I Rescued a Drowning Wolf From the Ice, but the Pack Followed Me Home

The Secret in the Fur

Owen couldn't leave the freezing animal to die. He wrapped the shivering wolf in a heavy canvas tarp, loaded it into the bed of his truck, and drove back to his secluded cabin. He carried the wolf inside, laying it gently on a pile of blankets near the roaring fireplace. As the wolf’s fur began to dry, Owen gently examined it for injuries, brushing away the matted ice. That was when his fingers brushed against something hard and metallic deep beneath the thick fur.

He parted the wet hair and gasped. Fastened around the wolf's neck was a worn leather collar, completely hidden from view. Attached to it was a tarnished brass tag. Owen rubbed the dirt away with his thumb, and his heart skipped a beat as he read the engraved letters: Liam Vance Cooper. It was his older brother’s collar. Liam had vanished in these mountains five years ago under mysterious circumstances, and the search had long since been abandoned.

Before Owen could make sense of the discovery, the cabin door was violently kicked open, letting in a blast of freezing wind. Standing in the doorway was Vance Miller, a ruthless local developer who had been trying to buy up the valley for years. He held a high-powered hunting rifle, his eyes locked onto the wolf by the fire.

"I saw you haul that beast out of the river, Owen," Vance sneered, stepping inside without invitation. "You need to hand it over. That animal is dangerous, and it belongs to me."

Owen stood up, placing himself between Vance and the recovering wolf. "This is my property, Vance. Get the hell out of my cabin." Vance laughed, a cold, humorless sound, and raised his rifle. "That wolf is wearing a collar that points to where your brother hid the deed to this entire timberline. I’ve been hunting that beast for years to get it. Give me the wolf, or you'll join your brother in the deep freeze."