Chapter Text
Days passed after the shooting star and nothing had happened. Mira didn't meet anyone new at school, everyone still bullied her, a butterfly landed on her shoulder outside but flew away. Nothing shouted that this was the answer to her wish.
A month later they went to the mountains for their yearly camping trip. Everything was set up, "Mira honey would you go and get some kindling for the fire?" Mira's father, Minho, called to her.
"Yes, Appa!" Mira giggled jumping off her fathers truck bed. The mud splashed on her sneakers and she giggled.
Her father watched Mira skip off with a smile on his face.
Mira hummed as she had collected tiny pieces of wood for the fire. She bent down to get a piece of wood when a small growl made her freeze. She slowly looked up, in front of her was a mountain lion. It didn't seem to be an adult but it definitely knew that Mira was prey.
Mira swallowed as she went to back up only to twist her ankle. She yelped as her ankle popped. Her wrist hit the ground first making her cry out in pain. She crawled backwards as she started to cry, "Appa!" Mira sobbed.
This made the mountain lion snarl and pounce. Mira whimpered high pitched and curled into a ball prepared for impact. Instead she heard a hard thump and then felt a presence hunched over her. Mira whimpered as she sobbed. She slowly turned to look up and gasped softly. An animal was hunched over her, protectively. Its fur is dark deep purple, she could see spots and stripes mixed into its fur. A weird pattern for an animal, she's never seen something like this before.
Then the animal above her snarled and dipped lower. Its teeth barred and razor sharp. Eyes bright golden yellow. Its body shook with growls until it howled. Mira jumped but watched the mountain lion twitch its ears back and then run down the hill. Mira was still shaking as she stayed still under this animal, this wolf. Said wolf stepped back from hovering over her and then stood there.
It's eyes are less intense. Almost a gentle yellow now. Its face childlike, pure, innocent. Mira smiled as she wiped her face and then winced. She looked down at her wrist and whimpered. She cradled her wrist as she cried softly. The wolf in front of her whined and lay on its stomach. She crawled slowly towards Mira before stopping. She whined softly as her yellow eyes moved to her wrist.
Mira furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at the wolf pup. "I hurt it. When I fell backwards." Mira whimpered as she rubbed the scratch that was bleeding.
The wolf whimpered more and stood up. Mira's eyes widened as the wolf pup got closer. Mira started to tremble afraid this wolf was going to turn on her after saving her. Instead something warm, wet, and slightly rough licked her wrist. Mira exhaled shakily as this strange wolf licked her wound. The wolf licked its lips as it backed up. It sniffed at Mira.
Stalking closer until her nose touched Mira's cheek. Mira giggled as the wolf sniffed more into her hair and then her neck. Mira squealed as the wolfs tongue licked Mira's neck, finding this little girls scent fascinating. "Silly puppy stop it!" Mira giggled more as the wolf pup kept nuzzling and licking Mira. Unbeknownst to Mira, the wolf pup was scent marking her.
The wolf pup suddenly stopped. It's ears pinned back and its eyes wide. "Mira?" A voice called, the wolf pup looked down at the little girl. She whined before jumping over Mira, disappearing past the tree line.
Mira went to call after the wolf pup but her father knelt in front of her, "Mira, honey what happened?" Her father worried instantly as he picked her up.
"I-I fell..there was a mountain lion..but then this weird puppy showed up and scared it away." Mira explained as they left the woods.
Minho looked troubled before smiling gently, "I'm just happy you're alright pumpkin. Lets get you cleaned up." He smiled as they approached their camper.
After bandaging her ankle and wrist they made dinner. After getting dinner picked up they started a fire, roasted s'mores, and told jokes. When they went to bed Mira snuck out of her tent. Her parents slept in the camper but she wanted to be brave and sleep outside. Even after her accident, she couldn't stop thinking about the weird puppy. And why it ran away.
She crawled out over to where the burnt out fire pit was and sat down. She looked around the clearing and frowned. She wanted to see the puppy again. Just as she was growing sleepy again she heard rustling. Mira stirred and whined as she stretched. She rubbed her eyes before fixing her glasses onto her face. Her eyes widened, "Puppy!" Mira called and stood up.
She almost fell down but leaned against the chair. She limped closer to the puppy who came back and saved her. "You found me." Mira said softly as she made it to where the puppy was.
The wolf pup only whined and sniffed at Mira. She smelled two other scents on the small human. Sandalwood, and Lilacs. The wolf pup chalks the scents out to the humans parents, possibly. The wolf pup stood up and walked more towards the human and sat directly in front of her.
"Oh I have something!" Mira limped quickly towards her tent. She came back moments later with a piece of chicken meat wrapped in tenfoil. "We had dinner earlier. I wasn't sure if I'd see you again. But you saved me so you deserve a treat." Mira beamed and unwrapped the meat.
As she did she watched the puppy start to wag her tail, her tongued lulled out as she panted. Drool dripped down the tip of her tongue and Mira giggled. "You're silly puppy." Mira giggled as she sat the food down on the grass.
She watched with glee as the overly large puppy ate her treat. Her growls almost sounded like purrs as her tail wagged speedily.
The piece of chicken was gone within minutes. Now Mira and the puppy sat on the grass together. Mira was petting the fur around its neck as it lay curled against Mira's front. Her nose buried into Mira's hair. The puppy suddenly jerked upwards, and that when Mira heard it, a howl. Long and loud. The puppy stepped back and Mira watched amazed as she howled in return. Mira looked around before seeing another pair of gold eyes in the tree line.
The puppy whined at Mira, leaning down and pressing her nose against Mira's cheek. Mira giggled and pet the puppy's fur, "Is that your mom?"
The puppy let out a snuff of air and looked at the tree line.
"Wait let me tell you something." Mira smiled and then told the puppy how to get to her house. Not that the puppy would come to her house, Mira just wanted the comfort in it.
Mira watched the puppy run to the tree line, and then she gasped. The puppy was certainly that. Its mother was tall, at least eight feet on all fours. Mira swallowed and shakily raised her hand. The puppy was probably six feet standing on all fours, it's markings similar to its mothers. Mira waved and smiled. The big wolf of the two tipped her head back and howled lowly. The puppy joined before bolting into the tree line.
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That wasn't the only time Mira saw the wolf pup. Who she ended up naming Pumpkin. It didn't seem to like the name much but the pup liked Mira. The wolf pup had actually found Mira's home. And for years the puppy would show up in her backyard, Mira would feed and play with her, and then she'd leave.
When Mira was ten, the puppy showed up. It was late, really late. Later than she normally sees the puppy. This time the puppy was injured. Or it seemed that way, she was only covered in blood. Deep, thick, dripping, Mira couldn't see a patch of purple on her. "Pumpkin!" Mira cried as she hugged the wolf pup soaked in blood. The pup was trembling. It's eyes wide, terrified.
Mira gently hosed off the blood from her fur. Until the water was clear. Still, the wolf pup hadn't stopped trembling. It's eyes never settled. Mira tried to comfort her. She did all she could as a ten year old. She hugged the pup and pet her. The pup didn't even sniff her neck or lick her face. She just sat there with Mira holding her stiff as a board. Mira sat there until she had to go back inside.
That was the first time the puppy moved, she started to follow Mira inside. Mira stopped and turned to her, "Pumpkin you can't come inside...my parents." Mira said softly and the pup let out a heartbreaking whimper.
"I want to bring you inside but you're too big." Mira joked, having no idea what this pup had just been through. The pup whimpered and started to tremble again. Mira frowned, "I can't bring you inside but I can put you in our shed." Mira walked over to the old shed they no longer used for their tools and lawn stuff. Instead it was just a wooden building rotting away. Mira took her hoodie off and put it on the floor, "I'll come see you in the morning." Mira promised and left.
When Mira went out check on Pumpkin the next day she saw her hoodie on the porch. A sinking feeling grew in her stomach as she raced to the shed. When she yanked the door open Pumpkin was not inside. The only evidence of her being here was the bits of purple fur in the dirt. Mira clutched her hoodie covered in purple fur to her chest as she went back inside.
She waited, but Pumpkin never came back. And it broke her little heart.