Now, North patrolled the Alaskan wilderness alongside Jacob, sharing in the guardianship of the land. Ah, life never gave me the chance to be a father—that was the regret that weighed heaviest on the elderly man—but in his twilight years, he’d found the most dependable and devoted friend imaginable. He treated the wolf like kin, bonded by spirit and an unspoken loyalty that felt as deep as blood. Every day, Jacob inspected the vast territories under his watch. On one such routine patrol, he ventured out again, making his way to the remotest marshlands. North, as usual, bounded ahead of his master, sniffing out trails with keen interest.
After a short while, the wolf suddenly reappeared on the forest trail, pausing expectantly for his owner. Those intelligent amber eyes gazed at Jacob with a silent plea.
— What’s wrong, buddy? Jacob asked, sensing the urgency. Has something happened? Poachers again?
North retreated a few steps, then returned, as if urging him onward. It was clear he wanted Jacob to follow. The man nodded in understanding and trailed after the animal. The wolf led him to a clearing, where Jacob spotted an SUV parked off to the side. Beyond the clearing stretched the treacherous swamp. Jacob slung his rifle off his shoulder and approached the unfamiliar vehicle with caution.
But instead of discovering damage to the wildlife or illegal activity against the forest, he witnessed a scene that would haunt his thoughts for years. Two thugs were dragging a pregnant young woman from the SUV. She begged them to spare her, pleading not to abandon her in this desolate spot. On her knees, she implored them for mercy, swearing she knew nothing about any money or some guy named Derek. She promised to keep silent, to tell no one anything, if only they’d let her live. But one of the brutes snarled at her to shut up.
Jacob couldn’t stand by any longer. He burst forward, rifle at the ready, positioning himself protectively in front of the woman.
The burly men sized him up with sneering glances and told him to back off quietly—they’d handle their business and be gone in no time.
But the veteran, who’d seen his share of dangers over the decades, wasn’t intimidated by their threats. Especially not when he knew he had a faithful ally at his side. He waved his hand sharply, and in that instant, North lunged from behind the assailants. The men panicked and scrambled toward their vehicle, but the wolf pounced, knocking them to the ground. A fierce struggle ensued between beast and men.
In the end, the thugs were subdued, bound securely, and loaded into the SUV’s trunk. Jacob drove the expensive vehicle straight back to town and turned the scoundrels over to the local sheriff.
— Well, what am I supposed to do with you now? he asked the sobbing woman.
— Please, don’t send me away—I have nowhere else to go, Olivia begged him.
She poured out her life story to the ranger. She’d been living in a dormitory after leaving the orphanage, having never known her parents. Her mother had abandoned her at the hospital right after birth. As a girl, Olivia had dreamed, like so many orphanage kids, that her mother would one day come back for her. But the years passed, and no one ever did.