Dangerous Territory

Macawi gazed at the he-wolf with contempt. Keeping her voice light, but without trying to hide her irritation, she said, "You, angry one who makes empty threats, do not scare Macawi. Come at her and see if you can touch her if you really want to. She will out-maneuver you. That she can promise."

Here, she turned to face Thistle. "Macawi will hunt small game for you, pregnant one, and leave it buried near the border. Follow her scent and you will find it. Macawi wishes you a healthy litter. She also wishes you a more polite mate in the future."

With a last raise of an eyebrow at the male, the coy wolf slipped away into the shadows of the night, with every intention of keeping her word about hunting game for Thistle. She would teach Cousin Wolf that not all Coyotes were thieves and liars.