Chapter 12: Eli

I have to hand it to my girl. Running all day is not for the weak. I pushed us hard, knowing the wolves were trailing us. I haven’t heard them howling in hours, so I’m hoping that we have some time to relax.

When we get to a small hill near the Arkansas border, I find an overhang where I can put Grace to let her rest while I keep watch. I’m used to not sleeping for days or only sleeping lightly for a couple of hours. That is how my life has been, but that is not the life that Grace has lived. She needs her rest and she will be sore after pushing so hard today. I know we’ll have to go more slowly tomorrow, but once we pass out of red wolf territory, we should be safe to slow down.

When Maia collapses, I shift and pull on some shorts before walking over and picking her up. She’s a big wolf, beautiful in her coloring, black but with streaks of different shades of brown. I’ve never seen another wolf like her.

“I’ve got you, gorgeous.” I tell her as she whimpers when I pick her up. “You