6 - WHITE WOLF

"Whoa there, cowboy!" I squeaked, trying to sound brave. "This wolf doesn't belong to anyone!"

The guy scoffed at me, a nasty smirk twisting his features. He kept the gun trained on the wolf while my heart hammered against my ribs!

Thinking fast, I did the dumbest but maybe bravest thing ever. I stepped right between the wolf and the gun, basically becoming a human shield.

"Adeline!" My best friend shrieked behind me, but I barely registered.

"Look," I said, my voice surprisingly steady and calm despite the tremor in my legs. "If you want to hurt this wolf, you'll have to get through with me first!"

The hunter dude just stared at me for a moment, then smirked and lowered his gun.

"Fine," he mumbled, slinging the gun over his shoulder. "That thing will die anyway. Waste of a bullet."

He turned and went off into the woods, leaving us frozen in place until he was well out of sight. That was close.

Slowly, I inched closer to the laying wolf. It growled at me, a weak warning to stay back, but it barely had the strength to lift its head. My heart ached for the poor creature. Aww.

"Hey there, fella..." I cooed softly, reaching out a hand cautiously, "We're not gonna hurt you, promise. We just want to help."

Surprisingly, the growl died down. Maybe it sensed we weren't a threat. I gently stroked its neck, careful not to startle it. The wolf seemed to relax a little, its fierce gaze softening.

"Fern!" I called over my shoulder. "We gotta get this wolf back to the van. Now!"

Fern's jaw dropped. "Whoa, Adeline! Hold on a sec – the van?"

"No time to explain!" I whispered urgently. "Remember that first-aid kit we packed? We need it! Maybe we can even get that bullet out of its shoulder."

Fern hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "Okay, okay," she mumbled, turning off the camera. This wasn't exactly what we planned for our Swiss adventure, but there was no way I was leaving this beautiful creature to its fate.

***

A warm, wet tickle on my cheek woke me up with a jolt. It was way too early for this Swiss mountain adventure to be started already!

But the annoying sensation wouldn't quit. It felt like a sandpapery tongue swiping back and forth. Ugh. Finally, I peeked out from my blanket fort to see the culprit – the white wolf!

"Ugh, not yet, girl," I grumbled and pulled the covers over my head, burrowing deeper into the cozy warmth. Sleep was seriously calling my name. But apparently, the universe or maybe just a very pushy wolf had other plans.

A frustrated bark echoed in my ears, followed by the feeling of something tugging at the covers. I peeked out from my pillow fortress to see her yanking playfully at the edge of my blanket.

This wolf was seriously high maintenance! I tried to pull the blanket back, but sleep was still clinging to me. I wanted to sleep more, but this white wolf wasn't giving up. She hopped onto the bed and began tugging at my pillow.

Seriously? The pillow went flying across the room, and I found myself staring up at her. My eyes narrowed.

"Okay, okay, you win!" I declared, finally facing my furry alarm clock.

She hopped off the bed and trotted towards the slightly open door, glancing back at me every few steps like a shepherd herding a particularly stubborn sheep, which in this case, would be me.

With a sigh, I threw on my favorite red sweater. Seeing I was finally up and dressed, she headed out of the room.

Outside the bedroom door, I found Fern holding her camera, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Did you, by any chance, tell her to wake me up?" I asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

"Whaaat? Absolutely not!" she protested, a little too quickly. "I was just... um.. making some coffee when she waltzed into your room and decided to play wake-up call. Yeah! That's it, and I figured I'd capture it on camera."

A loud whine came from the van door. We both turned to see her standing there, tapping her paw impatiently on the ground.

I shrugged and headed towards the door with Fern following behind, camera still in hand. This Swiss adventure was definitely getting more interesting by the minute!

I pushed open the van door and stepped out, blinking in the crisp mountain air. "Okay, Wolfie, you got me up. What's the big emergency?" My question died in my throat as I looked up. Whoa!

The sky was on fire! The entire sky shimmered with vibrant green and purple hues, swirling and dancing like a giant, celestial light show. It was like someone spilled a bucket of neon paint across black velvet.

"Girl, am I dreaming?!" Fern shrieked from behind me, whipping out her camera to capture the dazzling Aurora Borealis.

"Aurora..." I whispered, then glanced at the wolf who stood beside me, also gazing upwards. It turned its head towards me, those big golden eyes seemingly catching my unspoken question. "How about Aurora? Can I call you that?" I blurted, feeling a silly smile tug at my lips.

Aurora barked twice, a sharp, happy sound, and her tail thumped excitedly against the snowy ground.

"I think she digs it!" Fern chirped, her smile as wide as mine.

Yeah, I definitely thought so too. But I kept that part to myself.

I sank back into the snow, the cold a delightful shock against my warm clothes. Gazing up at the dancing lights, I knew this was one of those moments I'd never forget. A perfect little memory to tuck away in my mental scrapbook.

Just then, Aurora nudged my hand with her wet nose. Looking down, I saw her trot a few paces away, then stop. Suddenly, several other wolves materialized from the trees, their forms silhouetted against the dancing sky. My heart skipped a beat, but something about their presence felt…calm? Safe?

"Adeline?" Fern called out hesitantly, clearly noticing the newcomers.

"Don't worry, Fern," I reassured, trying to project confidence I might not entirely feel. "These wolves seem to be friends with Aurora."