Member-only story
The Alpha Male
A Flash Fiction Story
The wolf pack gathered on a rocky outcrop that ran along the perimeter of the woods. The huge Alpha male took up a position on the highest point as he looked down over his pack. The winter had been harsh and food was scarce, in fact, a couple of weaker pups had recently succumbed.
The leader’s attention focused on a small log cabin in the distance. Until recently it had sat abandoned but, suddenly, there was smoke rising from the chimney indicating that it was now inhabited … and where there were humans there was food. He leapt down from the rock and signaling to two younger males, with a special form of silent communication known only to wolves, led the way stealthily towards the cabin.
Matt Barnett stirred the pot of beef stew on the fire, as his twin brother Kurt walked in the door with another armload of firewood. Dropping the wood into a box beside the fireplace, Kurt complimented his brother, “Man that smells good. I am starving after the long hike up here.”
“I never thought we’d return to this place,” Kurt said. “I used to love coming here as kids,” he choked back tears, “but since that last time … when … when Dad was killed by the wolves, it’s been sitting here abandoned.”
“Well, lucky for us it is still habitable,” replied his brother trying to maintain a calm composure.
