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Jade reached for the wolf and cradled him in her arms, close to her chest. After a few minutes, the pup’s trembling subsided. 

“You see? It can tell you’re a sucker for animals. No offense intended,” Farro laughed. He gave the visor on the ball cap he always wore a tug as if to emphasize his point. “Anyways, it’ll be safe with you.” 

Jade ran her index finger lightly over the wolf’s lips. The pup immediately tried to nurse. The poor thing looks half-starved, Jade’s cheeks flushed with anger. “He’s in bad shape Mike. You should have cared for him better.” With all the problems weighing on her shoulders, taking on a new responsibility made no sense, let alone caring for a young wild animal. She owed Farro no favors, nor did the man deserve her help. One thing was certain. Judging by his present state, the little creature would die if left any longer with Farro. She sighed. “All right. I’ll give it a try.” 

“Good move,” Farro said. “I’ll bring you some money to get started and check in every now and then to see how he’s doing.” He touched the brim of his cap again in mute thanks and climbed back into his truck.

Jade hurried into the farmhouse, not bothering to look back when she heard Farro call out a good-bye. “The first thing is to get some food into your tum.” She said this out loud as if the animal could understand her. The veterinarian she worked for had a special interest in wildlife, and any number of birds with broken wings, abandoned fox kits and injured raccoons had been treated and released at his clinic. So Jade knew pure cow’s milk would be far too rich and produce instant runs. Since the pup’s milk teeth hadn’t yet appeared, he couldn’t eat meat. She still had some sheep’s milk frozen in the fridge. Heated and diluted with water, it would have to do. Tomorrow she’d make up a special formula suitable for a wild pup. Still carrying the wolf, Jade went upstairs. Holding him with one arm, she used her other hand to fish around in the old toy box that sat underneath the bench at the bottom of her bed and found the doll’s baby bottle she’d played with long ago. Once she’d filled it and tested the temperature, the wolf sucked at the milk greedily, pushing his front paws back and forth as if he were kneading his

mother’s teat. Once his belly was plump with milk, he slumped over and promptly fell asleep.

Jade got her mother’s old yarn basket, lined it with a soft towel and laid the pup down. When he woke, she’d clean him up; for now, she reasoned, it was better not to disturb him. The entire incident had caught her completely off guard. Once again, it struck her how out of character it was for Farro to show such compassion for a tiny animal. Still, everyone had a good corner in their heart, however much they seemed to hide it. Maybe this was Farro showing a soft side that others rarely saw. She stroked the pup’s back, watched his belly rise and fall with his breath and smiled. Well, I don’t know how much of a bargain it is to get me for a mom, but it looks like you’re stuck here for a while. 

Those first weeks turned into a trial. Up every three or four hours for feedings. Bone-tired for work the next day. Switched from sheep’s milk to a formula, but mixed it too rich at first with hell to pay when it came out the other end. Yellow puddles on the kitchen floor when she didn’t take him outside fast enough. Nicks on her hand once his needle-sharp baby teeth came in. Then, Jade chewed up pieces of beef and chicken like a mother wolf would to make the food easy for him to digest. She had to take him to work with her. He couldn’t be left alone. 

The little wolf quickly became a favorite and endeared himself to the staff. He delighted her at every stage of his development. Eyes opening at 14 days, still not seeing clearly but able to detect shapes and movement. Eyes that eventually turned from smoky blue to wild yellow, reminding Jade of tiger eye gems. Startled reactions when he detected his first sounds. Curiosity about every new encounter. Highly intelligent, but also wary, unwilling to trust until he was certain there was no threat, reminding her of how much he differed from a dog’s strong desire to please. At night, he’d whimper pitifully until she took him into bed with her, his fluff nestled against her underarm as she calmed him to sleep.

Not long after the pup came Jade’s sadness over losing the farm grew less painful. Her mood lifted, and she realized that without intending it, Farro had given her a gift. She found herself smiling again, amused by the animal’s antics when he played with a toy mouse or shook an old rag. She felt a burst of pride when he took his first stumbling steps. Simply having him to care for helped to lighten her depression over the fate of the farm. She began to harbor thoughts of keeping him, and hinted at the idea when Farro called to see how things were going. But he shut her down flat. Falling in love with the pup had been easy. Too easy. She kept reminding herself that she was simply his caretaker for a few months. Before long, Farro would come to take him away, and she would lose him. It would be a mistake to become too attached. That was her rational side talking. In her heart, they belonged to each other.

She recalled the Anishinaabe legend her father used to tell her. How the Creator, out of all the animals, chose the wolf to be a brother to the first man. Together they roamed the world, naming all the plants and animals. When they were finished, the Creator said they must go forward to live separate lives, but from then on, what happened to one would also happen to the other. How true that seemed now! Both she and the little wolf had lost their homes; both faced an uncertain future. She looked at him, curled up on the tattered old blanket that served as his dog bed and made a silent promise. I’ll find a way protect you until you’re strong enough to be on your own.