6 comments/ 5535 views/ 0 favorites Storm of the Heart By: NaughtyAngel1369 Morgan Page coasted up to the little cabin on fumes, consciously kicking herself for not filling up the truck at that little convenience store in town. When would she ever learn? Reaching over into the back seat she grabbed her coat and hoped like hell the temperature wasn't as low as her truck thermometer had said before she lost power. Nine degrees was just too cold and the wind had to bring the temps down to way below zero as it howled through the trees. Grabbing her phone, she looked to see if it had ever locked in on a service tower. "Damn, just my luck." She angrily threw the phone in the corner on the passenger side. The battery was dead from hours of searching for a signal. Now, she was miles from nowhere with no gas and no way to contact anyone. Looking out through the heavy snow flakes that whisked by, she could see no stars and not even a tiny silhouette of the moon. Peering into the frozen darkness, she tried to determine if it was safe to get out. Cursing herself again, she wondered why she had never asked for a key rather than continue using the one hidden on a tiny nail in the roof of the outhouse. Granted, she hadn't even talked to Ricky in over a year but he always said she was free to use the cabin whenever she wanted. Well...She wanted. Stress at work and at home had finally heated to the boiling point and she had to get away. Valentines Day had always been the worst of holidays anyway so why stay at home and be miserable eating tons of chocolate while thinking of a man she couldn't have. Deciding that she had stalled long enough, she tentatively opened the door dragging her coat with her as she stepped out into the knee deep snow. Instantly her toes became numb, her feet cramping in protest at the extreme cold. The wind tugged violently at her hair, tangling the long tresses hopelessly around her face. Pulling on the coat, she trudged through the deep snow drifts around the corner of the cabin to the outhouse. Jerking on the door, it only opened maybe a half inch becoming jammed at the bottom in heavy, wet snow. Dropping to her knees, she used her hands to dig the snow away from the door so she could open it far enough to reach for the key. Finally she stood back up stretching her arm inside, fumbling blindly where she knew it should be. A deep howl erupted from the other side of the dark snow covered lake. Startled, not feeling the key or the nail and now in a panic, she swept her hand back and forth over the rough, splintery surface. Feeling a large shard of wood slide under her skin, she cried out in pain and surprise. Biting down hard on her lip to keep from making further noise that might draw the animal in, she tasted blood. As her hand throbbed and her feet continued to cramp, she desperately pulled on the door trying to open it far enough to admit her. The wolf howled again, it's lonely cry closer than before. She cried out again, this time in fear. No doubt the animal was hungry and sensed her presence as a potential meal. Wrenching on the door again, it came open a little more smacking her in the forehead before wedging itself once more on the frozen snow below. Rubbing her head, she squeezed inside the outhouse and rose on tiptoe reaching for the key in the dark. Making contact with it, she closed her icy fingers around the small piece of metal salvation. With a sigh she pulled it off the nail, handling it with care. Shimmying back out of the outhouse, she looked cautiously around before taking off in a mad dash towards the door at the front of the cabin. A deep growl was the only warning she got as a huge wolf launched itself out of no where. Trying to get away, she felt its feet make contact with the middle of her back, driving her face first into the snow. Her deadened fingers lost track of the key as she flailed in attempt to escape the snapping jaws. Blindly, she kicked out causing a yelp from the wolf as she made contact. The wolf lunged at her, grabbing her left leg in its teeth. Even as she felt her flesh tearing, she fought to survive. Desperately, she kicked again even harder catching the snarling animal in the head. Abruptly the snarling stopped, the mass of the ferocious animal falling across the lower half of her body. She struggled attempting to drag her legs loose, unsure whether it was dead or just knocked out. At last, she was free of the weight. Jostling herself up, she looked frantically for the key she only now realized she had lost. The sound of labored panting had her spinning around in fright, only to see the silhouette of a monster staggering to its feet in the dark. Face to face, she could smell its fetid breath as fear rose another notch. With a scream she limped, dragging her leg as fast as she could away from the fury that she knew was coming after her. The leg was a mass of fire and pain and refused to support her weight, threatening to drop her to the ground at any moment. Rounding the corner of the cabin, she awkwardly made her way to its solitary window knowing that it was her only hope. Fisting her hand she placed her other hand over it, using it for leverage to increase the power as she drove her elbow hard into the glass plate. Once...Twice...She tried, wincing in pain with each contact. The rumbling growl of the wolf echoed the sound of breaking glass as her elbow went through the window. Adrenalin pumped hard through her frozen veins giving her courage and strength she hadn't known she possessed. Quickly she cleared the glass shards from the seal and braced her arms to accept her weight as she hopped up. Not jumping high enough the first time, she fell back to the snow covered ground landing in a heap as her leg refused to support the motion and weight of her fall. Spurred on by a more vicious growl, she scrambled back up knowing she had to make it this time or become food for the beast. Using all of her might, she bent her knees, braced her hands and heaved her body through the small opening. Falling ungracefully to the concrete floor on the other side, she groped in the dark for something to hit the animal with when it stuck its head through the hole. Wrapping her hand around what turned out to be a croquette mallet, she struck at the hole as a shadow filled it. With a frustrated cry, the big animal disappeared from the window. Hastily she searched in the pitch black for something to cover the hole. Knowing that the predator would not give up so quickly, she moved to the first thing she thought of. Unplugging the refrigerator and using the force of her body weight, she managed to shove it in front of the window effectively blocking both the wolf and part of the cold breeze from further invading the cabin. With the first problem temporarily taken care of, the adrenaline slowed being replaced by bitter cold. Her body began to shake as chills took over. From past experience she knew there were two sets of bunks, one on each side of the large room. Steering clear of the one Ricky shared with his wife; she grabbed all the blankets and quilts from the other bed. Staggering to the couch she heavily dropped onto it, gripping the covers in a strangle hold. Curling into a ball she wrapped herself up, ducking her head into the cocoon. Breathing on her hands, she tried to use the heat from her breath to revive some feeling in them. An irritated howl came from outside and she pictured the wolf pacing around the cabin, trying to find a way in. A scratching sound came from the front door but she wasn't worried. A few years ago when she and Ricky had been seeing each other regularly, they had gotten into an argument outside the cabin. Not wanting to concede his part, she escaped into the cabin and locked him out. Angered, he had rammed the door with his shoulder repeatedly but was not able to get through. Later, after they had both settled down and agreed to disagree on whatever had made them mad, he told her about how the cabin had been built to withstand blizzards, wind or anything that came at it. That was one of the reasons for having no windows in it. Thinking back, her mind drifted to the lovemaking that had taken place after the argument. Her body heated with memories of the hot, steamy make-up sex. Under all the blankets she could feel her nipples bud up as thoughts ran rampant through her mind. Feeling the tell-tale moisture grow between her legs, she allowed her body to relax slightly from its tight ball. With a sigh of resignation, her hand worked its way down her body warming as it went. Reaching her nether regions, she allowed a finger to drift lightly over her lower lips before coming to rest on her taunt clit. Pinching it between her finger and thumb, she released a gasp of pleasure at the sharp sensation. Stretching out on the sofa while being careful not to completely dislodge the covers, she permitted her mind to run free. Recalling one specific episode where his wife had been gone for a teaching convention and she had come to town on a business trip; her body jerked in response to the vivid memory. They had been quietly seeing each other for over three years when that particular meeting had taken place. Though they lived over a thousand miles apart, these little reunions seemed to keep the fires burning quite hot in their absences. Between phone sex and steamy emails, they managed to become quite happy in their little arrangement. She had been married for about fifteen years to a man who showed little to no affection. So long as there was hot food, clean clothes and a decently organized house, he was content to exist without the comforts of the warm aching body next to him in bed. Instead he seemed to prefer meager amounts of contact between the two of them. Ricky had been married for almost twenty years and hadn't shared a bed with his wife for last eight. To hide the effects of his strained marriage, he put in long hours at work and volunteered for all of the out of town assignments he could get. That's how they had met. Gliding her fingers tentatively along the slit of her sex, she then parted her lips slipping a finger into the tight damp depths. She was amazed at how warm it was even in these single digit temperatures. Sliding in and out of the wetness, she took up a rhythm that increased the friction while maintaining minimal movement as to not irritate her leg or lose track of the covers that held in her body heat. Unbeknownst to her, while her body temperature was rising from the memories in her head, an infection was growing due to the injury inflicted in her leg. What she thought was vivid memories were really hallucinations brought on by the high temperature of her body as it tried to fight the infection. These hallucinations were now enough to block out the howl of the growing storm outside as well as the aggravated destruction occurring from the wolf trying to get in. The dreams intensified, her hand stopped moving even though her brain told her body different. Going through all the motions in her mind, her inner core contracted with such intensity that she shouted out in her sleep with what was to be the first of many climaxes. *** Miles away, a lone Dodge truck made its way cautiously down the road. The snow was coming down so hard there was no way to tell where the road ended and the shoulder began. Even though Ricky Holliday had driven this stretch hundreds of times, he refused to discount the dangerous potential of sliding off into a ditch and not being found for days or possibly weeks. While the cabin was wonderfully secluded, it sometimes posed a problem when it came to accessibility. Hitting the steering wheel with his hand, he cussed the selfishness of his wife. He had been out of town to D.C. for almost a week and had come back to what they were saying was the storm of the century. After more than six hours on the road, trying to make it home from the airport he had arrived at the house only to find a screaming banshee accusing him of every form of adulterous behavior known to man. While he wasn't denying that he'd been unfaithful before, he wasn't about to stand for being unjustly accused of something he hadn't done now. Rather than listen to her any further, he had marched back to his truck, backed it out of the drive and turned it towards the little cabin that had become his sanctuary. Now, several hours later he was debating the wisdom of his choice. "I should have just gotten a motel room or stayed at Pop's place for the night and tried to reason with her in the morning." He growled, hating this situation he found himself in. Finally he saw the lights of the all night convenience store. Pulling in, he left the truck running and went in to find some hot chocolate and a few snacks to hold him over through this storm. Adding a couple bottles of coke to the pile on the counter, he paid the man and turned to go. "Be careful out there." The man behind the counter said. "This storm is stranding even the best of them." "I'm not too far from my cabin now. With this snow it might take me a little longer but I should get there within an hour or so." Ricky replied, hoping that was the case. Back in the truck he turned his lights off, using only his fog light to get under the snow and help him navigate the twisting road. Keeping his speed down and eyes peeled, he carefully made his way through the storm towards the little structure that was his haven. Not bothering to stop at the four-way, he crept forward noticing a familiar pick-up parked in his normal spot. Suddenly, a movement at the cabin door grabbed his attention making his heart race with fear. Through the dim lights of his truck, he made out the figure of a large wolf attempting to gain access to his cabin. Then he spotted something that made his blood run colder yet. Red splotches in the disturbed snow that ran to the opposite side of the building. The wolf was so intent on his mission that the vehicle pulling into the yard didn't seem to faze him. Shutting off the truck and reaching behind the seat, Ricky's hand wrapped around the rifle he kept for emergencies. Disregarding the rule to never discharge a weapon inside a vehicle, he slowly lowered his window and sighted in on the massive lupine only twenty yards away. Looking down the barrel, his made eye contact with the animal as he squeezed the trigger. It turned and leaped at the same moment that the shot came from the gun. The slug took him square in the chest, dropping him only scant feet from the truck. Waiting to make sure it wasn't getting back up; Ricky calmly reloaded the gun without taking his eyes off the animal. Finally, he rolled the window back up and warily opened the door. Stepping out into the snow, he made his way to where the wolf lay while keeping the gun trained on the prone figure. Nudging it with the toe of his boot, he didn't lower the rifle. Seeing no movement, he stepped around the wolf and strode up to the door. From the damage there, he guessed that the animal had been at it for quite some time. The screen door was all but torn from its hinges, the glass shattered and the screen ripped from its frame. The thick oak door though had stood strong and firm, deterring admittance. Sure there were deep groves and gouges from the beast's claws but it had not budged a bit. Taking a key from his pocket he slid it smoothly into the lock and turned, releasing the bolt inside the door. After a quick glance at the wolf, he stepped inside the structure. Taking in what he could from the shadows and forms, he could vaguely make out the shape of his fridge shoved against the wall where the window would be. "Oh God Morgan, what have you gotten yourself into now." He gasped, catching site of the shapely outline on his couch. Closing the door behind him, by habit he moved six steps to the left and four steps forward to the cabinet that contained the battery operated lantern. Firing it up, he set it on the table by the couch. Leaning over, he brushed his lips across his girlfriend's forehead taking note of the dark bruise swelling above her right eye even as he felt the extensive heat radiating from her body. Peeling away the pile of blankets and quilts, his heart sunk at what he found at the bottom. "Holy shit!" He ground out, wishing he could shoot the wolf all over again. Taking care not to jar her and cause more pain, he lifted her leg moving the ripped pieces of denim out of the way. Dragging the lantern over, he looked closer at the wound. She moaned in protest as he gently prodded at area around the deepest puncture. "Wow Sweetheart, that wolf really did a number on you." He whispered as he checked what he could for broken bones. Reaching across to his favorite recliner, he grabbed a throw pillow and propped her leg up on it. Carefully recovering her with the blankets, he set about gathering the first aid supplies he'd need to temporarily patch her up. Having no running water and no heat were going to be a problem. Intending to remedy the heat situation, he went over to the fireplace and found no wood stacked and ready to be lit. From there he looked outside in the box where he used to keep a good supply in case of bad weather. It was empty. Instead he found a note from a buddy saying that he'd pay him back later in the spring. Of all the stupid things his friend had pulled, this had to rank pretty close to being the worst. Trudging through the snow, he kicked the dead wolf on his way to the tool box in his truck. Opening it, he realized that he had taken the axe and hatchet out to sharpen them and had left them in the barn at home. "Son of a bitch!" He shouted. "Well hell, I guess I better load her up and get her at least into Minong. There's got to be someone at the ambulance station." He turned back to the truck intent on warming it up again before leaving. Sliding into the seat, he turned the key. Nothing. He turned it again and still nothing. Then he remembered getting out of the truck, leaving his lights on after shooting the wolf. He popped the hood and looked in exasperation and the single battery. He had planned to pick up a second one but since he normally drove his work car, he had put it off. Now he was paying the price. With a sparse shred of hope, he opened the hood on Morgan's truck to see if her battery was interchangeable with his. Looking at tiny battery filling the hole, it was an obvious no go. The little battery would have a hard time cranking his truck over and that was most likely the farthest he'd get. Resigned to fate, he closed both the hoods and after looking in the back seat of her truck, grabbed her overnight bag. As an afterthought, he grabbed his bag out of his truck too. Returning to the cabin, he set the bags on one of the beds while looking thoughtfully at the fireplace. "Think, think, think." He pounded his fist lightly against his forehead. "What can I use to heat this place?" Then it came to him. Striding across the room to the rocking chair, he dragged it back over by the fireplace. Using the strength in his arms he began breaking it into pieces, first the arms, then the rockers and bottom frame. Piling it neatly in the firebox, he went and opened the cabinet under the sink taking out a pad of steel wool. Taking a flannel rag from the towel drawer and grabbing a flashlight from the other cupboard, he returned to the fireplace. First he nestled the flannel in and around his wood pile. Then, after taking the batteries from the flashlight, he sat on the ground making himself comfortable. Holding the steel wool in one hand and the battery in the other, he rubbed the battery prong against the steel wool. Soon the pad began to glow and burn. Carefully, he set the burning steel wool pad in the flannel nest blowing gently to encourage the flames. The wood caught rather quickly consuming the years of furniture polish as fuel. Storm of the Heart As the small fire increased in size and warmth, Ricky grabbed a soup pan and stepped outside the cabin to fill it with snow. Hanging the pan over the blaze to melt the snow, he grabbed a large bowl and filled it snow before setting it on the hearth. Now that the cabin was heating up, he set about to the next task. Dragging a small stool over near the couch, he then took the supplies he had gathered; arranging them within easy reach on the side table. Uncovering Morgan's leg once more, he picked up a pair of tweezers and began the arduous task of picking out the denim fibers. Once he was done, he got up and took the pot of hot water from the fireplace. Carefully he bathed her leg, trying not to notice the shapely curve that had always fascinated him before. Then he grabbed the bottle of antiseptic. Taking a deep breath while knowing the pain he was about to unintentionally inflict, his hold tightened on the leg even as his other tipped the bottle. While her scream was expected, it tore at his heart. With a quiet murmur of indistinct words he threaded a needle with a fine fishing line that he had soaked in the antiseptic. As gently as he could, he sewed a series of tight, neat x's effectively pulling the skin together and closing the gaping hole. When he finished, he palmed a gauze pad liberally dousing it with the liquid. Holding her leg as stationary as possible, he applied the square of necessary fire before securely wrapping a length of gauze and then an ace bandage to hold it all in place. Looking down at his handy work convinced that he had done what he could with what he had to work with; he tucked the blankets back around her and began to clean up his mess. What concerned him most was that she seemed to burn up with fever and had not acknowledged his presence. After dumping the dirty water into the sink he added the bowl of melting snow to the pan, positioning it once again over the fire. Taking out another pan, he opened a can of chicken broth that had been kept at the cabin for cooking purposes. Once the broth was warm, he returned to her side and began the laborious job of spooning the liquid down her throat. At first she fought him, not knowing what she was doing or what was going on. Twice she kicked off the covers causing her body to shiver violently with chills. He calmly covered her back up while whispering his love which seemed to soothe her. Hours passed but inside the cabin, no light came in to distinguish night from day. As more time passed, his body ached from lack of sleep. Finally, not able to keep his eyes open any longer, he laid his head on her chest and passed out. *** It was cold outside the covers and her first thought was that the condensation pump must have frozen again causing the furnace to stop running. Her body felt like it had been trampled by a heard of elephants but she had to pee. Opening her eyes brought it all back as she caught sight of the cabin in the dim light of the battery operated lantern. Wait, battery operated lantern? Where did that come from? She fought to sit up but a huge weight in the middle of her chest held her stationary on the couch. Shoving at the heavy figure brought forth a groan of protest as it struggled to become upright. Seeing Ricky's familiar face brought tears to her eyes and an immediate response from him. "What's wrong? Morgan honey, are you hurting? What can I do?" He exclaimed all in one breath. "Ri..Ric..Ricky? Wha..what are you doing here?" She licked her lips weakly, suddenly very thirsty. "Oh no! The wolf!" She looked around frantically, as if it might be right there in the cabin. "The wolf is dead Morgan." He said matter-of-factly as he grabbed a cup of water from the nearby table. Helping her to a reclining position, he tipped the cup helping her get a drink. Bracing himself for the argument he knew would come from her love of wolves he said "I'm sorry but I had to kill it. It tried to attack me when I first got here and it was trying to get into the cabin." "It's ok. I would have killed it myself if I had been strong enough. It tried to eat me Ricky." She reassured him. "Are you sure you're not upset with me?" He asked, stressed at the possibility. "How could I possibly be upset with you?" She looked into his hazel eyes. "You're here for me when I need you most, what is there to be mad about?" "If you really mean that, then prove it. Kiss me." He demanded. "Not just a little peck either. I want the real thing." "Come down here where I can reach you then." She giggled, wrapping an arm around his neck. Pulling him down close she met his lips with hers, savoring the soft texture of his moustache. He deepened the kiss determined not to let her off easy. Sliding his tongue between her lips, it met hers in a frenzied dance of knots. Breathing as one, they moaned in unison at the pleasure their contact gave each other. It had been months since they had last met but their bodies had not forgotten. Like star crossed lovers, their hands eagerly sought out each other. The fire had long since sputtered out leaving the cabin temperature quite frosty and the battery from the lantern threatened to leave them in the darkness. Mindful of her injury, Ricky scooped her up and settled her across his lap without ever releasing her lips. His nimble fingers plucked the buttons on her shirt from their holes leaving her lacy bra as the only barrier between her breasts and his searching eyes. Releasing her mouth, his lips moved on to her chin and along her jaw bone to her ear. After a quick kiss on her earlobe they continued slowly down her neck alternating between sharp nips followed by a soothing swipe of the tongue. Her nipples hardened in response to the exquisite torture begging for his attention. Her breasts pressed into his hands as if of their own accord. His hands cupped around her breasts, his finger and thumb both finding the hardened buds tweaking them to full attention. In a single flick of his wrist, the front clasp of her bra was released freeing her breasts to his ministrations. His hands returned to her nipples. The intense pleasure pain sensation had her arching her back giving him even further access. Her breathing became more shallow as he bent, fastening his lips to a pert pebbled nub. With a growl, he took her nipple between his teeth tugging and lightly scoring it; drawing a cry from her lips. Having received the response he sought, he released the nipple turning to suck the other one deep into his mouth. He listened to her breathe, short quick pants of breath as he urged her on. Using one hand, he slid it down between her legs to her sex. Feeling the damp heat through her jeans he flicked open the button and lowered the zipper making room inside for his hand to investigate further. Sliding it inside, he fingered aside the brief strip of satin that nestled the piece of heaven she freely offered to him. Running his finger tentatively across her warm moist slit, he parted her lower lips slipping a finger in to test the wetness. Finding it ready he inserted a second finger moving them in and out giving her pleasure through the friction. As her inner walls began to contract in the first of a series of orgasms, he gently slid her off his lap and back on to the couch. Carefully tugging her pants off and discarding them to the side he followed with his own. Looking down at her flushed face and shimmering vagina, he stroked his rigid shaft. Wetting his fingers, he rubbed them over the head of his cock lubricating it for entry. Deciding it was set to go, he knelt on the couch between her legs. Positioning himself he made eye contact with her as he sank slowly in only to withdraw again. He did this over and over until she wept, begging him to take her fully. At this request, he sank to the hilt allowing her body to cushion his even as he rested on his arms above her. "Oh God Ricky." She moaned. "I don't think I can take much more." "You have no choice my love." He whispered in her ear. "Because you're going to take a lot more of it." With that statement, he made it his sole purpose to bring her to the mother of all climaxes. He pulled out and slipped off the couch, turning her so that her leg was supported by the table. He then situated himself to the floor between her legs. Lowering his head, he kissed her there taking care to run his tongue over her glistening lips before sucking them lightly into his mouth. Sliding his fingers inside her, he continued to lick and tease her unmercifully bringing her to the brink over and over as he increased the speed and friction of his questing digits. Finally, as he tasted the flood of her desires he raised up again singing deep into her constricting cavern. Her hands reached to his shoulders drawing him down while she wrapped her legs around his lean hips giving him access to the fullest possible. As she reached climax again, she cried out her love of him, sinking her nails into his back even as he exploded deep with the recesses of her womb. Collapsing on top of her, he roused himself enough to pull the blankets over them before scootching in behind her on the couch. Wrapping her tightly in his arms, he told her "Just because I can't say it, doesn't mean I don't mean it." With a smile, she fell into a contented sleep totally forgetting that she had ever needed to use the restroom. *** They woke with a start to someone banging on the door of the cabin. Ricky jumped up from the couch grabbing his khakis off the floor in the dark. Stuffing his legs into them, he pulled the pants up and zipped them. Not bothering with trying to locate his shirt, he made his way to the noise. Unlocking the deadbolt, he pulled open the door letting in the blinding sunlight from outside. The bracing cold hit him full in the bare chest causing him to grimace. A ranger stood there with a scowl on his face that was quickly replaced by awkwardness brought on by Ricky's attire or lack there of. "Sir, I stopped by to inform you that there has been a rather large wolf in the area bringing down livestock and threatening people but I see you have already taken care of the problem yourself." He nodded to the corpse of the wolf buried in the snow with nothing but its tail showing. "The wolf attacked my girlfriend and then tried to attack me when I came here to the cabin a little later. It was trying to get into the cabin and finish what it started when I drove up." Ricky indicated the destroyed screen door and mangled wood door. "Well, I'll load up the carcass and take it back to the ranger station to fill out the report. After that, I'll skin it out and you can pick up the pelt if you want it." The ranger offered. "That would be great; do you by any chance have some gas and maybe a set of jumper cables? My battery is dead and Morgan's truck's fuel tank is dry. That's why we were stranded here." "Sure." The ranger agreed. "Why don't you finished getting dressed and I'll load up the animal and get my gear out." "That would be great. Thanks." Ricky stepped back inside the cabin grabbing another lantern. Firing it up, he set it on the table and proceeded to get dressed. "Guess this is our wake-up call." He said, picking up her clothes and handing them to her. Stretching, she winced as the skin on her leg stretched too far. "I think that means my weekend getaway is over too." "I'm going outside to help the ranger. He's loading the wolf and says he has some gas and jumper cables. Looks like we'll be able to leave today." He grabbed his coat and escaped out the door without another word. Struggling, Morgan managed to get upright and pulled on her pants being careful not to dislodge the bandage. Looking around the room and not spotting her bra, she decided to leave it off. She'd be warm enough with her coat anyway. Standing up, the forgotten urge hit her full force. "Now I remember why I hate remote cabins." She cussed under her breath. "Having no bathroom is a bitch!" She tried to stand only to fall back to the couch. "Shit!" She muttered. She tried again only to end with the same result. Frustrated, she punched the sofa. The door opened and a man in green entered the cabin. "You must be Morgan, I'm Ranger Bob. I understand that you were attacked by a rather large wolf the night before last. Would you mind letting me inspect your wound for verification? You see, shooting a wolf is a crime unless in self defense." She propped her leg back up on the table and gritted her teeth as she pulled the mangled pant leg back. "This what you want to see?" She growled. "It hurts like hell and I have to pee so if you've had a sufficient look, can you please assist me to the outhouse?" His face flushed red as his eyes went to the floor. "Ummm, sure. Of course Ma'am. But uh...wouldn't you be more comfortable if your boyfriend helped you?" "I'm sure I would but he seemed a little busy. If you could just help me out there, I can take care of the rest." She winked at him causing him to redden further. He stepped up however and wrapping an arm around her waist managed to help her limp to the door of the cabin. Stepping out, a perplexed look came across his face as he looked at the snow. "Just what are you doing?" Ricky's irritated voice sounded from the other side of the doorway. "What's it look like?" Morgan answered, equally irritated. "I'm up dancing a jig." "If you can help us, um...your girlfriend here needs um... the restroom." The discomfited ranger announced. Ricky stepped forward bumping the ranger out of the way and in one motion, swept Morgan into his arms and started around the cabin to the outhouse. Setting her near the door, he pried it open with one pull. Turning, he gave her privacy to take care of her business as he looked at her truck sitting next to his in the drive. Cursing himself for a fool, he stalked back to inside the cabin and tidied up what he could. He'd have to return in a few days to finish up. Going back outside, he went to the ranger and gave him his phone number to call when the pelt was ready. He would have it tanned and ship it to her after all; she had a connection to it. As he stood by his truck waiting for Morgan to announce she was finished, he heard a noise from the wooded area to the left of the cabin. He tread lightly across to where he had heard the sound. Peering through the brush he spotted a bit of grey fluff huddled in the gnarled trunk of a tree. As he watched it, it raised its head and looked right at him freezing in apparent fear. Not knowing what else to do, he pushed his way into the thicket and knelt down next to the wolf cub. It shivered but didn't move beyond that. Reaching out to pick it up, it snapped at him with what little strength it appeared to have. Picking it up from the scruff of its neck, he held it close as he emerged from the bushes. The ranger looked questioningly at it, shook his head but didn't offer a word of protest as he carried his little burden towards the outhouse where his girlfriend waited impatiently. "Here, I picked you up a little something." He grinned extending the pup. "After all, can't have my favorite girl going home without a Valentine's Day present can we?" She took the pup cuddling it close to her body. It immediately stopped shivering and snuggled even closer sensing her warmth. "Where did you find it?" She asked in wonder as she leaned heavily against the side of the small building. Noticing her fatigue, he stepped forward and scooped her into his arms again. Marching over to her truck, he opened the door sliding her in behind the steering wheel. "The ranger has made an appointment for you at the local clinic if you can get there yourself. If not, I'll drive you over and get your truck dropped off at the hotel later. I've made reservations for you for at least a couple days. There's no way you can drive two days like you are." "Sounds like you've got everything all planned out then." She said quietly. "I guess that means I should be going." Softly closing the door so he wouldn't see her cry, she started her truck and backed out of the drive never noticing the tears in his eyes as she left.