Chapter 3

On Saturday morning, Amerie sat out on her deck, coffee in hand, watching Milo play in the yard. Amerie had gone back into town to explore the other shops a couple times. She’d even bought herself a new entertainment stand and taken the broken one to the dump. She had met a few more people, and everyone had been kind and welcoming. It was starting to feel like home.

Tonight, she was meeting Blaze and her sister at the bar, and she was somewhat surprised to find that she was excited. She smiled and sipped her coffee.

Milo ran up and dropped his ball at her feet. She proceeded to play a few rounds of fetch with him, until Milo halted halfway back to the deck. He whipped his head towards the woods and dropped the ball. His tail was straight and high. Amerie’s heart skipped a beat as she followed his gaze towards the line of trees closest to them. She saw something move and squinted. Milo whined and dipped his head just as the head of a white wolf became visible.

Amerie froze. She called for Milo but he sat down in the yard. The wolf didn’t step out into the clearing or make any other move. It stared into Amerie’s soul. Her breath hitched. The wolf was 500 yards away but it felt like they were face to face, and yet… she felt no fear. She swore she heard a whisper-

Her phone rang. She blinked and the wolf was gone. She was willing to write it off as a figment of her imagination due to not fully waking up yet, but Milo was still in the yard looking at the spot the wolf had been.

Her phone rang again. She shook her head and answered.

“Hey sweetie! How’s it going out there?” her mom asked.

Amerie squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose. She did her best to sound cheerful. “Hey mom. Things are going pretty well. I picked up a new entertainment stand and explored the town a little bit. Going to the bar tonight with some people I met.”

“That’s great, sweetheart. I’m glad you’re making friends. Did you get the house unpacked?”

Amerie glanced at the tree line again then shook her head and went inside. She needed more coffee. “All unpacked. Still some things I want to get for it, but it looks good so far.” She pulled the phone away and whistled for Milo. This time he came right away.

“Oh good. So tell me about the people you’re going out with tonight.”

Amerie stayed on the phone with her mom for an hour. Her mom asked more questions about the house and town, and told Amerie about her friends and what she had been up to back in Nashville. Amerie had made herself another cup of coffee and sat on the couch with Milo next to her until her mother had to go meet a friend for some shopping.

After hanging up, Amerie went into the bathroom to freshen up. She splashed her face with cold water and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hazel eyes were almost completely dark green with a hint of gold and specks of orange-brown around the pupil. Her cheeks were slightly pink, contrasting her slightly tan skin. Her frazzled, wavy hair fell past her strong shoulders to her mid back. She was considered slightly tall and her build was on the thinner yet athletic side, a result of her avid love for hiking and working out. She hadn’t been working out as much since the move but she planned to get back into running starting tomorrow.

Amerie hopped in the shower. She closed her eyes as the warm water hit her and saw the face of the large white wolf. She knew she should have felt scared or at least nervous seeing such a large wolf so close to her and Milo, but she only felt a tug of curiosity.

She turned off the water without washing her hair or body. She was going on a hike with Milo. She quickly threw on a pair of thick black leggings, hiking boots, a long sleeved white shirt, and a thick green hoodie. She dried her hair and put it in a ponytail, putting on a gray beanie over it. Whistling for Milo, she grabbed her keys, water, bear spray, a collapsible water bowl, gloves, and a couple granola bars. She threw everything into a small backpack then grabbed her headphones and Milo’s leash, then headed out the door, locking it behind her.

Amerie trudged through the woods with Milo, being careful to remain vigilant. She listened carefully for any rustling or growls and watched for paw prints. Wolves weren’t the only thing out here; black bears, grizzly bears, and mountain lions all prowled these woods. She knew to remain vigilant and chose to keep Milo off leash for now.

She stayed on the path, but it was clear it was not one that was heavily traveled. Only the wildlife seemed to use this path, now. Multiple prints layered the path along with the occasional scat. Amerie spotted chipmunks, squirrels, birds, and a raccoon as her and Milo walked deeper into the forest. Of everything they saw, there was no evidence of any wolves.

She wanted to find evidence of the large white wolf, maybe even see it again. She knew it was stupid. Reckless. A possible endangerment to her life.

Maybe bringing Milo had been a mistake. Amerie sighed as she ducked under a half-fallen tree and watched Milo trot ahead with his tail wagging. She couldn’t help but smile at her dog looking so happy. Anger and guilt hit her for stupidly coming out here on a wild goose chase. And for what? A wolf? She was in Montana. There were plenty of wolves. It was far from abnormal to see one so close when she lived outside the skirts of town. Still…

Something felt wrong. Yet… right. Even as she told herself she should turn around, she continued further down the path. The sunshine and breeze whispered encouragement. The forest called to her. The further she walked, the more at peace she felt.

Two hours had passed. Milo and Amerie sat atop a flat rock near the edge of the path. She could see her lake and house down below, and the town in the distance. It was peaceful up here.

Milo perked his ears and looked to the trees to their right. Amerie’s breath stilled. A large female elk walked out of the brush and stopped when she noticed the dog and woman. She snorted and flicked her tail before continuing to the brush behind the rock on the other side of the trail. Just before she disappeared again she turned her head and looked right at Amerie. The woman blinked. Milo laid his head down in her lap just as the elk continued on.

An eagle soaring overhead called out. Amerie tilted her head back and smiled. She knew she had to head back. She had plans tonight, after all, and still needed to shower.

Just as she was about to stand up, a yellow petal fell on her shoulder and stuck in her hair. Amerie plucked it out and inspected it.

“Child…” Barely a whisper.

Amerie jerked. She whipped her head around but saw nothing.

“Is someone there?”

Nothing.

“Hello?”

Silence.

Milo stood up and licked her face. Amerie pushed him off and stood, still searching for the source of the voice. No one was there. She called out again, but only chirps of birds answered her.

She looked down at the flower petal still in her hand, then closed her fist. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, loosing a breath. She looked down at her boots… and saw a large paw print. Not Milo’s. A wolf’s. Just a single paw print, no trail. She pulled her phone out to take a picture. Something in her pulled at her to keep going deeper into the woods, but she shook her head and called Milo to her side. He trotted over with his tongue hanging out and waited for her to signal the direction they were headed. She hesitated, then turned to walk back home, Milo on her heels.

Over three hours later, they still hadn’t made it home. Amerie had to fight the feeling to turn back with every step she took. The wind had picked up and seemed to nudge her as it blew past her. She kept pausing to enjoy the views and admire the wildlife that kept showing themselves. She secretly didn’t want it to end.

The forest was so alive and beautiful. She hadn’t fully appreciated it on the first half of the hike. Fall was in full swing. Sunshine dotted the ground through the leaves and pine needles, but didn’t bring the full strength of its warmth with it. The leaves were vibrant shades of gold, yellow, and ruby red. Some stubborn wildflowers still remained, even after the snow a few weeks ago. Purples and yellows dotted the ground amongst the green bushes and leaves that had already fallen and turn brown. The sparkling lake reflected the clear blue sky. In this moment, it looked like a slice of heaven.

Milo was rolling around in a patch of wildflowers. Amerie spotted a patch of balsamroot surrounded by the other flowers. They looked like miniature sunflowers. Amerie pulled out the yellow flower petal that had fallen on her earlier and realized it was from a balsamroot flower. She foraged a few to bring back to the house. They had many medicinal properties and were never a bad thing to have around.

Milo whined and laid down facing away from Amerie. Her heart sped up and a breeze kissed her cheek. She already knew what she’d see when she looked up. She hesitated. Slowly, she stood and slipped the flowers in her bag. She took a deep breath and looked up.

The white wolf sat about twenty-five feet away. It had to be over seven feet tall. He towered over Amerie. His golden eyes bore into hers. She subconsciously tilted her head and the wolf mirrored it. Neither moved. Milo laid his head down and remained where he was.

A black eagle swooped down and looses a cry before landing on a branch in a pine tree ten feet from Amerie. The wolf huffed but didn’t avert its gaze from Amerie. The wind picked up and swept Amerie’s hair toward the wolf, the animal’s fur seeming to glisten with silver and gold as the wind rustled it. Amerie had never seen anything like it.

The world paused for a moment. Minutes passed with Amerie and the wolf staring at each other. The wolf finally stood. Damn, this beautiful creature was huge. The eagle loosed a whistle toned cry before swooping down from the branch and away from the clearing. The wolf’s gaze followed the eagle then glanced back to Amerie before turning and trotting back into the thick trees.

Milo whined and stood, coming back to Amerie’s side. Amerie let loose a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. She took a few deep breaths. Adrenaline and happiness flowed through her. With a pat on Milo’s head, she turned back towards the house and continued on her way. Her steps were lighter now.

Amerie finally made it back to her house just before four in the afternoon. She scarfed down a sandwich before hopping in the shower. A soft smile remained on her lips.

Just as she finished freshening up and stepped into her closet to find an outfit, her phone went off. Blaze had texted her.

“Hey Tennessee! You still coming out tonight?”

Amerie typed out her reply. “Wouldn’t miss it! What time will y’all be there?”

“My sister and I usually get there around seven so we can grab some food before it gets too busy. That work?”

“Sounds great to me. I’ll see you then :)”

“See you soon, Tennessee! So excited!”

Amerie smiled and tossed her phone on her bed, turning her attention back to her closet. Milo trotted in with his otter and jumped up on the bed.

“Come to help mom choose an outfit?” Milo squeaked his otter. “Always so helpful. What would I do without you?”

Amerie debated her options and eventually selected a black knit sweater and dark jeans with a rip on the right knee. She laid it on her bed then went back to the bathroom to dry her hair before getting dressed. She couldn’t get the wolf off her mind. The eagle piqued her interest now, too. She swore it actually communicated with the wolf… but that would be crazy. Almost as crazy as a wolf staring and tilting its head at her.

She blinked away the thoughts as she pulled on the jeans and sweater then dug out her makeup. She went with a slight smoky eye with a dark red lipstick. She added a few curls to her hair to tame the waves.

Satisfied with how she looked, she smiled at her reflection and went out into the living room. Amerie sat down on the couch while scrolling through her social media. Her friends back in Nashville were going out tonight to one of their favorite restaurants followed by drinks at the bar across the street from it. One of them, Charity, FaceTimed Amerie on her way to the restaurant and the two caught up. When Charity got to the restaurant and said goodbye, it was time for Amerie to head out. The two expressed how much they missed each other and Amerie told Charity to tell the other girls she wished she was there. As she ended the call, Amerie realized how much that last part wasn’t really true.

Amerie double checked her makeup in the mirror and fixed a few stray strands of hair. She let Milo out and checked to make sure he had food and water before grabbing her black purse and heading out the door. Today had been a great day, and it was far from over. Amerie smiled the whole ride to town.