Rough Wolf (5 page)

“Ok, Pete isn’t a wolf shifter, he’s a panther,” she said. “We took him into our pack after his parents abandoned him in our territory. He was around ten at the time.”

“Why did they abandon him?” I asked.

“No one knows, and Pete won’t talk about it,” she shrugged. “I can’t figure out if he has his current attitude problem because they abandoned him, or if they abandoned him because of his attitude problem.”

“That’s so sad,” I said.

“Well, he’s been here for almost ten years now,” Greta said. “You’d think he would have lost a little of that attitude by now, but he’s still just Pete.”

“Poor kid,” I said, shaking my head sadly.

“Anyway, if you want my opinion, I think his parents were abusive,” she told me. “But please don’t tell Pete I said anything, because I haven’t told him about my suspicions, and if they are true I don’t want to dredge up any old hidden pain for him, you know?”

“Yeah, I can understand that,” I agreed. “But what makes you think that?”

“Just the way he acts sometimes,” she answered. “Like… sometimes he flinches if I put my hand up to ruffle his hair. It’s like he’s automatically expecting me to hit him.”

“Wow,” I breathed. “That makes sense. I hope that isn’t the case, though.”

“So do I, but he’s just so afraid to open up to anyone,” Greta said. “I don’t know what else it could be.”

We sat in silence, pondering poor Pete’s situation. The crackle of the fire was peaceful, and I was actually soothed by it. Then my stomach growled loudly.

“Oh, you’re hungry!” Greta gasped, jumping to her feet. “I can take care of that.”

“I’m sure I can find something,” I told her.

“Nonsense!” Greta said, fumbling through cabinets and the fridge. “I love cooking! What can I get you? Sandwich? Pasta? Maybe something sweet?”

“A sandwich would be fine,” I told her.

“Alright, it looks like all Geo has right now is roasted venison and wild turkey,” she said.

“Turkey sounds just fine,” I told her.

“I made the bread myself yesterday,” she told me. “I hope you like it. It’s whole grain. We don’t have access to a bakery way up here on the mountain. There’s a little country store about a half day’s walk from here, but they don’t have a very wide variety.”

“I’m sure it will be great,” I said.

Greta made me a sandwich with roasted wild turkey and mayonnaise on her homemade whole grain bread and brought it to me along with an apple.

“Thank you.”

“Sorry we don’t have any lettuce or anything to put on it. I know you humans like that sort of thing, right?” she asked.

“Some do,” I agreed. “Some humans hate fruits and vegetables. We all have wildly different tastes.”

“Oh, really?” she asked curiously, curling up on the couch to watch me eat. “We wolves all pretty much like the same things. Tell me more about the human diet.”

“Well,” I said, swallowing the bite of sandwich I’d just chewed. “Delicious bread, by the way!” Greta blushed and thanked me and I continued, “Some humans eat a very healthy diet, lots of organic produce…”

“Wait,” she interrupted me. “What’s organic produce?”

“Oh… um… humans use these chemicals to raise some types of produce. They kill bugs, or keep bugs away from plants, or kill diseases that could harm the plants… stuff like that,” I explained. “It helps increase productivity, but those chemicals can cause cancer and other diseases. So some people choose to eat only food that’s been raised without the chemicals.”

“Oh, I think I get it… sort of,” she said. “Go on.”

“Well, there are just so many human diets out there,” I told her. “Some people eat only fruits and vegetables and such – absolutely no animal products. They’re called vegans. Then there are vegetarians who might use eggs or milk, but they don’t eat meat. Pescetarians are basically vegetarians, but they add seafood. Semi-vegetarians are similar to pescetarians, but they might add chicken. Some people eat only organic stuff. Some people just eat a bunch of processed junk food. I could go on, but it would bore you to death.”

“No, this stuff is fascinating!” Greta gushed. “I want to hear everything about humans!”

“Everything?” I gawked, wide-eyed.

“Yep, everything!” she squealed excitedly. “Please?”

The sun was already starting to set beyond the trees by the time I realized all of the questions Greta had been asking me might have been to keep my mind off whatever danger Geo might have been in, but if this were the case, she never let on. I’d told her about typical human dwellings, what big cities were like, about, as she put it, the human fascination with keeping small animals as pets, and on and on. But if she found it boring, she never gave me an inkling of it.

I realized I was very thankful Greta was there with me, because as the hours stretched on, worry really was setting in.

Night had come, and Geo still had not returned. I was starting to feel a sense of dread weighing on me, and I’d begun pacing the floor. Even Greta’s endless questions couldn’t take my mind off the feeling of worry that had seeped into my mind.

I’d even begun to gnaw at my fingernails – a habit I’d abandoned not long after I graduated high school.

“You should lie down and rest,” Greta said. “Sleep will do you a lot of good.”

“I can’t sleep with Geo out there,” I said. “What if he’s been…”

Greta interrupted me with a growling sound in her throat not unlike that which a human parent might use to quickly distract a small child from something dangerous.

“Don’t even think like that,” Greta said. “This kind of thing happens all the time around here. No need to worry.”

“All the time, huh?” I muttered, looking out the window for the fifteenth time in as many minutes.

Greta added another log to the fire, as the evening air was starting to creep in under the door and I found myself wrapping my arms around myself as much for comfort as an attempt to chase away the chill.

“Come on, Dora, this isn’t going to do Geo any good,” Greta said gently, tugging me away from the window. “You need to rest. You may need your strength soon for…”

The way she cut herself off abruptly, and the look of “oops” on her face, was like a knife stabbing at my heart.

“For what?” I asked cautiously.

“Oh, nothing,” she said, pushing me gently onto the couch.

“Greta, what?” I asked more forcefully.

“Nothing, really,” she said. “I forgot what I was going to say.”

“What?” I shouted, frantic. “Is Geo in trouble?”

“Oh! No! No, no! N-nothing like that!” she stammered. “Look, I don’t want to freak you out, but… well, wolves typically expect pups pretty quickly, and…”

“Pups?” I interrupted her.

“Babies!” she squealed. “You need to rest all you can now, because you and Geo might be having babies soon!”

“Babies…” I muttered softly.

Oh, geez. I hadn’t even thought about babies. Just a week ago I was contemplating spending the rest of my life alone, and I was trying to convince myself that’s what I wanted.

“I don’t even know if I want babies,” I said after a few moments of reflection.

“Why wouldn’t you want babies?” Greta gasped as if I’d just said I hated chocolate. “Babies are wonderful! It’s been ages since I’ve seen pups.”

“I didn’t say I
don’t
want babies,” I corrected her. “I just said I don’t
know
if I do. Maybe it’s different for wolves, but humans tend to think a lot before they jump into things like having children.”

“Ohhhh, I
do
hope you’ll have pups,” Greta whined. “I’ll help you take care of them. It really wouldn’t be that much trouble.”

“I’m getting really tired,” I said, suddenly anxious to get away from the current conversation.

“Oh, good!” Greta said cheerfully. “Let me make sure Geo’s bed is made. He’s bad about leaving it all messed up and then I have to make it for him.” She hopped up and opened the door in the back of the room. She popped out a moment later and said, “All clear!”

I groaned as I heaved myself off the couch. My body was physically exhausted, even if my mind was consumed with worry over Geo.

The bedroom was small. It held only a bed, which was obviously handmade, a dresser that also appeared to be handmade, and a door that led to, I guessed, the bathroom. I realized I hadn’t been to the bathroom all day, so I peeked inside and nearly squealed with delight.

The bathroom was small, but cozy. The tub, however, was an old antique claw foot tub with high sides that just screamed my name. There was no shower, which was fine with me because I preferred baths, anyway.

After I peed, I decided to take a bath. I turned the water on to fill the tub, but I soon began to wonder if something was wrong with the hot water. I turned the water off and headed into the living room, where Greta was thumbing through an old picture book filled with animals.

“Is something wrong with the hot water?” I asked.

“Hot water?”

“In the bath tub,” I said. “The water’s cold.”

“Um… well…”

It seemed she had no idea how to respond, and it was at that moment that I noticed it was getting incredibly dark in the room. The fire had begun to die down, and I started to search for a light switch.

“Greta… where are the light switches?” I asked, confused.

“Oh! Oh, I get it now! There’s no electricity this far up the mountain,” Greta said. “I kind of assumed you realized that.”

Okay, this was going to take some getting used to. Living at my grandparents’ cabin was one thing. I’d had hot water, electricity, and even cable television (though admittedly the reception wasn’t that great.) I even had internet, but it was slow as Christmas. How would I handle roughing it?

I was thankful I’d gone on a book-buying rampage before I left the city and I had months worth of books in my to-be-read pile on my Kindle. But how would I even charge it? My head was swimming. What had I gotten myself into?

No, I can do this. I kept telling myself over and over that I could survive anything for Geo. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. It was very peaceful in the area around Geo’s cabin. He had plenty of food, and we wouldn’t have to worry about paying a bunch of bills every month. He was obviously a skilled provider.

And, hey, it could be worse, right? At least there was running water. It might not be
hot
water, but I could heat it on the stove, which I assumed was wood-burning. Maybe we could get some solar panels.

My head was swimming with all these thoughts at once, and Greta said, “I can heat some water for you if you want. We usually take baths in the river, but when it gets cold weather we usually just heat up water for our baths.”

“I can do it,” I told Greta. “I don’t want you having to wait on me.”

“I don’t mind,” Greta said. “I love doing things for you.”

A smile lit up her whole face, and I sat down on the couch and returned her smile gratefully.

“Thank you, Greta,” I said. “I really appreciate you. You know, I was worried about not being accepted by the pack, but just knowing you’ve accepted me so quickly has made me feel so much better.”

“You’ll be right at home in no time,” Greta assured me as she set a very large pot of water on top of the stove.

I watched her closely as she lit the fire in the stove, because I wanted to know how to do it myself. I needed to learn these skills if I was going to make it out here, and there was no time like the present to get started.

Suddenly there was a commotion outside. Greta dashed over to the window and held her arm protectively in front of me, holding me back from any potential danger. She peeked outside, but just as she did, the front door burst open and startled us both to the point of backing against the wall in fear.

Two strange men entered the cabin, and I felt the hair on my arms bristling. I hoped for a moment they were the two pack members that Greta said had alerted Geo to danger, but the terrified look on her face told me otherwise.

“Get out!” Greta shouted, stepping between the intruders and me. “Geo will kill you if he finds you here!”

“And who is this?” asked the taller of the two men. His nose wrinkled as he sniffed the air. “She’s human. A mate, perhaps?”

“Uh. She’s my cousin… from Alaska,” Greta said quickly. “She’s half human.”

“She smells
all
human,” the tall one said, sniffing again. “I think you’re a liar.”

“And you’re a bastard, Vince!” Greta spat at him.

Vince chuckled while the other guy flinched, obviously unhappy to hear his cohort referred to in such a way.

“Max, calm down,” Vince warned him. “We’re here to collect a bargaining chip, not start a war.”

“I
like
war,” Max jeered, eyeing me like a piece of meat.

“Eyes on the prize,” said Vince.

The two of them began to inch steadily closer, and a growl erupted from deep within Greta’s chest. She’d begun to tremble, and she crouched low to the ground as if ready to fight.

“Vince!”

I heard his voice outside the cabin, and I screamed his name at the top of my lungs, “Geo!”

Geo burst into the cabin, followed by two other men I didn’t recognize. Geo’s eyes flitted my way, and the moment he saw I was in one piece, he dove at Vince, knocking him to the floor.

The other two guys dove at Max, pulling him from the cabin and out into the darkness of the night. I could hear cursing and growling, and a fierce scuffle outside, but I was more concerned about the fight between Geo and Vince.

I watched Greta prowling around the two as they rolled around on the floor, locked in some kind of wrestling style fight. She was obviously ready to jump in if she determined Geo needed help.

My heart was clenching in my chest so tightly I could hardly breathe. I had seen a few fights in my life, but nothing like this. They looked as if they might really kill one another.

To my left, I heard the hiss of the water beginning to boil on the stove. I glanced at the pot out of the corner of my eye, and I slowly inched toward it. I remembered my mother throwing hot tap water on cats years ago to break up their fights, a practice I’d seen as horrible barbaric, but I was preparing myself to defend Geo if necessary.

“Get him, Geo!” Greta shouted, bouncing around the edge of the fight.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a new mate, Geo?” Vince said breathlessly, pinning Geo against the floor and punching him across the face. “Are you sure you have enough food to feed her?”

Geo’s face contorted with rage, and he rolled over and pinned Vince, shaking him by the shoulders and slamming his head against the floor.

“Don’t you
dare
insult my mate!” Geo snarled, slamming his head against the floor again. “And how dare you try to take her!”

Geo started shaking all over, and I could see his teeth bared behind curling lips. His whole face began to twitch erratically, and in an explosion of fur, he shifted, with Vince pinned under his paws.

Vince’s eyes widened, and he too began to shift. But before he could, Geo sank his teeth into Vince’s shoulder, causing him to shrieked in pain. Vince managed to kick Geo off him, and Geo yelped as he slammed against the hearth of the fireplace.

In an instant, Vince disappeared out the door with Geo following close on his heels, still in wolf form.

My tense body immediately relaxed slightly, and Greta dashed over to me and wrapped her arms around me to calm my trembling.

“It’ll be alright now,” Greta said. “Geo and the boys will get rid of them and they’ll be back shortly.”

I nodded, but I was too afraid to speak.

“Were you going to use this, by any chance?” Greta asked, nodding toward the pot of rapidly boiling water.

“I was considering it,” I admitted.

“Well, you didn’t have anything to worry about,” Greta said. “Geo can handle himself. But he’d sure be proud to know you were ready to help him.”

“I love him, Greta,” I said.

“I can see that,” she said, squeezing my shoulders and winking at me.

The front door creaked and Geo stepped through, shifted back into his human form. He breached the distance between us in seconds, and Greta stepped aside to allow him to embrace me. I felt his face nuzzle against my neck, and he breathed in my scent.

“I was afraid I would be too late,” he said, his voice wavering slightly.

“Hey!” Greta interjected. “I was here with her! I wouldn’t have let anything happen to her!”

Geo grinned at Greta and ruffled her hair, saying, “I know you wouldn’t have, kid.”

“Kid,” she muttered, crossing her arms and pouting. “Hmph!”

Geo chuckled and said, “Run along and make sure Sammy and Edgar go straight home and not after Vince and his buddy, would you?”