my eyes, feeling so tired it was a bit unreal. I’ve never slept so deeply in my life, and though I was certain I’d gotten plenty, I still felt like I could sleep for a year. I guess that came along with being preggers.

Oh Lord… preggers. That’s right. I was pregnant.

I sat up and glanced almost nervously at the little bump that was my belly, almost non-existent, but still there, nonetheless. It was like a ticking time bomb, ready to blow up my life. How far along was I? I’d been so stressed and distracted by everything I had no idea when I even conceived. I couldn’t be that far along, could I? Honestly, to me, it looked like a food baby. Like I’d just over indulged one night. But deep down in my bones, I knew that was false.

Upon seeing me awake, Vulfu was at my side in an instant, his hand immediately cupping my teeny tiny belly, his other sliding behind my neck to pull me in so he could kiss my forehead, so sweetly, that I melted. He pulled back just a bit so he could peer down and flash that tiny smile of his I loved so much, and murmured, “Stevvy gwukh?”

I nodded, “Yup! Stevvy good! Gwukh!”

He beamed and held up a bowl of fresh meat for me to eat, but the moment the smell hit me, I reared back, feeling like I might be sick again. His hand gripped a handful of hair and held me still. “Mmuh Stevvy! Ug! Ug!” he demanded, pushing the bowl into my lap.

“N-no, Vulfu! I can’t do it. No meat. No! Mmuh!” I shook my head away, determined to not throw up on myself. “Berries! Roots, anything else but…” I stopped. We literally had nothing else. It was this meat or nothing, Madam. How was I going to stomach this?

“Ug, Stevvy!” he demanded again. “Ug, cht hum guh!”

Eat, then home/family go.

But go where? I didn’t want to become nomads again, traveling around the woods with no place of comfort or sense of security. “Hum guh wahoe?” I asked, taking the bowl from him but being careful to breathe through my mouth and away from the meat.

“Guh Kheezee hum,” he said.

Kheezee? What the heck did that mean?

But upon mention of it, Mowha got the biggest smile on her face and began to prattle at top speed. I could only catch a few words like, hum, Kheezee, Rowha, and gweebruh . The rest all melded like noise. All I could gather was, whatever or wherever this Kheezee was, it was good, and Mowha seemed eager to go there.

“Ug, Stevvy! Vahsh!” Vulfu demanded before moving over to his pile of belongings to pack up.

My face twisted in disgust as I stared down at the raw meat in my lap. From the corner of my eye, I could see the flash of sympathy Mowha flashed at me like she understood my aversion, but there was nothing I could do. There was literally nothing else to eat. So, I plugged my nose, took a chunk, and shoved it into my mouth, chewing as fast as I could, while avoiding as much contact with my tongue as possible until I quickly swallowed. I repeated this several times before I just couldn’t stomach it any further and stopped, shoving the bowl away and crawling over to a crack in the dome, breathing in the cold, wintery air.

Don’t throw up, don’t throw up! I chanted again and again.

I could feel the others all waiting on me, the guilt now taking over the sickness. I felt like such a liability. First, by being so blind out here that I couldn’t contribute much. Now, I was blind and pregnant! Double whammy.

“Stevvy?” Vulfu rubbed small circles onto my back, as gentle as ever with me, patient, and nuzzled my neck. “Chomm, Stevvy.”

Sighing, I nodded, hating to leave again.

I turned and found that Mowha had packed up my stuff for me while I’d been clearing my head and more guilt pooled in my stomach. I really needed to suck it up here. I took my rolled-up bundle from her and slipped my legs into my coverings and makeshift booties before wrapping my last meager fur around my shoulder. Without breaking a sweat, Vulfu lifted me up, tossing me over his back to cling to, and pulled himself up through the exit and out.

Setting me on my feet, we all cast one final look at our home. It felt more permanent this time, and my chest twisted, the air seeping out like a weight was pressing on it. Why was this so hard? I glanced at the others to see the looks of regret and remorse, before Dahkha began to hike through the trees, moving in a direction we rarely traveled to before… northeast. Krahu and Mowha followed, but Vulfu lingered behind with me, his gaze roaming west and southward like he was searching one last time…

The boys.

I slid my fingers through his, squeezing his hand, knowing that he was thinking of Kray and Dow, wondering where they were, and what had happened. I could sense the regret, the shame, and responsibility he carried with him, especially concerning those two. He felt like he failed them and nothing I could say could make him think otherwise.

“Vulfu?” I whispered, his name coming out in a little cloud in the air by my mouth from the chill.

He tore his eyes from the treeline to look at me, the green in his gaze more prominent than ever with the white snow falling around us. I could see the shine in them, how he was holding so much in, and I reached up to cup his face.

It was like that simple gesture was the permission he needed to allow himself to break a little. He let his forehead touch mine, closed his eyes, and a single tear slid down his face, falling into the scruff of the beard on his chin. We lingered for only a minute, before he sniffed and, without looking back, took my hand and led me through the woods, following the footsteps left behind in the snow from the others.

“Kheezee!”

“Rowha?”

“Bip! Bip!”

Vulfu and Mowha were both calling out to a cave about halfway up a small cliffside, but there was zero movement from the entrance. I was shivering cold, my nose running, and darkness was falling fast around us. We’d been traveling for a whole day, before resting in a hollow beneath uplifted tree roots for a night. When day broke, we moved on again, and now that we’d made our destination, the sun was already disappearing fast due to the shorter, winter days.

“Kheezee!” Vulfu called again, holding me close as he rubbed my arms to try to warm me. But no one responded to our calls. I could read the disappointment on the others' faces, though Mowha appeared more worried than anything. Before I could ask what was going on, Vulfu passed me to Dahkha and silently climbed up the rocks on his own, checking it out. My heart thudded in my chest, anxious to see him venturing into a dark, enclosed cave by himself, but that was his job, his responsibility. He would never send one of us.

I waited with bated breath after he disappeared into the entrance, listening hard for signs of distress as the snow around us fell slowly in lazily, fluffy flakes. It was so quiet it was rather unnerving. There was no wind, no call of animals… just nothing. That is until my teeth began to chatter. Dahkha took over rubbing my arms, all while his dark gaze remained focused on the cave, ready to spring to action at a moment’s notice if need be.

But we had nothing to worry about, as Vulfu’s face appeared from the dark void of the cave entrance and nodded. Eagerly, Dahkha lifted me into his arms and climbed up, with Krahu and Mowha following close behind.

The cave was a little small but similar to our home in The Dome. There were multiple shallow tunnels leading to cozy burrows, but the place was literally deserted. There was nothing here.

“Hum shusha,” Vulfu said as we gathered into the far corner inside the space, the dim light from outside giving us just enough to see that this place was as empty as our old home. “Guh Rull hum ich chta.” He reached out, taking me from his second in command, and settled me in the coziest corner he could find before helping the others get settled and unpacked for the night. I wasn’t sure what he’d just said, but at this point, I was about ready to pass out. My stomach was cramping hard from not eating enough, but our rations were almost out. We had to be so careful until we got lucky with either another kill or… I wasn’t sure what.

I was so tired from all the walking, from moving through thick snow, from the cold, that I managed to ignore the hunger cramps for the most part as I snuggled up with my furs, deciding I’d sleep with my booties and coverings on for extra warmth. The only thing keeping me awake was my worry that the little baby growing inside of me at this moment wasn’t getting enough. For the first time since finding out I was pregnant, I felt an intense sense of protection over the little life I was carrying, and I hugged my middle like my arms would keep the cold away from it. A strange emotion suddenly overwhelmed me at the thought of the little life within me going hungry or suffering from this cold, and I fought hard to keep the tears at bay. Vulfu was busy making sure everyone was comfortable and safe. He didn’t need me constantly distracting him.

So, I bit my lip and hid my face by turning to the wall, like I was going to sleep. It was maybe another twenty minutes or so before I felt Vulfu’s strong arms wrap around me, sharing his warmth. The moment he did, the fear I felt for the little life vanished as a calm came over me. I wasn’t alone in protecting it. Vulfu would be there with me, every step of the way, and knowing that helped me fall into a deep slumber.

Or at least, I thought I’d fall into a deep slumber.

It felt like I blinked once and when I opened my eyes it was to find myself in pure blackness, the soft, sleepy breathing of the others lingering close by. Drowsily, I rubbed my eyes, wondering why I was awake now, but got my answer when a sudden pressure between my thighs had me gasping.

“Shhhh, Stevvy. Shhhh,” Vulfu whispered as a large, rough hand carefully covered my mouth to silence me while his lips trailed featherlight kisses over my cheeks, my neck, by the corners of my eyes. I couldn’t see him, but I could feel him. His weight between my legs, his closeness, warm and comforting, and the delicious way he curled his hips as he languidly fucked me had my toes curling. I closed my eyes and writhed beneath him, squirming as he used my body in just the right way, and tried to be quiet so I wouldn’t wake the others.

His free hand slid down between the valley of my breasts until he spanned it over my belly, like a little caress. Humming deep in his chest, he pressed another kiss to the side of my throat before his teeth nipped at the skin below my ear, and then suckled hard.

“Mmmmm,” I moaned, the sound muffled against his palm. A year ago, the thought of a man holding me beneath him, silencing me, would have sent me into a downward spiral. But with him , with Vulfu, he was like a balm over that old wound. He made this feeling, of being vulnerable this way to a man, feel safe again. Protected, cherished and loved, rather than a weak, defenceless victim to be used.

His lips trailed down lightly across my collarbone, his movements transforming to more of a grinding motion against me, which only invigorated my senses. To just feel , to be okay being blind to this, had me clinging to him tight, holding him flush against me as I eagerly pressed back into his thrusts, which were becoming more and more ardent.

His grunting and my muffled moans, filled the cave, but as far as I could tell, the others still slumbered. Knowing we were fucking close by sent a weird thrill through me, like whenever Vulfu had taken me in full view of the rest. Who would have thought shy, reserved, timid Stephanie Fields would end up loving the public display? To be seen?

“Stevvy…” he growled against my chest, the hand over my stomach moving further south now, so he could cup my sex, and began to rub his palm against my clit. Fuck, I loved it when he did that. I groaned a little louder against his palm, and I could feel him shake his head against my chest, his hair tickling my breasts. “Mmuh, Stevvy… shhhh…”

Ugh! How could I be quiet when he was doing this? He shifted his weight a little then, changing position as he then began to swivel into me, and I automatically bucked when his cock reached a spot deep inside. I could hear his soft rumbling laugh, like the whisper of a ghost in the dark…

“Mmmm,” he moaned, the rumble in his throat like a purr, and my toes practically curled as I grinned and pressed back to him, needing that release so desperately. We moved together, both greedily seeking our pleasure in tandem. Each stroke of his cock that hit that spot deep within my pussy only built that pulsing pressure that I needed to burst. I rolled back, moving my hips to meet his, and slid my hands beneath the fur he wore, raking my nails down his smooth, muscled back, making him groan again.

“That’s it,” I whispered as he teased me, keeping the momentum, but applying just a little more pressure, “Just like that… like that…” I was breathless, my eyes squeezed shut as I greedily fucked him right back. “ Like that, ” my voice broke when suddenly, that amazing rush finally snapped and I was overcome by that addicting and intoxicating release that my poor, tired body needed so desperately. Vulfu kept going, prolonging the sensation as I cried out beneath him until he gave several hard, final thrusts and stilled within me, coming hard as he grunted hard and buried his face into my hair.

I don’t think I’d ever tire of this feeling, of coming with Vulfu, of having him want me. All of me. As I was. And I wanted him. Just as he was. I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and held him to me and for the longest time, we lay holding each other, always finding comfort in one another. Partners for life. It was because of that, that we were both able to find strength to keep fighting each day, as Vulfu had awoken a confidence in me that I thought had died long ago. Meanwhile, with me, he could be vulnerable, and sweet and tender. He didn’t have to be a leader. He could just be himself… Vulfu.

We rolled to our sides, facing each other, but still clinging on, and I easily fell back into the deep sleep he’d awoken me from.

I thought we were going to move on the next day, but there was a horde of untouched winter berries that we could eat nearby. Whoever had lived here before, they’d been gone for some time, and with this bounty of food, Vulfu insisted we eat our fill and rest before we moved on. So temporarily, we set up a home in this cave, eating what we could, and building up our strength again. I knew we were going to move on, as Vulfu and Dahkha often mentioned, Rull hum , which I took to mean was another family near here. We were so small in numbers now; I imagined the plan was to unite with their family so we could have a chance to survive this winter.

It was only about a week later, after Mowha, Krahu, and I gathered as much of the leftover food as we could, that we set out directly south from here, moving through the thickly falling snow in silence.

The forest was eerily silent. The fluffy flakes decorating what was once a lushly green woodland with a blanket of white. It was beautiful in a different way, but I’d never heard this sort of silence before. No birds singing, no snapping of twigs, nor distant calls from animals. Just the sound of our footsteps pressing the snow down with a strange sort of soft crunch I’d never heard before. I did my best to keep up, but the snow clung to my boots, weighing me down, and when I began to stumble, Vulfu came back for me and carried me piggy-back through the trees, our makeshift rucksacks on my back. He handled the weight effortlessly, though he moved a little slower and with more precision like he was afraid of dropping me.

It was nearly nightfall, the sun disappearing fast beyond the rolling hills in this December winter, or was it January now? I had completely lost track of time with the constant change and lack of consistency in the daily routine.

Behind me, Krahu began to stumble, and Dahkha quickly went back to give her his arm to lean on, like a gentleman. If Krahu and Mowha were now starting to falter, that meant we needed shelter fast. The two women were strong powerhouses, but even they had limits.

“Vahsh!” Vulfu beckoned, hurrying forward through the trees, which were starting to thin out at this point. “Cht!” He pointed excitedly ahead, the anticipation in his voice evident. Were we close? The others summoned the last of their energy and hurried forward, like they too, could sense an end to this exhausting journey.

When we broke away from the treeline, we were in a clearing covered in a blanket of snow, staring up at a cliff face. I craned my head back, my arms still wrapped around Vulfu’s neck as I clung to his back. To my shock, about halfway up the rocky incline, I could make out the soft warm light flickering from several gaping openings. Was that a fire ? I mean, it was blurry as hell for me to see clearly to be certain, but even with my crappy eyesight, I was sure that flickering, warm light could be nothing else but fire.

“Wahoe?” Mowha gasped, staring at the same spot as I was. We all were, watching the flickering movement of flames. While I was more confused, the others seemed frightened of the sight. “Vulfu, guh Rull hum. Khuhgwo Rowe!” She tried hurrying forward, but Vulfu instantly grabbed her by her arms, stopping her as she fought to race to the cliff. Despite how terrified she looked, she struggled to run to them, which I didn’t understand at all.

“Mmuh, Mowha!” Vulfu whispered urgently in her ear as he restrained her. I chose this moment to slide off his back so he could talk with her and keep her from running. “Vulfu guh. Khuhgwo hum, yahv?”

Thanks to the shine of the moon reflecting off of the snow on the ground, I could make out the agonizing expression on Mowha’s face. Her dark caramel eyes were fixated on the flickering light above. She was scared and anxious, but Vulfu wouldn’t let her go first. He guided her behind himself, and moved forward alone, his own uncertainty and concern evident by the tense way he’d set his jaw before turning away, the corners of his eyes tightened, deepening the wrinkles there.

“Whoop!” Vulfu called, the sound deafening in the silence of the woods. “Whoop! Bip, bip!”

There was silence following this for several seconds, and I waited, holding my breath as my nerves worried away, wondering what the hell was going to happen now, when suddenly…

“ Whoop! Wup, wup! ”

The call came from above, echoing below, and the moment it did, the others all instantly deflated, like the breath we’d been holding as a unit finally released and all tension was gone.

“Rowe?” Mowha called up, “Wup, wup!”

At the sound of her voice, there came a sudden excited whooping and hollering from above, like whoever was responding to our calls was beyond happy to hear her voice. Who could it be? Family friends or something?

Vulfu began moving forward then, guiding the rest of us through the deep snow until there was a break like we’d found a commonly used path made by the other people who evidently lived here. As we approached the cliffside, there came a crack and shifting sound in the rocks, and a hole appeared, small at first, but grew as a flurry of hands shifted the boulders aside from the entryway.

Vulfu turned and lifted me onto his back again like he was both trying to help and hide me from the newcomers at the same time, just as several figures burst through the entrance.

“Rowe!” Mowha hurried forward as an absolute beast of a man rushed at her. For a moment, I got a terrible flashback to when the Pale Men had attacked us, but the moment this man reached her, he scooped Mowha up in his arms in a huge bear hug, rocking side to side like seeing her had just made his year. There were others, too, younger males who came slowly forward, following the man who greeted Mowha like she was his best friend, all peering at the rest of us with a sort of friendly inquisitiveness.

The man, addressed as Rowe , put Mowha down then and quickly turned to the rest of us like he was looking for someone in particular. The moment he spotted Vulfu, his attitude completely changed from one of excitement and giddiness to one of solemnity and respect. He hunched a little, making himself smaller than the man I clung to, and they lightly touched foreheads. “Vulfu,” he rumbled, the respect in his voice evident even to me. When he pulled back, that was when he caught sight of me, watching the exchange curiously from Vulfu’s backside.

At first, he looked confused, and then his eyes widened, almost like he recognized me somehow. But he didn’t comment as he moved on to Dahkha next, then Krahu, before finally coming back to me, glancing between Vulfu and I as he waited for an explanation.

“Stevvy jugra Vulfu.”

His dark brows rose high on his forehead at my man’s explanation but he accepted it easily enough as he turned to me and nodded, leaning in and giving me the tiniest of head bumps I’d ever received, like he was afraid of breaking my skull with the simple gesture. He then looked past us, back to the woods, like he was expecting more of us to show up. When no one did, however, the confusion was clear on his expressive face. He turned to Mowha and murmured one name. “Dow?”

Mowha’s face crumpled at that, like hearing it again wounded her heart deeply. She simply lowered her head and shook it, like she couldn’t even bear to explain.

Rowe made a restless sort of grunt at that, and I noticed how his hands fisted, and jaw clenched. He looked to Krahu and murmured, “Kray?” next.

Krahu responded much like Mowha, the pain of losing the boys so unbearable that neither woman could bring themselves to say so. But the explanation was not needed. He knew.

“Rull?” Vulfu asked next, looking beyond Rowe at the others, as though searching for someone who was not there.

It was Rowe’s turn to go quiet, like he too, had suffered losses as we had.

There was a mournful silence at this, but Vulfu hoisted me up as I slipped a bit and spoke in a rush to Rowe, explaining our situation. I caught a few words… like, Wahu , rup , rrahg , guh , and tar.

The Pale Men, defiance, fight, go/gone, take…

Rowe cupped the back of Vulfu’s neck then and they touched foreheads in silence, the description of the trials and burdens that we’ve gone through were understood by him completely.

“Chomm,” he said then, gesturing to the cave, “Hum!”

Rowe led the way inside, followed by an echoing, “Wup! Wup!” as he called out to who I could only assume were others waiting inside.

Vulfu went next, bringing me with him still clinging to his back.

As it was already semi-dark out, it didn’t take long to adjust to the lack of light in the cave. We moved forward only a few feet before Vulfu started climbing almost a 90-degree incline, as easily as a mountaineer.

The moment we rose over the lip, I was assaulted by a flurry of visuals that stunned me.

First, there was indeed a fire going, roaring away in the corner, carefully tended to, the smoke ventilating perfectly out the cracks. Second, a little baby was crawling around on the ground, maybe a year and a half old, which rocked me. I hadn’t seen a child out here before, and seeing one now caught me off guard. The little one sat up and stared wide-eyed as newcomers emerged one by one into her home.

The moment Mowha appeared, there was another joyful cry, and a woman hurried forward to embrace her like an old friend. There was a quick exchange of words between them, spoken so fast I couldn’t comprehend it all before the woman scooped up the baby and settled her in Mowha’s arms. Mowha was beaming so wide, happier than I’d seen her in a long time, as she embraced the child, looking her over with clear love in her eyes.

Others came forward to greet us all one by one, though I noticed that the moment they caught sight of me clinging to Vulfu so tight, they would glance over to where Rowe was by the fire, speaking to someone who he had hidden from view.

Vulfu took this time to set me down and introduced me to the others, holding my back flush against his front, his arms draped protectively over my shoulders so that his hands rested over my stomach.

“Stevvy… Khraa,” he rumbled, gesturing to an older man who happened to be missing an eye! “Jhaa cht Shmyll…” he pointed to a couple lingering nearby, both smiling warmly at the newcomers, though I noted these other people didn’t show their teeth just like Vulfu’s family. “Kheezee. Rowha jugra Kheezee.” Vulfu pointed to the woman who was the mother of the baby girl speaking with Mowha, and the man who shadowed her. Clearly partners.

I did my best to try to commit everyone’s name to memory, but it was hard with them being so unusual and unfamiliar. The only ones I found I could memorize were Rowe and Rowha, as they were so similar to Mowha’s and Dow’s. As I studied them in the firelight, I could make out similarities between them all. All had the same warm, chocolate, caramel-swirled eyes, the same wavy dark hair, the same lips. Now that I thought about it, Dow’s lips and jawline were very similar to Rowe’s. Huh. Strange. But then again, Dow had also shared similarities with Vulfu, like their green-grey upturned eyes. Was Mowha a link between them all? Certainly not related to Vulfu, but to the others, yes. I could only surmise that Dow and Vulfu shared a father, while Rowe and Rowha had another. I watched as Mowha spoke softly to her daughter, Dow’s name whispered between them, followed by a clear look of distress by the others.

Krahu meanwhile, was speaking with the old man with the missing eye, looking like they were familiar with each other, too. Perhaps they had been siblings, too? I caught Kray’s name being passed between them, as well as another name I did not know, Haara , I think it was.

But then…

Something happened that made my heart absolutely stop.

Rowe moved aside, staring pointedly in my direction, revealing the person behind him.

There, a woman stood, wearing an animal skin dress very much like mine. Her strawberry blonde hair was braided away from her face, her green eyes vivid even from here. When she saw me, I imagine our expressions mirrored each other… mouths dropping open, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Stephanie!” she shrieked and ran at me, arms spread wide.

I was so in shock I couldn’t make myself move properly. I stumbled forward, a strange feeling of numbness spreading over me like I might faint, and we both fell into each other’s arms and sagged to the floor.

“Kate?” I said breathlessly, my breathing coming fast and broken as a wave of emotion choked me. “Kate? It’s you…”

“Oh my God… Stephanie! Stephanie you little fighter! I thought you… I thought–” She stopped short and suddenly burst into tears, which only triggered mine. We both sat there on the ground, holding each other, sobbing hard as we clung to a ghost from our past.

“ I thought–” I exclaimed to her. “I thought you were dead!”

“I thought you were!”

“How did you… how did…” I pulled back to stare at her face. Kate was as beautiful as ever, even having been living in the woods for months. What else had me reeling was the huge belly she had protruding from under her dress. “You’re… you’re–”

“I am!” she said, her eyes roving all over my face like she still couldn’t believe I was here. “And you… you’re here! You’ve been alive all this time–”

“They saved me,” I said in a hushed voice, looking up at the others, some of whom were staring back and forth between Kate and me, noticing that we were familiar, similar, two women from the same world they knew nothing about.

Kate nodded like she understood and peered over her shoulder at the one called Rowe. “I was saved, too.”

He moved forward then, just as Vulfu did, and both men helped us to our feet, each holding his woman close as they met each other’s fierce gazes. I won’t lie, seeing Kate here after all this time, knowing that she was alive, and not only alive but pregnant as I was, sent a wave of hope and reassurance through me that I didn’t realize I was missing. Having my friend here with me, in the same situation as I was, made me not feel as alone as I had felt before amongst the group. While my family had been so accepting of me, the lack of communication was hard, and though I knew they loved me in their own way, having someone from my old life here was a comfort I now understood I needed.

Rowe was murmuring to Vulfu over our heads, nodding to the fire that burned, like he was explaining it to him, while the others all gathered and welcomed us in, giving us a chance to warm up and get comfortable, bringing fresh food and water. It was crowded with so many people, but comfortable and cozy. Feeling the warmth of the fire after months of freezing cold did something to me, thawing out the perpetual chill that forever lingered no matter how many furs I wore.

Slowly, carefully, Vulfu tentatively moved closer to the fire, still holding me tight like he was ready to launch me away at the first sign of a threat. Rowe sat down on a thick fur, holding Kate between his legs comfortably, rubbing her shoulders as he waited for Vulfu and I to join them. Finally, after a brief pause, Vulfu took a seat on another beautiful, thick fur and pulled me down with him, cradling me in his lap, while his arms looped around my waist to settle clasped over my stomach, his thumb stroking me over my dress.

“Vulfu… Rowe aghaal hum,” Rowe said then, gesturing to the cave and the people who were now happily sitting together, feeling safe and comforted at last. “Rowe aghaal cht Rull morrde,” he went on and sighed heavily, his hands moving from Kate’s shoulders to tenderly hold the large swell of her stomach. “Rowe rrarhg, khuhgwo. Vahsh. Rowe shusha.”

Rowe leader when Rull morrde… Rowe fight, protect. Fast/quickly/now. Rowe tired.

What had happened to the one they called Rull? Had he too perished as so many others have? Has his family also gone through horrible trials like ours? With losses and unexpected turns? I glanced at Kate’s face, and she somberly peered up at her man before glancing at me like she so badly wanted to talk, but out of respect, remained silent.

The two leaders of our groups were talking. I didn’t dare interrupt. If Vulfu wasn’t holding me so tight, I would try to take Kate by the hand and guide her to a quiet corner so we could talk, but neither man seemed to want to let us go.

He sighed heavily and kept his warm, chocolate eyes focused solely on Vulfu. “Rowe aghaal hum,” he said again, gesturing around the cave, before pointing at the spot over my head at my man’s chest. “Vulfu aghaal faraah.”

Rowe leader of home. Vulfu leader of flowers/trees/foliage. Leader of the Woods.

Was he giving up his leadership to Vulfu? Could there only be one leader? Why?

Kate and I stared between them with baited breath, the moment we were witnessing was signifying the hierarchy for our families.

“Vulfu… gwuoy,” Vulfu said finally, the sound of defeat evident in his tone as he sagged around me. Vulfu weak . At once I blanched and reared my head, twisting a little to the side to glare up at him.

“Like hell you are!” I snapped at him, catching everyone’s attention. From the corner of my eye, I could even see the surprise on Kate’s face at my outburst. But I didn’t care about the others. Vulfu calling himself weak was the biggest crock of shit I’d ever heard in my life. “You are not weak! Vulfu shvuoy! Strong!”

He shook his head, his sad eyes watching me with a sense of grim acceptance. “Vulfu mrrada hum. Mrrada Kray, Dow. Mrrada Veshy.”

Mrrada . I didn’t recognize that word. But I got the sense it was something negative, judging by the way he used it in reference to Veshy, Kray, and Dow. Like it stood for defeat, failure, and loss. I shook my head vehemently.

“Vulfu mrrada hum, Stevvy. Mmuh burrda, mmuh ug. Gwod morrde.”

Vulfu mrrada home/family, Stephanie. No sleep/dwelling. No food. Lots death.

“Vulfu rrahg,” I insisted. “You fight. You fought every day for us.” I gestured at the others from our side. “You fought so hard to keep us alive. Vulfu rrahg cht khuhgwo! You fought hard to protect us! You never gave up!”

Behind me, I could hear the murmuring of the others, and I glanced over to see Mowha, Dahkha, and Krahu all nodding in agreement. Seeing their support meant so much to me, and when Vulfu saw their approval, he swallowed hard and pressed his lips together like he was afraid to say anything.

“Wahu morrde, or whatever that is. Wahu did it all. They mrrada hum. Mmuh Vulfu. Vulfu shvuoy. Vulfu aghaal,” I said fiercely to him, cupping the hollow of his cheeks to force him to look at me. The firelight reflected off his beautiful light eyes, the sense of vulnerability in them visible only to me.

“Vulfu,” Rowe said then, his voice firm and sure.

“Vulfu,” Dahkha agreed.

“Vulfu!” The elderly man with one eye nodded.

“Vulfu… Vulfu… Vulfu…” one by one everyone spoke his name, like they were voting in confidence in him. Even Mowha said loudly and assuredly, “Vulfu!” Despite how often she and her leader bickered, she had every faith in him.

Finally, it came down to Kate and me. With one last look at Rowe, who nodded at her with a gentle urging and reassurance, she said clearly, “Vulfu.”

I peered back up at him, my smile broad on my face at the sight of him looking so humbled by the affirmation of the others, by how my little speech made him feel. I let my thumb stroke the hollow of his cheek as I whispered unshakably, “Vulfu.”