Come morning Hayley woke to his tired face and forced him to get some shut eye. The day began like the other one, gathering breakfast than relaxing, with little to be done. In the next week they all fell into the routine: get up, eat, relax, eat, relax some more....sleep... There were many a day the four or five of them would visit the lake, or take a run, or hunt all together. Ivory was bedridden to her den, until the pups could walk and see, and that took a handful of weeks. Until then the rest of the group remained too, no one wanting to leave Ivory behind.
On one particular day while Christian was out with the group and the pups were sleeping, Ivory was settling down beside them for a nap when a breeze picked up. She had been lying in the sun that streamed through the trees, letting her pups sleep without her when she caught it, the faint smell of a predator fresh and near. Her ears flattened as she got up and slunk into the den, curling around her babies and watching through the slim hole for anything to approach. After a minute or two she heard the soft scraping of feet against the moss and leaves of the ground, and then the loud sound of sniffing, the scent of bear filling her nostrils. Fear laced through her, absolute terror for her pups. Instantly her thoughts sought out Christian but he was just too far, either at the lake or off hunting with the men. She couldn't reach him, which meant they were on their own.
As the bear got closer she could hear his sniffing increase, obviously smelling the blood from the kills Christian had brought. It had to be what had enticed him here, however most of the bloody and finished carcasses had been dragged away. There was nothing but dried blood in the dirt, and if she was quiet, the bear might sniff it and head along. And that seemed to be its idea too, sniffing at the ground before letting out a huff and continuing past the den without crossing it. Ivory let out a silent sigh, the threat seemingly gone. Until Tucker woke, make a loud whining sound at her as he heard the noise, then yipping at his mother for her comfort, his tiny ears flat to his head, his eyes still unopened.
Like that the bear's footsteps turned and began stomping back, a growl low in its throat. It must have felt deceived, or assumed the blood belonged to the creature crying, injured and dying. The bear was looking for a snack, that much was obvious. Ivory picked up Tucker in her mouth, dragging him as far back into the den as she could, which was barely anything at all as it was simply a hollow under logs and rock, big enough for her, Christian, and two pups. Curling up with her back to the entrance she dropped Tucker at her stomach and then stretched her head for Serena, picking her up and placing her against her stomach too. Both of them pressed into her brown fur, her warmth and scent calming as she curled around them until her head rested on her back, protecting and shielding them while watching the small opening. It wasn't a comfortable position, but it was necessary, the smell of the bear getting stronger as it neared.
Christian....oh god Christian come back. Please I can't fight this beast. I can't protect our babies and fight. Where are you? Please Christian, please turn back, get closer. Here my thoughts. We are in trouble. We need you. We need you desperately.
Her thoughts were sent out but she still couldn't feel him, he wasn't close enough yet. Panic continued to rise in her as the bear neared, snorting and shuffling across the ground picking up the scent. Suddenly it came into view, several feet away still as its nose worked hard to find its meal. Her body shook, her pups deadly silent in fear as they sensed their mothers panic. It kept getting closer....closer...closer...
Suddenly it let out a loud growl, its brown furred head rising and beady black eyes looking straight into the den. Ivory froze, unsure if the shadows were enough to hide her. They weren't. With a roar it surged forward, sticking its nose into the den opening as it snapped and growled. The pups screamed, their tiny hearts racing as they panicked, their little shrill voices whining in fear. Ivory did the only thing she could do, lunging her own mouth forward and biting the bear on the nose, hoping to startle it away. It through the bear off, and he removed his head to roar, rubbing his bleeding nose on the ground. She was thankful for the small den opening now, only big enough for a wolf to slink in, but still small enough that this bear couldn't get his whole head inside and bite her back.
The bear was furious now, and out for blood. While its nose dripped for the small wound it ran and tackled the log over the den, the one keeping the hole from being any wider. Wood splintered and cracked but did not cave, keeping the three wolves alive. His paws scrapped at the dirt and wood, reaching in but being only inches too short, trying to grab Ivory. The pups squealed harder now, and Ivory wrapped tightly around them, her own thoughts screaming out help for her mate. There was no way she could win this fight. And if the bear got into the den, he'd surely kill all three of them.
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