Lucas ran back and forth twice to bring the remaining four Arctic Hares back to the cave.
When he tossed these four Arctic Hares in front of Cousin Sister, Wolfie, and the other Puppy, he clearly noticed the joy and admiration in their eyes, accompanied by howling filled with reverence.
As Arctic Wolves, they belong to the mammal family. Although they possess a certain level of intelligence, they can't be compared to humans.
So, the fact that Wolfie and Cousin Sister could express such joy and admiration was already beyond Lucas's expectations.
As for emotions like astonishment or shock, that's something only humans might experience at this stage.
"Howl."
Lucas growled softly, grabbed a young Arctic Hare carcass, and tossed it in front of them.
After all, this was prey he had caught. If he didn't make a sound, Wolfie and the others might not dare to eat.
Now, with permission granted, the young wolves started eating with gusto.
Especially the Lone Wolf Pup, who ate the most enthusiastically.
It even tried to snatch the meat from the weaker Lil' Sis Cousin, which Lucas noticed as he was resting and regaining his stamina.
He immediately got up and with one paw, slapped the Lone Wolf Pup three or four meters away.
"You've Got Some Nerve."
Lucas howled in slight anger.
The furious sound and the heavy force from the slap made the Lone Wolf Pup, who had just gotten up, quickly whimper in fear and admit its mistake.
"Might makes right," was once again clearly demonstrated.
After whimpering for a while, the Lone Wolf Pup noticed that Lucas seemed to have calmed down and returned to the Wolf Den. Only then did it cautiously approach the Arctic Hare carcass again.
However, this time it didn't dare have any thoughts of snatching food. It only nibbled a few bites of fresh meat before quietly retreating.
It was clear that the Lone Wolf Pup, who had been Acting Like a Bully among the pups, had learned a lesson this time.
At the same time, the fear in its eyes was mixed with a hint of confusion.
It couldn't understand why the Little Guy, who couldn't even stand steady before, could now easily defeat it.
Moreover, it was now significantly bigger.
Its small eyes were filled with many questions.
But no one explained it to him.
And Lucas certainly wouldn't,
He watched the retreating Lone Wolf Pup and thought to himself, "Hmph, at least you know your place."
Earlier, he had chosen an adult female Arctic Hare carcass, which weighed over ten pounds—more than enough for Cousin Sister, Wolfie, and the others.
So after one Arctic Hare was devoured, the four little wolves were full to the brim.
Lucas also saved the remaining two young Arctic Hares for Wolf mom.
...
Time passed quickly, and evening arrived.
The freezing Arctic nights were even colder than the days, with the wind cutting to the bone.
Wolf mom and the other wolves, dragging their exhausted bodies, slowly made their way back from outside.
At this moment, Wolf mom was not in a good mood.
Today had been another day of meager harvest.
Not a single live prey was caught; they only managed to snatch half of a Seal that had been left behind by a polar bear.
The Wolf Pack currently had eight adult Arctic Wolves—three males and five females.
Half a Seal was far from enough to fill their stomachs, and it might not even be enough to replenish the energy they spent today.
Her pups were going to go hungry again today.
"Howl!"
Thinking of this, Wolf mom let out a frustrated howl.
If this continues, the Wolf Pack won't be able to hold on for much longer.
It would be much better to migrate a bit south.
After all, there were still many large herbivores like Arctic reindeer in that area.
But... taking the pups along would be too risky.
Moreover, there were relatively more Grizzly Bears and polar bears in that area.
With the Wolf Pack's current strength, they could handle one bear, but two would be a challenge.
So Wolf mom had been hesitating.
Suddenly...
Wolf mom's nose twitched; she smelled a strong scent of blood.
The scent was coming from the cave.
And in the cave were only a few of the Wolf Pack's pups.
"Howl! Howl!"
Wolf mom let out two urgent howls, startling the entire Wolf Pack.
Immediately, the whole Wolf Pack reacted. Wolf mom, Wolf Dad, and a few other Arctic wolves dashed towards the cave like they were mad.
"Howl!"
As the alpha, Wolf Dad's roar carried a thick killing intent.
The few pups in the cave, who were resting after eating their fill, couldn't help but sit up straight upon hearing the familiar howl.
Lucas was no exception.
Could it be that Wolf Dad and Wolf mom encountered some enemy?
He quickly got up and rushed towards the cave entrance.
"Howl!"
With a strength and speed of 60, Wolf Dad shot into the cave. His white wolf paws struck the ground, sending small stones flying.
"This..."
Lucas stared at the enraged Wolf Dad with no enemy in sight, and for a moment, he was stunned.
What's going on?
He was baffled, and behind him, Wolfie and Cousin Sister were even more scared, trembling slightly.
A few seconds later, Wolf mom and the other wolves also charged in.
They scanned the cave, and upon seeing that the pups were all safe, the fur on their backs slowly smoothed down.
"Howl!"
Wolf mom let out a low growl, extending her tongue to lick Lucas continuously.
It's good that the pups were okay.
But where did the strong scent of blood in the cave come from?
"Howl."
Lucas roughly guessed the reason behind Wolf mom and Wolf Dad's earlier fury, so he let out a small growl before pulling out the remaining two Arctic Hares from the cave.
Wolf mom approached the Arctic Hares and sniffed them.
Hmm? Fresh? The strong scent of blood came from these?
But where did this food come from? Arctic Hares are so hard to catch.
Could the pups have caught them?
Wolf mom turned her head, puzzled, and looked at Lucas.
"Howl!"
Lucas responded with a howl.
At this moment, neither Wolf mom nor Wolf Dad rushed to eat the two young Arctic Hares.
On the one hand, the two young Arctic Hares would be enough for Wolf mom, but if shared among the others, they wouldn't be enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.
On the other hand, pairs of wolf eyes were curiously fixed on Lucas.
This was just a one-month-old pup, yet it could already hunt Arctic Hares on its own?
Isn't it growing a bit too fast?
If this continues, won't it soon surpass them?
Clearly, the wolves in the pack looked at Lucas with a different gaze.
"Howl!"
Wolf mom let out a low growl and was the first to avert her gaze.
After all, this was her own pup. She was just surprised at Lucas's rapid growth.
Nothing more.
She picked up one of the young Arctic Hares on the ground, as her body still needed nourishment after giving birth not long ago.
Next, after confirming that Lucas, Wolfie, Cousin Sister, and the other pups were full, Wolf Dad tossed the remaining young Arctic Hare to the other female wolves.
As for the male wolves, they all silently returned to their original spots in the cave and lay down to sleep.
After all, sleeping was the best way to conserve energy.
