The Snow Leopard's Christmas Surprise

by Emilia Hartley

  “I’m so sorry,” she said, “this wasn’t meant to happen!”

  “What happened,” Alex asked, mind still in a daze.

  He looked up, trying to peer through the fog and could just barely make out the top of the cliff. It was high; over 100 feet at least, any normal human would have likely died from the fall.

  How did I survive?

  “I tried to climb over the truck but just couldn’t get a good grip, I feel so stupid that I can’t even climb. Stupid!”

  Alex returned himself to the ground and laughed, his body ached with each exhale. He didn’t know what was so funny, after falling from such a height all of the bones in his body should have been broken. Thankfully it seemed that they had healed while he was sleeping, though, he was still incredibly sore. He managed another laugh, for the moment he was just glad to be alive.

  “What are you laughing at?” she asked with half a giggle. She brushed the tears from her cheek and stared at him with concerned interest. “I think that fall made you go crazy.”

  Alex pulled at her arm, catching her off guard, bringing her beside him. The movement knocked the delicate wind from his lungs but it brought her closer. He leaned on his side and kissed her on the lips.

  “It might have,” he said, “but at least we survived.”

  Every inch of his skin tingled like little bolts of electricity stabbing at every pore.

  “How did you do that?” Cynthia asked.

  “Do what?” he wondered.

  “You were, different,” She began, her eyes searched all over his face. “I mean, you moved with such speed, and you looked stronger than usual. You were just as terrifying as an alpha,” she said.

  “I-” he began, scratching his head, “I don’t know.” Something was definitely different, he knew that for certain. He felt something click, perhaps it was his resolve. After he gave his wolf instincts full control of his body, everything felt natural.

  She pushed herself to sit up.

  “Can you do it again?” she asked.

  Alex thought about it for a moment. He could feel the basic urge to shift into his wolf form scratching at the back of his mind. But, his wolf felt content. As though it were an animal that had its fill and required rest.

  “I’m not sure,” he replied, bringing himself to his feet. Pushing through the burn and cracking of his limbs. Still, he clutched at a wound the bear had given him to his side.

  “We need to find a way out of this place. We have to join up with the other wolves,” she said after watching him get up slowly. They both knew they were in trouble if they were attacked in their weakened state.

  Alex sniffed at the air. Normally his senses would be dulled when he was in his human form, but right now he could smell everything. He could hear the wind whipping through the small rocks that littered the cliff behind them.

  He paused when he smelled something familiar.

  Behind them, Alex heard something stirring.

  “Stay behind me Cynthia,” he ordered.

  “What is it?”

  Her question was quickly answered. In the dense fog, they saw the large outline of a bear. It lumbered closer, and as it did it began to shrink, the beast slimmed down to a woman within moments. Alex stood firm in his footing, and waited for the stranger to leap out and attack, but it was plain to see that there was no fight left.

  “Help,” she said collapsing to the ground, stirring up the thick dense mist that surrounded them.

  Alex turned to Cynthia who shrugged, unsure.

  “It must be some kind of trick,” she managed, unable to come up with an explanation for the bear’s cry for help.

  Alex watched closely and could only see her chest rise and fall with labored breathing, but no other movement came. He sighed, realizing he was about to do something stupid. “Wait here.”

  Cynthia nodded.

  Alex approached with caution, still holding his side, as he took small steps. The rocks on the ground stabbed at his feet. He gritted his teeth and pushed through the pain. The cold air caused him to shiver uncontrollably while he breathed tufts of smoke from his mouth.

  The stranger moved, but only just. Her head tilted to the side, giving Alex a better look. She was no older than he was.

  “Why did you attack us on the road?” Alex asked not letting his guard down.

  “Our alpha told us to,” she replied. It was clear she was trying not to give out more information, “are my brothers and sisters okay?”

  “I don’t know,” Alex said, hanging his head. Perhaps she wasn’t a threat to them at the moment. “I’m surprised that you survived.”

  She smiled. “Bears are resilient,” she said with another cough.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Samantha,” she managed.

  “Okay, I’ll call you Sam,” Alex joked, trying to gain her trust.

  She sputtered out a laugh, followed by a string of coughing.

  Alex furrowed his brow and searched around for the water he could hear trickling somewhere nearby. A small pool had formed from a stream that cut its way through the rock. He bent down and cupped a handful, bringing it close to Sam’s mouth.

  She accepted the gift but still couldn’t move. Aside from the broken bones, Alex recognized his own handy work. The deep fang lacerations had torn up Sam’s shoulder and opened a deep cut along her left leg that refused to close. Even for a shifter, they would take a while to heal.

  Did I really do this?

  Alex had wounded many bears in the scuffle’s they’d had at home, but he’d never gone so far as to kill anyone. He could feel a surge of emotion striking him hard in his chest. A feeling of guilt that he knew he would never be rid of. And, in this guilt he knew he had to do something to help.

  “Cynthia, come here, I need something to stop the bleeding.”

  She appeared from the fog, grabbing at the bottom of her shirt and with a loud rip the fabric tore. She handed it to Alex and watched curiously as he dipped the fabric in the small stream, folding it over itself, for strength, she concluded.

  “What are you doing,” Cynthia asked, clearly confused. I guess anyone would be confused to see someone help an enemy.

  “Saving her life,” Alex replied, “If we don’t do something soon, she’ll die from blood loss.”

  Cynthia bit her lip; Alex had seen her do it before when she wanted to keep from talking. He would have asked her more but he didn’t have the time. He returned to the bear with his makeshift tourniquet.

  “I’m going to try to close the wound. It’s going to hurt,” Alex said, warning Sam.

  She nodded.

  He wrapped the length of cloth around her leg, just above the wound, and pulled tightly. She winced from the pain while Alex worked. He pulled tighter and tighter, until the leg ceased bleeding, and only then did he tie off the wound.

  “What’s your name,” Samantha asked.

  “Alex,” he replied.

  “I’ll remember it,” she managed.

  Then Samantha blacked out, her head fell limp. Alex knew more needed to be done, if only he had a medical kit, or a needle and thread to stitch the wound together. He’d watched his own wounds as they were sewn by his doctor at home, it couldn’t be that hard.

  “We need to-”

  He was cut off by the loud roar of another bear. From the mist behind him he could already see the rampaging shadow growing larger as it came closer.

  “Run!” Alex shouted.

  Cynthia ran ahead of him, her clothing ripped at the seams as fur sprouted over her flawless skin. She effortlessly strode through the mist on four legs, dashing from rock to rock and splashing through small puddles of water.

  Alex tried to shift but something didn’t feel right. The sight of the bear pumped adrenaline into his veins and he sprinted as fast as he could, smacking himself in the head.

  Fuck, what now?

  He tried to keep up with Cynthia but she was too fast. He glanced over his shoulder, to see how cl
ose the bear was, but to his surprise, it wasn’t following them. Alex slowed his pace and watched as the shadow of a bear knelt down beside Sam.

  Had he done enough to save his patient? He wasn’t sure. Even if she did survive, that wound would take time to heal. The bite looked deep. Really deep.

  Cynthia was so far ahead of him now that he had to track her by scent, still unsure as to why his sense of smell was heightened. He lost himself to her smell that gently wafted on the wind, invigorating his weary body. His pace slowed as he tried to catch his breath. The familiar pain in his side returned as his heart pounded in his chest.

  He leaned against the cliff wall and sniffed at the air again to find her, only to catch her poking her head from a small crack in the cliff face. She was safe.

  “You can come out, the bear isn’t chasing,” he said.

  She removed herself from the safety of the wall and joined his side.

  She cocked her head, confused to see him in his human shape.

  “Something is wrong, I can’t shift,” Alex said.

  Cynthia’s body stretched as her spine grew to her full height. The thick fur again gave way to her skin, with the hair on her head growing and falling down her back. She stood to her feet and grabbed Alex around the waist.

  “Maybe the doctor knows what’s wrong,” she offered.

  “Well, we better find our way home soon,” he said, “which way?”

  The two of them tried to gauge their surroundings. Nothing looked familiar. The only thing they could see was raw cliff face and mist. Cynthia shivered beside Alex and the only thing he could do to comfort her was hold her close. Her smooth skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat but as their hearts beat together they forgot the cold.

  “There’s gotta be a way back up this cliff,” she said into his chest.

  “Maybe if we wait here, the rest of the pack will find us?” Alex offered.

  Cynthia cocked an eyebrow.

  “You’re right,” he said, “we’re doomed.”

  She laughed, hugging him closer. Her body still shook, they needed to find shelter, or clothing, or both.

  “You’ll manage the weather better as a wolf. I’ll be fine,” he said, his teeth chattering.

  “I need to help keep you warm until you can shift. We just need to find something for you to wear,” she replied, defiantly.

  Alex sniffed again at the air. He smelled something delicious; roast ham. It was slow cooking on an open fire somewhere nearby. Then he smelled the strong scent of wood burning in a fireplace and knew exactly where to go.

  “Come with me,” he said, “I think I’ve found something.”

  Alex took Cynthia by the hand and started making his way toward the smell of fire, meat, and salvation.

  CHAPTER 12

  “How can you smell that?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” he replied, “I just can. Maybe it’s whatever is keeping me from shifting.”

  Cynthia stopped in her tracks. Enough was enough. It was time to get to the bottom of this.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, crossing her arms. Alex faced her, bowed his head and rubbed at the bridge of his nose with his fingers. She furrowed her brow in frustration. “You had a golden opportunity to get rid of a bear and you hesitated.”

  “I’m not a murderer,” Alex said quietly through clenched teeth.

  “I know you aren’t, but this is war,” she urged, “at this point, it’s us or them. This battle needs to end so we don’t lose anyone else. Who knows what that bear did to your father.”

  “This whole fight makes no sense,” he started, “Why are we fighting a group of shifters that never showed any signs of aggression before? Hell, I’ve been served in a restaurant run by bears in the past and they never so much as looked at me funny. Something made them this way and rather than figure out what it is, we’re just going to wipe them out? How is that any different from what they’re trying to do to us?”

  Alex spun on his heels in frustration. Cynthia knew she’d struck a nerve; she reached out and hugged him from behind.

  “I’m just worried about you,” she said, “Your heightened senses, your terrifying black wolf; I’m scared by how much you’ve changed.”

  Alex rotated around her embrace and his arms coiled around her shoulders, he held her close enough to whisper in her ear.

  “Everything will get better,” he said, “I promise.”

  She wasn’t entirely sure he believed it, but she accepted his reassurance. She saw now that she needed to be there for him, there was no way he could do this alone. As long as she was there, she knew he’d find a way to overcome this.

  A chill came over the evening’s air and it stung her nostrils with each breath. They needed to start moving quickly.

  “I really think you should shift,” he said.

  “And, I already told you that we’re in this together. Let’s just go fast. Are we far?”

  Alex sniffed at the air.

  “It’s close,” he said, “let’s run.”

  He held her hand tightly and pulled her along, quickening his pace to a jog. The rocks from the cliff soon gave way to mud, which eventually became grass. The fog broke, and Cynthia gasped when she could finally see further than ten feet in front of them.

  Evergreen trees spread out as far as the eye could see, rolling through tall hills and rich valley. It was a sea of green. A low rumbling fog poured between the thick forest and filled the gaps between the trees. The moon was occluded partially behind a trail of thick clouds that stretched over the night sky. The most beautiful part for Cynthia was seeing the evening stars fill the darkness above them. There wasn’t a single space you could look that didn’t have light radiating down.

  Beautiful.

  If only it weren’t freezing, she might have spent more time taking in the sight. Alex pushed against her shoulder to get her attention. He pointed out in the distance a small log cabin on a hilly clearing. Its chimney bleated out tufts of thick smoke and the fire inside illuminated the tiny windows. Cynthia smiled at Alex and again they resumed their run. Knowing their destination lightened their step and within minutes they closed the gap.

  The log cabin looked somewhat similar to the cabin in which they’d spent last night. Perhaps it was fate that they would find somewhere like this waiting for them. The front door was latched shut and mounted by heavy iron hinges. The pine needle covering the roof was in a state of despair but still held firmly. Stacked beside the house was a bundle of wet lumber with an old rusted axe.

  “I’m going to go knock,” Alex said.

  “Are you crazy? You haven’t got any clothes on. What would you do if you opened the door to a naked person in the middle of the night?” she scolded.

  “It depends, is it you?” he joked. Cynthia slapped him in the arm. “Okay, fine, I’ll just have a look in the window. Wait here,” he said.

  Cynthia nodded while Alex stalked toward the window. The only sound she heard was the rustling of the trees in the wind and the calls of birds on the hunt.

  After peering for a moment Alex motioned for Cynthia to join him. He stood to his full height and walked to the front door which opened without a fuss.

  It wasn’t very large inside. The heat from the small fireplace licked at a slowly rotating haunch of meat spinning over the fire. A wash basin sat against the wall nearest the door with a plate and cup waiting on top. In the center of the room was a single rocking chair covered in knit blankets. Against the wall to the left was a bed that screamed for company. However, despite the amenities, the cabin was empty.

  “Who would leave a place like this?” she wondered.

  “Let’s make this quick,” Alex said.

  Cynthia plopped into the rocking chair. The heat from the fire had baked the blankets to perfection and all the tension and cold left her in an instant. She probably could have fallen asleep right there if smell of the meat on the spit wasn’t so intoxicating. She brought herself close to the fire and pic
ked at the meat on the spit, tearing a piece off to satisfy her hunger.

  Ham. So delicious. The juice from the meat rolled down the back of her throat. Considering her hunger, she was surprised she didn’t wolf down the entire piece in a single bite.

  “It’s not the best thing I’ve eaten,” she said, taking more, “but it’s the best thing I’ve eaten today.” She handed some to Alex and he gobbled it down without a second thought.

  “This looks promising,” Alex said. He kicked open a footlocker on the floor at the end of the bed. Inside were bundles of plaid clothing fit for any mountain man and a pair of thick hiking boots. Alex hastily donned the shirt which sagged on his chest, and tugged on the only pair of jeans that remained in the locker. They were a tad large but as long as he held them up with his hand they were alright.

  It’s a shame he had to cover up. Cynthia shook her head to keep herself from staring. Alex looked ridiculous but that was hardly the point. He would be warm.

  “Here, if you want one,” Alex said, tossing another red plaid shirt to Cynthia.

  “I’ll be fine with my fur,” she replied, throwing the shirt back.

  The door behind them creaked open. Alex was lucky to be behind the opening door and almost invisible to the intruder but still he froze in place as the stranger entered. Cynthia’s eyes went large as a bushy bearded mountaineer got an eyeful with his one good eye.

  The stranger clasped his hands and prayed to heaven.

  “Thank you lord,” he said with a raspy old voice.

  Alex snuck up behind him and pulled the man’s jacket hood over his face before shoving him to his bed.

  “What the hell!?” the man shouted while he scrambled with his jacket on the bed, “who did that?!”

  Cynthia giggled but knew it was time to go and she sprinted for the door.

  “Thank you for your hospitality,” Alex said, closing the door fast behind them. They sprinted for the tree line. Cynthia called out to her wolf and it obeyed, taking over her body. The familiar pain of the shift sent shivers down her spine as her muscles tore and bones crunched into their new place.