Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance (19 page)

features.

"I'm sorry, Kenny. I just have a lot on my mind."

He reached over and squeezed her hand. "I know, and if

need be ... we'll just stay here with you until you're done."

After a moment he added, "Just to be sure."

Dinner that night was a treat, especially for Laura who had

practically lived off sandwiches and fast food since coming to

Wyoming. Jessup had grilled steaks and corn. Laura had

thrown together a tossed salad.

Content after the delicious meal, they all lounged around

on the porch enjoying the evening. With the cabin having

three bedrooms, it would easily accommodate them all, which

was good because none of them felt like driving into town to

get a motel.

Busby irritably swatted at mosquitoes. "I don't know what

you like so much about this place, girl," he muttered.

"Oh, you think the mosquitoes are bad here? You should

see what they are like back home. In Louisiana they're three

times this size and as thick as pea soup." Jessup dwelled for a

moment on memories of home.

He'd been trying all evening to lighten the mood, but

without much success. These Indians were just plain

superstitious. Laura in particular seemed remote tonight.

Even Kenny had commented on it during dinner. She had

pleaded a headache.

There was no mistaking the undercurrent of tension

tonight.

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Dark clouds stole away what was left of the sun. Jessup

glanced up at the sky and saw the black storm clouds

gathering fast. Already the light breeze had turned into gusts.

"I suppose we better get inside." Jessup stood. "Looks like

we're in for a good one tonight."

Kenny followed his example, pulling himself up from the

porch. "Yeah, I haven't been able to get cell phone reception

since getting here so I need to find a payphone. I have to

make a phone call to the Shiprock Police. Maybe I can talk

them into running out to Glass Mountain to check on things

for me."

"I should be getting back anyway. Why don't you just

follow me and you can use the phone there at the office?"

Jessup suggested.

"Sounds like a deal to me." Kenny looked to where Laura

still reclined on a lawn chair. She hadn't said a word since

dinner, retreating into a world apart from the rest of them.

A silent message passed between Kenny and Busby.

"Laura ... let's go get a fire going inside," Busby coaxed his

granddaughter.

She snapped back to reality. "Sure Grandpa."

Jessup nodded his head toward the car. "Let's go kid,

before it starts dropping buckets."

Laura could hear her grandfather and Two-Bears chatting

in the living room as she dried the last of the dishes and put

them away.

What if they were right?

Doubt nagged at her, causing her insides to churn.

Someone burst through the front door and she was jerked

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away from her thoughts. Dropping the dishtowel, she ran to

the living room.

By the sight of the two men who stood in the doorway,

Laura could tell right away that something was dreadfully

wrong.

Awakening shone in Jessup's eyes.

"I see you have had your first run-in with the

Sungmanitu,"
Two-Bears
stated.

"We had a run in with a living nightmare, that's what we

had a run-in with." Jessup slumped down on the sofa, his

knees feeling weak.

Laura was silent—listening in disbelief.

"I have a question for you." Jessup spoke up. "I'm almost

positive that neither one of those things were wolves. Why

are they called wolf people?"

"There are many shape-shifters. These may not have been

Sungmanitu
," Two-Bears informed him.

"What happened?" Laura finally found the will to ask.

"We were attacked while leaving your office. I think they

were some kind of large cats. They attacked me while I was

in my car. Luckily Jessup scared them away with a shotgun."

Kenny paused trying to read Laura's eyes.

"We had to leave my car there. It would have been too

risky to try and drive back in it," Kenny was the one to

explain.

"They were jaguars," Jessup told her.

Two-Bears studied the fire, as if it held the secrets that

were evading them all.

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"They could not have been jaguars. They had to have been

mountain lions." Two- Bears spoke to Jessup.

"No, they were much larger than mountain lions and

resembled jaguars. I should know! When I lived in Houston I

worked at the zoo helping with the big cats ... I'm here to tell

you they may have been very large ones, but I'm sure they

were jaguars."

"It can't be," Two-Bears insisted. "Changers will be a

species of animal native to their surroundings, and as far as I

know, there are no jaguars this far north of Mexico."

Laura had been listening with a mixture of amazement and

horror, but she could take no more. "I'm glad you are both

okay, but I need to lie down. My head feels as if it will split at

any moment."

They bid her goodnight and Laura retired to her room.

Lying on her bed, she listened to the drone of conversation in

the next room. Her heart ached to hear Justin's denial of

these horrible accusations.

Laura hadn't the strength to wipe away the tears that fell

to her pillow.

Ghostly moonlight blanketed the desert floor. It was so

peaceful—the lullaby of the wind comforting to her aching

soul. She could hear the flapping of a bat's wings as it dove

nearby to seize an insect. Far off in the distance—a coyote

yapped.

Spread out below—silent and empty—was Sweet Water

City. Laura picked her way through the sage until she was on

the town's main street.

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It was so still. She feared if she breathed too loudly she

would wake some long dead cowboy.

Closing her eyes, she could almost see the town in its

heyday—the clip-clop, clip-clop of hooves as horses pulled

carriages down the dirt street. The saloon was animated with

the laughter of dancers and lively piano music.

What was that song they were playing?

Dixieland—she recognized the tune.

Somewhere—at the other end of town—gunfire erupted.

She could make out the clank, clank of leather heels on the

wooden plank sidewalks as ladies strolled with their

sweethearts on this beautiful summer night.

Laura was stunned to realize that her eyes were no longer

closed. She was really seeing what could not be seen. The

images were no longer in her mind's eye.

Were these ghosts, only visible when the moon was high

and the rest of the world slept?

"Howdy, Miss." The voice that came from behind caused

her to all but jump out of her skin.

Justin's dancing eyes laughed at her. "Would you care to

walk with me in the park?"

He took her arm and led her down a side street past the

blacksmith shop. In the park she could hear the soothing

sound of a gentle flowing creek. Justin pulled her down into

the grass.

Reaching up with one hand, he tenderly caressed her

cheeks. "I hunger for you with a craving I cannot control."

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Laura could feel his hot breath on her face before his lips

touched her. She kissed him back with the same desperate

intensity.

Too soon he pulled away from her. The moon reflected the

pain that shone in his eyes. "I love you, Laura. Never forget

that."

Laura opened her eyes to the dimly lit living room and the

curious faces of her guests. Kenny had a vice grip around her

sweat drenched body. She had been struggling to free

herself, and slowly it dawned on her that she must have been

walking in her sleep.

Still delirious, Laura pleaded with Kenny, "Let me go!

Justin needs me!"

"Laura, wake up!" Busby's stern voice broke through to

her.

The tension drained from Laura's body and she went limp

against Kenny.

Two-Bears had brought in a damp towel so that Busby

could bathe the perspiration from her face.

Laura wobbled a little with the effort of standing. "I'm okay

now. It was just a dream," she explained, feeling very foolish.

"Who is Justin?" Kenny asked.

"Just a friend." Laura was evasive.

Jessup raised his brow. "Should I tell them, or will you?"

"He's just this guy that I've been kind of seeing." Laura

became agitated.

"He's one of those Indians up there," Jessup finished

explaining for her.

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"He's a
Sungmanitu
?" Two-Bears asked in anxious

concern.

Laura nodded reluctantly.

"You have to stop—he is very dangerous," Two-Bears

warned.

"He's never hurt me in any way," Laura defended her

lover.

"He was calling for you tonight. That is why you were

trying to leave," Busby told her. I heard the howling outside.

"How could he have done that?" Jessup was still skeptical.

"I thought all they could do is change?"

"Stranger things have happened ... where love is

concerned." Two-Bears was grim. He didn't want to tell them

that he might have infected her mind, forging a mental link.

A complete emotional wreck, Laura fled to her room,

shutting the door behind her. Her tears came unrelenting.

They had to be wrong!

Justin could not be the evil creature that they were trying

to convince her he was. Her heart just could not accept it ...

but ... what if he was...?

* * * *

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The sky dawned purple, marking a new day. Sometime

during the night the storm had passed, leaving a chill in its

wake. The air was moist and Laura shivered pulling her robe

tighter. She sat on the porch, thankful for the solitude.

Laura loved her grandfather dearly, but he sure did have a

way of souring sweet milk. She knew one thing for sure, she

would have to find Justin and put some questions to him.

A gust of wind whipped her hair into her face and she had

to hold it back with one hand to keep it out of her eyes.

Remembering her dream the night before, Laura trembled. It

had seemed so vivid; she could still feel his touch.

"Lauraaaa...." The sound of her name floated on the wind

so softly to be almost indistinguishable.

"Lauraaaaa ... Lauraaa...."

There it was again—echoing. It seemed to be coming from

the trees. Laura left the porch and followed a well-worn path

leading into the woods. The trees were deep in shadow, and

morning dew still coated the ground. Here, the cold fingers of

night hadn't released its grasp to the sun's warmth.

The eerie voice called her name again, but it was still no

clearer than it had been from the cabin. Laura closed her

eyes—concentrating—hoping that if she heard it again, she

would be able to tell from which direction it was coming.

"Lauraaa ... run!" This voice seemed to be right in her ear.

A hand clasped her arm and her eyes flew open. Laura's

screams erupted, shattering the morning calm.

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

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"Laura ... what are you doing out here all alone?" In all the

years that she had known him, this was the first time she had

ever seen Kenny really angry.

"I heard ... someone," she stammered.

"I have no doubt of that," he told her, and she was

astonished by the fury in his eyes.

Laura flinched and Kenny was instantly sorry for his anger.

"Laura ... something is very wrong here, and I think there is a

lot more to it than just the clear-cutting." He paused. "I can't

explain it, it's just a feeling."

His features softened. "I'd like you to ride to the office with

me and Mr. Jessup when we pick up my car. There's

something I want to show you."

Speechless, Laura surveyed the damage to Kenny's Nova.

In several places the metal had been peeled back, reminding

her of an aluminum can that had been cut with a dull knife.

"Now do you understand how dangerous it is here?" Kenny

needled her.

"I'm so sorry Kenny, but I just can't believe that Justin is

some kind of monster." Laura's eyes misted with tears.

Though knowing there was someone else in her life cut

deeply, so did her pain. Kenny took her hand in his. "Laura ...

I'm afraid for you. He may not harm you ... but what about

the others?"

"No Kenny!" Laura denied the possibility. "The
Sungmanitu

are no different that you or I—they have just chosen to live a