The twisting and pain from her stomach made her groan, her eyes slowly opening as it woke her from sleep. Her body shook as she fought with herself to get up, feeling so weak from lack of food. She had gone several days without food, hoping her mother would somehow come alive, heal, and go get her food. As the days went by and the pain of her stomach being empty grew worse she had given up hope. She had wandered from her home in the Aspen Dam, made it here before the pup collapsed. She hadn't been able to sleep well and it was difficult for her to regain any sort of energy to keep going.

She was starving, and hadn't been taught the skills needed to hunt. Before the attack her mother was still bringing dead meals home to her, now she had no one to do that for her. She whined curling herself into a tighter ball and praying the pain would go away. She reeked of dried blood, her beautiful coat caked in her mother's blood. Luckily it was summer so the pup didn't have to worry about having body heat by her side. Whining again the pup squeezed her eyes shut while her body shook.

The man had been wandering around, looking for nothing and no one in particular, for a few days now. His wandering had brought him to Southern Alacritice and across a rabbit den where he proceeded to catch and kill a decent sized rabbit. Little did he know at the time, that his kill would be nourishment for another about a mile from where he had killed it.

He now stood several yards from the girl who's bloody sent had alerted him. With the rabbit cluched in his jaws, Maximous would examine her as well as he could from a distance. He was looking for the rise and fall of her sides, instead he saw her shaking. With as much blood as there was dried and stuck to her pelt, he was amaised she was even still alive.

In seeing the girl was still alive, Max had moved closer leaving only two or three yards between them. Gently he would set down the rabbit so that he could talk. "Excuse me..." he would say softly in an attempt to keep from frightening her anymore than what he was sure she already was. Now that he was closer he couldnt see any wounds on her...just blood, a lot of blood. He was begining to wonder if it was even hers. He couldnt be positive though, as she was curled up in a ball preventing him from seeing all of her. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

He desperately wanted to know where the child's parents were. His only two reasons for not asking was because if they had left her out here by herself on purpose, he may not be able to keep his temper under control. The other was that he had a sinking feeling that this was her parents blood and he didnt want to upset her any further. Either way he would not let her lay here and die.

She whined again as her stomach twisted in hunger she wished her mother was still alive that she would appear right now and bring her food. Suddenly she had a dropping feeling in her stomach that she was being watched even though she hadn't heard the male's approach. When he spoke it made her body froze, fear suddenly welling up in her chest. He spoke softly, but at this point she had never found anyone trustworthy aside from her mother. She had been too young to travel up until now and hadn't met many new faces in her short life. Laying as still as she could she would hope the male would think she is dead and simply walk away. Time ticked by until the male once again spoke, her attempt would be useless.

Slowly uncurling herself, the girl pinned her ears against her head and tucked her tail between her legs. Opening her bright green eyes she looked around before her nose caught the smell of a fresh killed meal. Again her stomach lurched and twisted out of hunger and her nose began to twitch wildly as she took in the captivating smell. Her eyes zipped about looking for the dead creature, and soon they landed on the rabbit. Rolling to her stomach she crawled closer to the male, whining as she stared at the dead rabbit then looked to the male. She hugged the ground as she stopped looking up to the male with hungry eyes.

"Please sir, I haven't eaten in days," she asked. She was fearful of the male, but right now her empty stomach and her need to eat was driving her to the male.

The man would watch as the child forced herself to hold still, proving to him one thing. If her parents were still alive they werent coming back. His question brought the young girl out of her curled up posistion, allowing him to see more of her, and from what he could see the blood coating her pelt was not her own. In uncurling her ears would pin to her head and her tail would tuck but within seconds her green orbs would be looking about wildly and her nose would be twiching. Did she smell something he couldn't? Just as quickly as Max had begun to worry she had layed eyes on the dead rabbit at his feat.

As if to grovel for a meal, the girl would crawl accross the ground twards him and giving a small whine. Her green eyes looked up at him and he could see the hunger she held in them. He was angry that anyone could leave such a young chiled out here alone and with no way to provide for themselves. Along with that hunger, fear still remained, and that two gave Maximous an idea of what might have happened to her and her family. Her question would draw his attention back to the rabbit, quietly he would push it toward her with his right fore paw. "Here, take it. I can always catch more." Slowly he could feel the need to take her home and care for her overwelm him.

She hadn't eaten in days, by her own admition she needed somone to take care of her. Pups had always been his weekness...along with a sertain woman he could never have, but that was besides the point. This girl was here now and she needed him, maybe even more than she knew she did.

It was so tempting to try and just snatch his prize away and try to escape with it. She was so hungry that the thought plagued her mind, trying to convince her to do it. She wouldn't she knew it would be the sure end of her. Sure this large male had been kind so far, but he was much bigger then her and could easily kill her and in her weakened state she was sure she wouldn't be able to escape. The male continued to be kind as he pushed the rabbit towards her and gave her the okay. He had also stated he would be able to catch more which stuck in her mind. Quickly she moved over to the rabbit and dug in, trying to refrain herself from eating to fast. She was starving, but her mother always told her to never eat to fast or your meal would not set well. As she ate the male's words again came to her mind and she thought things over as she enjoyed her meal. Her mother was going to teach her to hunt and told her many times that she would when she was old enough, but now that her mother was gone who would teach her. Without the knowledge of how to hunt or a body to provide for her she knew it would mean death for her.

She didn't know this male, but so far had proved to be no threat at all. She could even sense that he wasn't going to be a threat to her. She didn't know him, but the feeling was strong and perhaps the desperation was playing a large part in it to. Maybe she could tag along with him or maybe he would even be willing to care for her on a longer term. It wouldn't hurt to ask at least and if he wasn't, well she would have to think of something else. She didn't want to die because death scared her so she had to try and survive and remember what little her mother had time to teach her.

It wasn't long before she was feeling full and she began to relax more her body starting to feel a little better now that she had some food in it. Pushing the rabbit away her bright green eyes looked back up to the male, curiosity now shining brightly within them.

"Thanks mister, that feels much better," she claimed with a small smile and a wag of her fluffy tail. "I'm Delaney, what's your name."

As the young wolf dug into rabbit he'd pushed towards her, Max would sit and watch over her. He didnt want anything to try and scavage the small meal from her. She needed it and based on the way she practically attacked the already dead creature she hadnt been lieing when she said she hadnt eaten for days.

The longer Maximous lingered near the girl the more protective he felt himself become of her. Like a sentry on guard he would watch not only the pup in front of him but the area around them. He even listened for anything out of the ordinary. His concentration wad onky broken when she thanked hi and stated that she felt better with a small smile and a wag of her tail followed my her name and another question.

Max would give her a smile of his own "Glad to hear it Delaney." he would give a small pause to look over her once more to reasure himself that none of the blood belonged to her. "My name is Maximous." he had many questions of his own but kept himself fro asking them. He didnt want to upset her but he was having a difficult time not asking.

Her tail wagged as she looked up at the male listening as he spoke. Her thoughts drifted back to his comment before when he stated he could catch more rabbits. She wouldn't survive without being taught and it wouldn't hurt for her to ask Maximous for help. If he declined then she would have to find someone who could. She tilted her head to the left slightly as he introduced himself her tail still wagging. Once she felt a little more energy she should get herself cleaned up, that stale smell of her mother's blood on her coat wasn't too pleasant. Shifting the pup looked to the ground.

"Maximous do you think you could teach me to catch rabbits....... My momma never woke up and I don't have a daddy.... And I don't wanna feel hungry," she asked before looking up to him.

She didn't seem to upset with what she had said to the male, she may not fully understand the concept of death, but she did know that her mother stopped breathing after she fell asleep. She somehow she knew her mother wouldn't ever get back up and she had already spent days mourning and crying at her mother to get up and get her food, but the cold body never moved.

"I don't know why she wouldn't wake up, even after I wandered away she still didn't get up," she said shaking her head and looking back down to the ground. Even though she was frightened of others, she needed someone and perhaps it was this male.

The man couldnt help but smile at Delaney's question. He loved teaching...not to mention her wagging tail and tilted head gave her that adorable puppy look. Though his happy expression wavered at the comment that quickly followed. The comment that answered all of his questions about her parents, the one that told him there was no way in hell he was going to leave her side even if that meant he had to devote all of his time and attention to her.

Nothing in Delaney's expression would lead Max to believe that she fully comprehended what had happened to her mother. Hell even the next statement she had given told him she didnt understand what had happened.

Blue orbs would watched the girl for a moment even though his decision to care for her was already made. He felt bad for her and wasnt sure how to explain to the child why her mother would never again get up to play, teach or hunt. Just thinking about it made his eyes sting with unshed tears. Slowly a nod woukd be given even though she wasnt looking at him and the he would voice his thoughts. "I would love nothing more than to teach you how to hunt Delaney. If you want, you can stay with me, we can even join a pack if you'd like."

He would watch her for a few seconds to gauge her reaction. He wasnt sure exactly how to tell her she was right, that her mother would never again get up, other than to just come out and say it. "As for your mom, her body is forever asleep but her mind and sole are in a better place. I want you to know that she will always be in your heart even though shes not standing at your side. he himself was somewhere between tears at his own words and anger at whatever had taken this poor girls mother from her.

He wasnt sure what to say beyond that, but he had hoped he hadnt reopened a wound to soon after it had closed. He didnt want to upset her but he hadnt wanted her to feel as though her mother had abandond her here either.

Her thoughts drifted back to the first time she had bled. She had cut herself a few days after she started to venture out of the den. That strong smell of iron, that red liquid oozed from the painful cut. The lesson her mother had taught that day was about blood, life, and the importance of wounds. Maybe she didn't want to accept the fact her mother was in fact dead that she was so badly wounded that she couldn't recover. She never really had gotten the lesson about death, but there had to be something after life. She had a lot of time to think about it, but she didn't want to commit to the fact that she did somewhat know why her mother wasn't waking up.

She was pulled from her thoughts as he spoke to her again. His words made her smile and her tail wag. He was willing to be her teacher and was even willing for her to stay with him. She could easily say that she was vary relieved and oddly felt a bit more safe. His next words she intently listened to absorbing what knowledge he was trying to pass on to her. It did not reopen wounds, but instead made her curious, but she was also feeling weary still. She yawned, her tail gently wagging as she looked back to his face. She was ready to move on away from here and to get some rest.

"Pack or no pack I'm willing to go where you lead," she said.

His willingness to teach brought on a smile and a wag of her tail. He was probably doomed to live forever without the love of a woman. To never know what its like to be with another in any privately intimate way and to never have any children of his own. But at this moment he was willing to accept that all if it meant he could teach, care for and love this girl as if she were his own daughter.

He had left his homeland, hell his entire family, in hopes of finding a woman he'd love...a woman who would love him back. For a time, Max thought he had found her. That was untill his feelings weren't returned but were met with fear mistaken for hate. Hell the woman still couldnt look at him without that look a fear hidden in her gaze. A look that was burned into the mans memory.

Delaney would however obsorb his next words as if she were a sponge deprived of water. Though his words didn't seem to hurt her or reopen any wounds, they did leave her looking tired and ready for the day to end. At her words a small smile would be given along with an acknowledging nod. [color= blue]"Alright then...for now ill settle with getting you home. Theres a den not to far from here I slept in last night and some water you can get cleaned up in. In the morning we can make our way back north talk about surrounding packs and ill even get started on those lessons of yours if you're ready to start."[/color]

Her tail wagged again at his words, she was excited and happy that he had found her in the first place. Now she had a chance to see what kind of girl she could turn out to be. Maybe even find out who her father was and if not this man seemed like a fine father so far. Her tail wiggled again and she stood up ready to hit the road when he was ready. She was ready to get cleaned up and get some shut eye then in the morning they could start fresh, head north (wherever that was) and get started on some lessons. Her excitement would be enough to keep her awake until they made it back to his den site. She smiled prancing in place.

"I'm ready!" she said cheerfully.

She moved over to him closer nudging him eagerly with her nose. She didn't know which direction they would head so she must wait until he leads the way. Her whole tragedy from today seemed to fade as her new focus was on what Max promised to her. She was clutching to it because it was her last hope.