Chapter 1 ~ 1st Spring

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From the moment I was born, there was a bounty on my head. Now, as an adult and I catch myself reminiscing, I am convinced that was a huge burden for any newborn. Especially when just a few minutes prior I was safely tucked away in my mother’s womb with four siblings. But I am getting way ahead of myself. Because as that tiny, blind wolf pup having just been born in a cool, dark, earthen den, being a natural born outlaw was the last thing on my mind. So, let me start with the beginning, for I have had quite the adventurous life in the mountains of Southwest Montana.

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My parents had been born and raised in a truly magical place that humans named Yellowstone National Park. But their time there was short-lived as pack territories are won and lost frequently in fierce disputes. Having dispersed from two separate packs, my parents happened to meet one sunny day on the green and wildflower filled slopes of the upper Cabin Creek basin just west of the park. They tell me it was love at first sight…and smell. My father, Comet, was a cryptic, gray-coated young male whose bravery made up for his lack of experience, while my mother, Luna, was a raven-haired beauty who could hunt without notice in the dark of the night. I took after my mother and have long, thick fur that is black as scorched earth. Given so, she named me Onyx.

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It is hard for me to remember my first several days on Earth because I was literally helpless and blind. And when my eyes did open after several days, there was little light in our den to aid navigation, so I relied heavily on my powerful sense of smell. Our den was cozy and warm and filled my nose with its organic foundation. It smelled like life. My siblings and I found comfort in each other and the aroma our mother left behind every time she needed to leave for a hunt. Between her scent and the warm bodies of my siblings, our quaint den provided safe harbor and a feeling of home. But pups will be pups, and when I discovered my little legs allowed me to journey to our den’s entry, I discovered another world existed beyond the darkness we had been born into. Little did I know at that time just how big that world would be, nor what opportunities and dangers filled it. Even then, the unknown had my curiosity blooming.

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