The sun had been merciless that day, baking the forest floor beneath Daniel’s boots. He had been on a solo hike through the mountains, pushing deeper into the wilderness for a challenge. He had expected solitude—but what he found next changed him forever.
The sound had been faint at first, almost lost beneath the rustling trees—a whimper, barely there. Daniel followed it, out of concern for the poor animal, stepping carefully over tangled roots, scanning the undergrowth. And then he saw it: a tiny wolf pup, curled in the dirt, ribs pressing against its thin fur.