Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance (5 page)

blocked out the last of what remained of the sun. Suddenly

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

by Lorraine Kennedy

cast into deep shadows, it occurred to her that the road

appeared as if it had not been used in a hundred years. A chill

crept over her and she shivered.

Again she thought how strange it was that there were no

road signs, but of course all the roads in the area were

unpaved. Maybe they hadn't heard of road signs yet? Laura's

thoughts became increasingly cynical as weariness settled

over her.

The first indication that she was close to Beaver Creek

came in the form of a lone cabin that sat in the middle of a

small meadow. Though it looked as if someone might live

there, it appeared abandoned at the moment. In the next

instant, the road brought her to an ancient looking bridge that

crossed a large river.

After bringing the Bronco to a stop, her eyes scanned the

old wooden structure. She wondered if she dared chance

crossing the bridge. Just on the other side of the river she

could make out a few log buildings. Laura slowly eased the

vehicle onto the bridge, and the wood creaked beneath its

weight. She held her breath, not daring to release it until she

was safely on the other side.

The road curved again, taking her to a cluster of several

buildings. Though Laura caught a glimpse of a couple people,

a ghost town atmosphere prevailed. Somewhere a dog

barked, and in several places, lines were strung between

trees. The clothes that hung on them danced in the mild

breeze.

Laura came to what looked to be the town's main road.

She crept slowly down the street as she studied the town in

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

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fascination. Throughout the village, tree stumps had been

carved in the images of various animals. There didn't seem to

be any business establishments, with the exception of a

trading post, and across from this, was a large building. The

sign hanging above the entrance identified it as the council

hall.

Laura didn't wonder at the unfriendly looks she received

from Beaver Creek's few visible residences. She had been told

that they were not fond of outsiders, especially anyone

connected with the Duccini Corporation. Thinking that the

council hall was as good a place as any to begin looking for

someone who might be in charge, she stopped the Bronco

near the building's entrance.

Trying the door, she was not too surprised to find it locked.

She knocked but didn't really expect a response. Laura had

just raised her hand to pound on the door again when a voice

from behind stopped her.

"There's no one in there, ma'am." The Indian boy stood

with his arms folded, his stance somewhat defensive. Laura

guessed him to be about twelve years of age.

"Could you tell me where I could find whoever is in charge,

a mayor, council member . . . someone?"

"Old Chief is gone." The little boy shrugged his shoulders.

"Where did he go?"

Again the boy shrugged his shoulders, but his large brown

eyes gleamed with a mischievous light. "You're one of the

others, huh?"

Laura attempted to make some kind of sense out of the

boy's question, but could not. "What others?" she asked.

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

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"You're one of the bad ones!" His eyes widened and he

stepped back from her.

Finally understanding that he must be speaking of the

Duccini people, Laura returned to the previous line of

conversation. "Do you know who's in charge now?"

The boy just stared at her. It was obvious that he had no

intention of answering her.

"Do you know where I can find Justin?"

A flicker of surprise entered his eyes, but his voice

betrayed no such emotion. "He be here . . . or there. You

never can tell about Justin." The boy dashed off before Laura

could ask him any more questions.

Was the whole population around here so hard to get along

with

Frustrated, Laura returned to her car and out of curiosity

she drove through the rest of the town. What there was of it,

she thought.

She spied buildings scattered all through the trees. Small

roads and paths went off in every direction. There were

obviously many more people here than what there had first

appeared to be. Laura shook her head. The place was just

plain weird.

From out of nowhere, fear descended and she began to

shiver. She experienced the unsettling feeling that she was

being watched—no, not just watched—but stalked. No longer

curious, Laura pointed her car in the direction of the bridge,

but was stopped short by the image that met her at its

entrance. Her jaw dropped, and a mixture of fear and wonder

took hold her.

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

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It was by far the largest cat she had ever seen, and oddly

enough it resembled a jaguar, though she could have been

mistaken due to the fact that she had only seen them on

nature programs. But if her memory served her correctly, she

was sure that jaguars didn't grow this large. The cat started

across the bridge, stopping to look back at Laura, as if it were

waiting for her to follow.

Laura eased the car onto the bridge, flinching when the

wood groaned beneath its weight. The jaguar continued, and

Laura followed close behind. Her instincts picked up several

changes at once, but the foremost, was the change in the air.

The air became thick with humidity, and very hot. Then, one

little detail at a time, she began to comprehend what it was

she was seeing.

Had she somehow taken the wrong bridge

She was absolutely sure that this was not the way she had

taken into town, but at the same time, she had seen no other

bridges.

Instead of pines and meadow, she appeared to be in some

sort of jungle. None of the plant life was native to this part of

the country. While taking in all these facts, Laura noted the

small path the jaguar had taken into the jungle.

Indecision held Laura motionless. Should she return to

Beaver Creek and try to get her directions down right, or

should she follow the cat, as it appeared to be attempting to

entice her to do?

This was all so unreal. Laura was thinking that at any

moment she would wake up safe and sound in her Santa Fe

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

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apartment, but the sudden sting of an insect bite discounted

these thoughts as merely wishful thinking.

Bringing the Bronco to a stop near the place where she'd

seen the cat disappear, Laura gazed at the opening of a path

that's entrance was all but blocked by dense foliage. The

jungle path was dark and untouched by the sun's rays.

Laura looked sharply toward the harsh sound of scraping

against metal from the other side of her car. A scream caught

in her throat.

Reason told her that the distorted creature that peered at

her through the thick glass of the car window could not

possibly exist, its features shifting back and forth from animal

to human. Gripped with fear, her mind reeled, pulling her into

welcome darkness.

Laura's eyes fluttered open, but she quickly clamped them

shut against the glare of the sun. There was a light tap on her

shoulder and she screamed, instinctively jumping away from

the intruder.

Justin was kneeling next to the open window, resting his

arms on the door. "Are you lost?" He smiled.

Disoriented, Laura was not sure if she was sleeping or not.

Looming pines had replaced the trees of the jungle and

behind Justin she saw the cabin that she had noticed earlier.

Dizziness swept over her, followed by nausea. "I don't feel

too well," she croaked. "I must have fallen asleep or passed

out."

Justin opened the door and helped her from the car. "You

should rest." He motioned to the cabin. "This is my place, you

can rest here."

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

by Lorraine Kennedy

Laura let him lead her to the small, rustic cabin. The

structure seemed very old, but the interior was dark and cool,

cutting the heat from the fading sun. Once inside, Justin

turned on a light. The soft light revealed the cabin's simple

log furnishings. A large stone fireplace dominated one whole

wall and on the floor in front of the fireplace was a bearskin

rug.

He directed her to a sofa and helped her sit.

Laura heard water running and found herself a little

surprised that the cabin even had running water. Justin

returned and handed her a large glass of the cold liquid. She

soon began to feel herself again, making her wonder what it

was that had just happened.

"Maybe the heat is making you sick," Justin offered, as if

he had read her mind.

Laura smiled. "I doubt it, I come from New Mexico and I

believe that it gets much hotter there."

"Yes, I noticed the plates on your car," he commented.

Laura shuddered, remembering her dream or whatever it

had been. She was not totally convinced that she had fallen

asleep on the side of the road. Forcing her thoughts into

another direction, Laura asked, "Are you one of the

Sungmanitu
?"

Justin stood looking down at her, his tallness making him

appear to be something of a giant from where she sat. At first

Laura thought he might not answer her, his reluctance stirring

her curiosity about him to new heights.

"Yes." His voice was so soft that she had to strain to hear

his answer.

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

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"There seemed to be very few people in town, where are

they all?"

Laura was again met with a void of silence. Sighing

heavily, Justin sat down next to her. "The
Sungmanitu
don't

live here on a regular basis. Our home is really in the

Shadow Mountains."

That tingling sensation was seeping into her skin. His

closeness was sending her senses into chaos. It took

immense effort to keep her thoughts on track.

"Why all the fuss about the cutters then?"

"Though we do not live here all the time, this place is very

sacred to us. The clear cutting could very well destroy us, not

just the land." The emotion is his voice was unsettling to

Laura.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "How's that?"

"Maybe someday I will show you." He smiled seductively.

Laura realized Justin was being evasive, but she could not

pull her eyes from his, and she was unable to form the

questions that she knew needed asking.

The eroticism in those strange eyes filled her with visions

of sleek bodies, moving in rhythm in the most natural of

dances. Her breath quickened when she felt his large fingers

grasping her hair. His mouth claimed hers—his tongue

seeking hers. The urgency of his kiss left her lips bruised, but

when she felt his tongue licking at them, the sensation

quickly erased any pain.

The thought of resistance never entered her mind. His

touch was filling her with a scorching desire that seared into

her very soul. She brought her own fingers up to touch his

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Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

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long mane of black hair, moaning when she felt the sharpness

of his teeth on her neck. Every inch of her body felt as if it

had been set on fire. Her need to feel more of this man grew

in intensity, until it was painful.

Justin moved away from her abruptly. She could clearly

see the flames of desire in his golden-black eyes. "I'm sorry,"

he apologized. "I don't know what came over me." He stood

up and the coldness of his absence next to her was like little

needles stabbing into her skin.

Laura blushed, embarrassed by her own lack of control.

"I'm just as much to blame." She got up from the couch and

busily straightened her clothes in an attempt to hide the

bitter disappointment of his sudden rejection.

Justin's keen senses picked up on her emotions

immediately. He cupped her chin in his hand, tilting her head

so that she was forced to look into his eyes. "Laura, I didn't

mean to hurt you, but there are things about me that you

don't know." He leaned down to brush her lips with a kiss.

"Believe me,
tehila
, one day you will be very grateful that I

didn't take you to my bed."

His gentle words stung at her pride and her heart. She

could feel the threat of tears forming. "You take too much for

granted if you think I would have fallen into the bed of a

complete stranger." She spoke the cold words as she was

jerking away from him.

Laura left the cabin, not looking back, even when she