“Me?” she stuttered. “I got you wolves!”
Maybe this had been a selfish impulse. Of course she wanted Teagan along while she did her favorite thing in the world, because bringing along someone handsome and attentive made any activity more enjoyable, but she was supposed to be supporting him, not the other way around.
But she did feel better.
“Was this not what you wanted to do today?” she asked, feeling flustered. “This was probably a bad idea. I can take you back.”
“No,” he said, straightening. “This is amazing. Give me the lecture.”
“What lecture?”
“The wolf lecture. I can tell you have one. Tell me what I ought to know about these wolves.”
Darcy looked around. There were still half a dozen other people there, including the park ranger.
“Go ask the park ranger,” she said, feeling conspicuous now. “That’s his job.”
Teagan barely glanced at the ranger. “That guy? His uncle is the secretary of the interior. He got his job through political patronage.”
Darcy laughed. “The secretary of the interior is a woman. And not known for nepotism.”
“Well, I want to hear your lecture anyway. Please?” Teagan said. He put a beseeching expression on his face.
Darcy ought to have been stronger against that, or so she thought. When he made big golden eyes at her, she felt compelled to do whatever he wanted, even if she didn’t think it was the right thing to do.
She sighed in a put-upon way, trying desperately to pretendthat she wasn’t desperate to tell him all about it. Like she hadn’t imagined standing here in her own set of Park Service chinos, knowledgeable and respected.
“Okay, so, you see the puppies?” Darcy asked, putting her shoulder against his. She turned him until he saw the three gray fluff balls nearly hidden in the sagebrush, falling over each other in a pile of wagging tails. “I hope this litter makes it. I’m worried about genetic bottlenecks in the Yellowstone wolves. There were only thirty-one founders when they were reintroduced to the park in 1995—you know they were extirpated in the twenties, right?”
“Of course,” Teagan said, and she looked at him suspiciously, but his face was very respectful.
“The wolves do their best to avoid inbreeding, but now they’ve been culled down to below a hundred individuals. The surrounding states plan to wipe out their wolves in the next few years if the feds don’t intervene, so you have a recipe for genetic stagnation, because there won’t be any exchanges with the Canadian gray wolf population.”
“There aren’t enough in Yellowstone?” he asked.
“It’s not just Yellowstone that needs wolves. Every wilderness needs wolves. The wolves are a keystone species. Without wolves, the elk overgraze the aspen and the willows. Then the beavers don’t have material to build their dams. If the beavers don’t build ponds, you don’t have wetlands to support waterfowl or pools for trout. And wolf-kill carrion is a big support to ravens, eagles, and bears.”
“Ah,” Teagan said, sounding satisfied. “There it is. It all comes back to the bears.”
Darcy snorted. “It is notallabout the bears.”
“You don’t have to say any more. I am convinced. We needto save the wolves, because that will help the bears, and as you know, I am deeply, deeply devoted to the safety of the bears.” A honey-sweet, crooked smile hung off his lips, even better than a pile of wolf pups for Darcy’s mood.
Teagan didn’t make jokes often. And only ever at his own expense.
She grabbed his arm to wrap her own around it. She tugged him tight to her side, knocking him off balance until his hip was flush against her own. She felt a surge of protectiveness, even if the only person Teagan needed to be protected from was himself. She squeezed him, heart suddenly full and tight.
He did look better than he did when she first saw him, even accounting for the mauling. A little more weight on his frame, a little more presence in his eyes, a few more smiles. She had to be doing something right.
“Yeah, you are,” she said, shaking his arm. “Because bears are awesome. You just don’t let them eatyou, all right? Because you’re probably full of all sorts of toxins from your New York lifestyle. Perfluoroalkyl substances and other forever chemicals.”
He chuckled. “I won’t let the bears eat me. For their sake, if not mine.”
The wolves had stripped the choicest bits off the elk and were heading back into the tree cover to nap. The ravens were circling, soon descending to take their shot at the carcass. The wolf-watchers started to pack up their equipment.
Darcy squinted up at the sun to gauge the time, then turned to Teagan.
“So, how are you feeling, big guy? You up for the beavers too? We could make it to Beaver Pond Trail before sunset.”
