Chapter Twenty-Nine

Gunnar slouched comfortably in an Adirondack chair on his porch mapping out the constellations in the sparkling stars above his head. This was one of his favorite times of day. He enjoyed his solitude, unlike most of his pack who preferred to be in the company of others. He knew most of his family didn't really understand him, but that was okay. He was content with himself and his role in the pack.

As he sipped his beer, a sound caught his ear - a barely perceptible crunch of the leaves in the woods to the right of his cabin. His eyes moved to study the dark woods when he heard the sound again. He fought the urge to turn his head toward the noise. He didn't want to give away the fact that he had heard whoever or whatever was creeping around his cabin, but he rested his right hand on the shotgun next to him. He kept it close when he was outside near the cabin to dissuade stubborn bears against roaming in his territory. He caught the movement again in his peripheral vision. There it wa