Page 21 of Wild Heart

"She woke up. She asked for coffee."

Natalie smiled. "Then she’s going to be just fine."

Mason clapped him gently on the back.

"She told me to stop moping and get back to work," Davey added. "Said the sanctuary won’t run itself."

Natalie rose. "She’s not wrong."

They left the hospital just after dawn. The storm had passed, but the sky was still heavy with low clouds, the streets slick and shining in the early light. When they arrived back at the sanctuary, the volunteers were already up

"You know," he said, "they kept the fire going the whole time we were gone. Fed every animal. Cleaned every stall. Didn’t even ask."

Natalie felt something warm rise in her chest. The sanctuary might have been worn, frayed at the edges. But its heart still beat strong. And so did theirs. Even after the fall. Even after the storm.

Everywhere looked almost peaceful in the soft morning light. The rain had washed everything clean, leaving the leaves brighter, the air sweeter, and the sky a clearer blue than it had been in days. Wildflowers nodded gently along the trail edge,and the wolf pens glimmered with fresh straw under the golden sun.

They had made it through the storm. Olivia had survived the fall. But the road ahead remained uncharted.

The sanctuary van pulled up slowly, its tires crunching on the gravel. Mason opened the back doors while Natalie stood on the porch of the main cabin, shielding her eyes against the sun. Davey came out behind her, nerves written in his every movement.

Inside the van, Olivia sat upright in a lightweight wheelchair, bundled in a soft blanket despite the warmth. Her arm was in a sling, her left leg stiff and braced, elevated slightly. Her face was pale, lips pressed tight against the pain, but her eyes sparkled when she saw a ‘welcome home’ sign still hanging from the gate.

"You guys are ridiculous," she murmured, though her voice cracked with emotion.

Mason helped guide her chair onto the portable ramp, and Davey took over as soon as her wheels touched the ground, gripping the handles tightly.

"We missed you," he said, his voice cracking.

Olivia reached back with her good hand, patting his arm. "It’s good to be missed."

The volunteers had gathered in the main clearing, giving respectful distance but shouting out welcomes and waving. One of the teenagers from the raptor team handed her a bouquet of handpicked wildflowers.

Natalie stood at the base of the porch steps, watching as Olivia was wheeled toward her, and gave her a wry smile.

"You look surprisingly dignified for someone not long out of surgery."

"It’s the morphine," Olivia quipped. "Everything feels like a dream right now."

Inside, they had set up Olivia's recovery bed in the living area of the main lodge, close enough to keep her connected to everything, but private enough to offer rest. It had been Mason’s idea, and Natalie had seen how quietly, how efficiently the team had made it happen.

Once she was settled with pillows fluffed and water by the bed, Olivia looked around, taking in the little details: a small bookshelf stocked with her favorites, a framed photo of her and Davey by the fox enclosure, and a corkboard pinned with a rotating animal care schedule.

"You all didn’t waste any time, did you?"

"We weren’t sure how long you’d be out of commission," Natalie said gently.

"At least eight weeks," Olivia admitted. "And even then, I won’t be walking unassisted. Not for a while."

The room fell quiet.

Davey sat on the arm of a nearby chair, his jaw clenched. "We’ll manage. I can take on more. Mason said he’d teach me."

Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Mason’s teaching you? That’s either very promising or deeply concerning."

"It’s promising," Natalie said, suppressing a grin. "He’s good with him."

"That man talks to wolves more easily than humans," Olivia murmured.

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