Blacktail Deer Plateau Be strong tonight

When a pair of moose—a pregnant cow and her nearly-grown son—drifted into his field of vision, Peregrine forgot all about his problems. His mind emptied of all thought as his eyes focused sharply on their movements. His nostrils twitched and his whiskers quivered as he watched the mother slow to a stop on the riverbank for a drink. Her offspring milled at her back, keeping watch.

He could not howl for backup without alerting them. Peregrine pawed the ground in frustration. At this hour, he could hardly go around rousing all of his pack mates and gathering them for a hunt. He felt helpless as he watched them. The moose would wander away long before he readied them. This opportunity would quite literally walk by right under his nose and there was nothing he could do about it...

With a sharp growl, Peregrine whispered, "I refuse." He began to trot slowly but steadily down the decline into the flatlands, pretending to be just another shadow. If he could separate the cow from her calf, he might actually have a chance of bringing the juvenile down on his own. It would be very risky but Peregrine simply couldn't help himself. He imagined himself taking down the moose calf single-handedly, then presenting its head to his pregnant mate...