by Bijou DuLac
“She must be that spirited little fright that visited you a few weeks ago.”
“That might be the nicest description anyone has had for Annabelle in a long time,” I said.
He nodded. “I have about half a dozen of them, myself. Two of them are great-grandkids. I always look forward to their visits. As soon as they get here, though, I look forward to them leaving!”
“Yes,” I agreed. “Grandchildren are often better in small doses.”
He shook his glass, clinking the ice.
“More?” I asked, already refilling it.
“The other one that was with her—the snooty one that doesn’t like taking care of her—that one is your daughter?” It was funny how the very young and the very old could get away with putting things so bluntly.
“Yes.” I laughed. “That is my daughter, Vera. Though, in her case, I think it is more about her being overwhelmed than not wanting to take care of Annabelle. She is a single parent. Sometimes it gets to be a bit much for her.”
He nodded again before he went on with his questions. “And how about the other one?”
I was confused. “There is no other one,” I said. “Vera is my only child and Annabelle is my only grandchild.”
“No, no, no!” he said. “I mean the man I see you running around with. You’ve gone off with him in his fancy car and you run around with him at all hours. You went parading off to be with him in the woods in the middle of the night not too long ago.”
My heart stopped. I had seen the light on in the cottage across the street that night but I was sure that no one was awake. I had watched it for quite a while to be sure that no one was looking when I went out.
“I–I’m not sure what you are talking about, Mr. Woodman,” I said.
I pressed my hands to my burning cheeks, feeling the warmth. I was sure that they were bright red and giving me away. Mr. Woodman had obviously seen me go out in what was, essentially, my underwear.
He looked me right in the eye. “He’s a smooth one, that one,” he said.
“Wolfram is a very nice and honorable man,” I said, and he actually snorted in response. I was quickly losing my patience with him.
“You be careful with that one, young lady. He isn’t what he seems.”
“Oh?” I arched my brow. I had had enough of Mr. Woodman. How dare he attack the honor of a man who was not even present to defend himself? “Is he going to run around behind my back and break my heart?”
He slammed his glass down, causing several droplets to slosh out and land on the table between us. He frowned. “He is dangerous.”
That was it. “I’m sorry,” I said, and I stood up to collect the glasses and the pitcher of tea. “I’m terribly busy today and I really need to get back to work.”
“You have to listen to me,” he said.
“No, I don’t,” I said. “Now, I am going to have to ask you to leave so I can get on with my work.”
I turned to walk into my house, but Mr. Woodman reached out and grabbed my wrist. “Why do you think he has to disappear so often?” he asked.
“He is a lawyer,” I snapped. “He still works part-time.”
“Is that what he told you?”
He said it more to himself than he did to me, but I answered anyway. “That is not uncommon in his profession.”
Mr. Woodman would not be shaken. “How about that big silver beast you see running around?” I struggled to look away. “I know you’ve seen it. Has he ever explained that to you?”
“Why should he explain a stray dog to me?” I asked as I pulled my wrist free from his grasp.
“It isn’t a dog. It’s a wolf,” he said, and for a moment, we were both silent.
Finally, the words found my lips. “No it isn’t,” I said.
“Yes it is, sweetheart” he said. His voice was softer now. “It is a wolf and it is also him.”
I shook my head. Mr. Woodman was obviously crazy. I wondered if his family was aware of just how much of his mind this man had lost.
He nodded his head and said, “Your boyfriend is a wolf and the reason he has to disappear on ‘business’ all the time is because he can’t hold his human form for more than a couple of days at a time.”
“No!” I cried.
“The more time he spends as a human, the more time he has to spend as a vicious and out-of-control wolf.”
“You’re a liar!”
“You know it’s true,” he said. “You’ve seen it in his eyes. You can see the beast hiding in there, can’t you?”
“No! Wolf has the kindest, loving eyes. There is nothing beast-like about them.”
He changed tactics. “I’ll bet you have never been to his house, have you? That’s because he doesn’t have one. He lives in the forest because he is a wild animal.”
“It isn’t true,” I said.
I stormed into my house and slammed the door behind me. Mr. Woodman was a complete nut-job. I wondered what would even drive a person to make up such lies.
When I peeked out the window, Mr. Woodman was still on my porch. Why wouldn’t the old man leave? He turned and looked my way. I ducked back but he had seen me.
“If you don’t believe me,” he said, “ask him yourself.”
“Go away or I am going to call the police, Mr. Woodman!” I yelled. It was only a threat, but I really should have done it. Someone had to do something about him. He was a menace.
He got up to leave, but he knew I was listening. “I watch this neighborhood all the time. I know everything that goes on here. I see everything. No one can hide the truth from me.”
I was utterly rattled and I could not wait for Wolf to come home. Surely, we would have a good laugh over it. In the meantime, I could not shake the memory of the terrible dream that had haunted me on the island.
Chapter 14:
I Am the Wolf
I waited and waited to hear when Wolf would return, but there was only silence. After a week had passed, I began walking on my path through the woods each morning again. One morning, I thought I saw the big dog moving between the trees, but when I ran to get a closer look, there was nothing there.
I tried to fill my days to make the emptiness disappear. I planted all of my flower beds, signed up for an art class, and even attended a community potluck. I found that I liked the people in my new community, but all of them together could not fill the void that Wolf left in my heart when he was not there.
On top of missing Wolf so much, my conversation with Mr. Woodman was still bothering me. His story was so outlandish, I wondered how he had even come up with the idea in the first place. It just was not normal to go around telling people that a person changed into a wolf. I suspected that he had been fond of movies in his youth and his mind was failing to separate the memory of the movies from the reality in front of him.
In addition to everything else, since returning from the resort, my dreams had been repeatedly haunted by the terrible wolf. Over and over, it called my name. “Rubyyy! Ruuubyyy!” It snarled and snapped and knocked me to the ground again and again. To make matters worse, just as Mr. Woodman had suggested, the wolf had Wolf’s eyes. It was horrible. I always woke shaken, wishing that Wolf was there, ready to comfort me and chase the terrible nightmares away.
Finally, late one evening, three weeks after returning from Florida, I was sitting in my living room, pondering the workings of Mr. Woodman’s mind, when I glanced out the window and saw Wolf standing there. My heart fluttered and I was on my feet in no time. My Wolf was back.
“Wolf!” I cried as I ran out my door and into his waiting arms. His lips immediately found mine. Oh, how I had missed him!
When our kiss ended, he placed his hands on my shoulders and held me at arm’s length. “It was so terrible being away from you, Ruby,” he said. “Can you ever forgive me?”
“Oh, Wolf, I missed you so much.” My hand found his and I led him to my porch. “There is no need to ask for forgiveness. I understand about work obligations.”
I
also understood that Mr. Woodman was probably watching from across the street. There were no hints that he was watching, but he was obviously good at hiding it. Even if I could not see him, I intended to show him that Wolf was good and kind.
His hand went into his pocket. “I ruined our vacation and I sent you home alone. I want to make it up to you.”
“No, Wolf,” I said, catching his hand before he could remove it from his pocket.
“Please,” he said. “I feel horrible. I could not stop thinking about you the entire time I was gone. I picked it out, just for you, and it would make my conscience feel so much lighter.”
I did not want him to feel any guilt so I slowly nodded my head. My hand fell into my lap as he pulled a long, black, velvet box from his pocket. He opened it to reveal a necklace with a single white pearl. My hand went to my throat and tears came to my eyes. It was so lovely. The pearl was at least a half inch in diameter and the creamy white surface was perfectly round. It was like a perfect little moon.
When I moved my lips, nothing came out. Wolf lifted the necklace from the box, holding it up so it dangled between us. “May I put this on you, Ruby?” he asked.
I nodded my head and lifted my hair so he could place it around my neck. As it settled into place, Wolf pressed a tiny kiss to my lips. “I love you,” he said.
My voice came out in the faintest whisper. “I love you, Wolf.”
I wanted Wolf to myself, so I grabbed his hand and led him into my house. Enough with showing off for the crazy old man across the street. All that mattered was that we were together again.
We skipped the living room and the kitchen and went straight to the bedroom. I could feel the electricity between us as we began peeling off our clothes. And when we stood naked, facing one another, I needed to feel his body against mine.
I climbed onto the bed and reached out my hand toward Wolf. “I missed you,” I said.
There was no need to play games. We both knew what we wanted. He knew I would be wet with desire and there was no hiding his excitement. My legs spread as he moved toward the bed and took his place.
Wolf was on his knees, his penis in his hand. Even with only the moonlight through the window, I could see a bead of sweat at his temple. I reached out and pressed my finger into the clear liquid oozing from the tip of his penis then pressed it to my clitoris. He followed, rubbing the head of his penis against my clit.
“Fuck me,” I said and he guided the head of his penis to my vagina.
As Wolf pushed in, I lifted my knees and wrapped my legs around him. Our lovemaking that night was simple. I had wanted him so much, all it took was his thick cock sliding in and out of my pussy and I began to feel that familiar sensation spreading. I began to grunt each time he drove his cock into me. I tried to hold it off but the orgasm overtook me like wildfire. Every nerve in my body began to sing in ecstasy. And as the last flutter of orgasm settled in my belly, Wolf began panting and his own orgasm unloaded into me.
Spent, Wolf moved to lie next to me. He pulled me into his arms. His lips found mine and he planted tiny kisses on them. “You are such an amazing woman, Ruby. Do you know that?”
“You are the amazing one,” I uttered, unable to keep my eyes open any longer.
I think we both drifted off to sleep for quite some time. My dreams were filled with the silver wolf, running through the forest. This time, I chased it but I could never quite catch it. When I opened my eyes again, the faint glow of pink was starting to show in the sky. Wolf was already awake and he was gently stroking my hair. He smiled when he saw that I was awake.
“I waited for you to call for days and days,” I said. “I missed you so much. The whole time you were gone, all I wanted was to be with you.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” he said. “Everything was in chaos when I got there. I just worked the entire time.” He paused, looking into my eyes. “I wanted to work fast so I could get back to you as quickly as possible.”
“There was no time for a single phone call the entire time you were gone?”
“I was on the other side of the world, Ruby. I was working long days and the only time I had free, it would have been much too late to call you here. I didn’t want to wake you.”
I pouted. “I wouldn’t have minded.” I repeated the phrase I had already said over and over. “I missed you.”
Wolf was wise to my emotions. “What’s wrong, Ruby?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I said. “I just missed you and I would have appreciated a call to let me know how long you would be gone.”
“Ruby?”
“What?”
“What is really wrong?”
What difference did it make if I told him? I was sure that we would both laugh at it in the end. “It’s that old man across the street.”
“Lukas?” he asked.
“Yes. Mr. Woodman was over and he was telling some very strange stories. I had to threaten to call the police to get him to leave.”
“Oh?” he said. “What was he saying?”
The idea was so ridiculous that I felt silly even thinking about saying it aloud. My stupid dreams were bothering me too, though. I was silent for a long time, but finally, I said, “He claims that the silver-gray dog I keep seeing is really a wolf.”
“And?” Wolf prompted me to go on.
“And he also claims that you are the wolf.” I paused, waiting for Wolf to laugh, but there was only silence.
“Isn’t that the silliest thing you have ever heard? The poor thing must have lost his mind,” I said.
Wolf still did not say anything. His eyes were suddenly everywhere but on mine. I pushed away from him and got up, standing beside the bed.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Finally, his eyes met mine and they looked sad. His entire body seemed to droop. “It’s true,” he said.
I laughed nervously. “What are you talking about?” I asked, my head shaking. I did not want to believe it but somehow, I knew it really was the truth. I could feel it.
“Ruby,” he began, “I am the wolf.”
He reached toward me and I stumbled as I stepped backward. I caught myself on the wall. “This isn’t a funny joke,” I said. “Tell me the truth.”
“It is the truth. It is. The silver wolf you keep seeing is me.”
Suddenly, I was so angry, I could hear my own heart thumping. It felt like a horrible prank and I was the only one not in on the joke. I could not fully wrap my mind around Wolf’s words. “Get out,” I said.
When he reached toward me again, I looked around for a weapon. The bedside lamp was the only thing within reach so I grabbed it and yanked the cord out of the wall. I raised it above my head in a threat to bring it down on him and he pulled his hand back.
“It doesn’t change anything,” he said. “I am still the same person you have known from the start.”
I spoke through clenched teeth. “Get out of my house right now, Wolfram.”
Wolf did not move so I raised the lamp a little higher. He bowed his head and backed off the bed. “At least let me explain.” He was collecting his clothes and pulling them on.
“I don’t want to hear it,” I said. “I don’t even know what to think. I just want you to leave.”
“Please, Ruby?” His eyes looked so sad.
“If you love me one bit, Wolfram—if you are even capable of love, you will get out of my house this instant and you will never bother me again.”
I grabbed the necklace with one hand and yanked, breaking the chain. I threw it across the room. It hit him then fell to the floor.
“I love you,” he said.
“Get out,” I screamed.
Finally, with his head hung low, Wolf turned and walked out of the room. When I heard the front door open and close, I followed, the lamp still in my hand. I opened the door and stepped one foot onto the porch. I didn’t even care if Mr. Woodman was watching and saw me completely naked. I wanted to watch Wolf go.
He walked tow
ard the path to the woods and I stood watching. He disappeared behind a tree. When I craned my neck for a better view, I saw the silver wolf bound off into the woods.
Chapter 15:
Disappearing Act
My world had suddenly been turned on its ear. My boyfriend had been less than honest, then he had claimed that the stuff of fairy tales was true and that my crazy neighbor was not really crazy. It was simply too much for my mind to wrap around all at once. I needed to think. I needed to get away.
It did not matter to me that it was the crack of dawn. I just knew that I did not want to run the risk of running into Wolf, Mr. Woodman, or anyone else. So, with my mind reeling, I packed a bag and climbed in my car.
For the first twenty or thirty minutes, I just drove with no direction. When a rumble in my tummy became more insistent, I found a café and went in. With my order placed, I sat with my hands wrapped around a warm cup of coffee, staring at the street. I was so lost in thought, I did not even realize when the waitress sat a plate of food in front of me.
She tilted her head and looked out at the street to try to see what I was looking at so intently. When she couldn’t find anything interesting, she broke my train of thought and said, “I give up. What is out there?”
“I’m…It’s…” I looked up at her and I had no answer. I did not even know what I was looking at myself.
“I’ve seen that look before,” she said with a nod toward my coffee cup. I pulled my hands away from it and she tipped the pot to refill my cup. “It usually involves a man. Don’t worry. He probably wasn’t worth the trouble anyway.”
“How did you—”
“Know? I’ve been there before. I’ve been married three times and none of them were keepers. You know what I mean?”
“I do,” I said with a nod. “You have to find that one man who completes you. The one who makes you a better person without even knowing it. You have to find the one who is honest and caring and who would risk everything just to make you happy.”
“Exactly,” she said.
“But what if that man turned the world upside down?”
