by Mac Flynn
Will closed his eyes and chuckled. "So you learned I didn't tell her about the animal," he stated rather than guessed.
"Olivia talks a lot," I reminded him.
He chuckled. "She does indeed. I wondered what made you climb the hill yesterday."
I frowned. The crack in the woods. "You followed me, didn't you?" I accused him.
"My secret is out. I can't lie to you anymore. I followed you up the hill to see what you were doing. You would never have known I was there but for one wrong step on a small branch," he revealed.
"Why did you lie to me? Why didn't you want Olivia to know about the animal?" I questioned him.
His voice was so low I could hardly hear the words. "I didn't want anyone to be afraid," he whispered.
"Afraid of what? The wolf?" I guessed.
He chuckled. "Yes, the wolf. It's a dangerous creature, but I didn't want anyone hunting it down like a rabid dog," he revealed.
"But shouldn't we catch it? It could kill somebody," I argued.
Will turned to me and shook his head. "I don't believe it will hurt anyone."
"But how can you be sure?" I countered. I didn't want to end up like Sloppy Joe's like that deer and cow.
"You'll just have to trust me on this," he pleaded.
My face fell. "Trust you on this after you lied to me?" I pointed out.
He nodded at my locket. I clasped it in one hand. "I swear on that locket I gave you that the creature will not harm a human," he promised. He looked so serious, and his eyes were so firm, that at that moment I believed he could have moved the heavens with his oath.
I sighed and my shoulders slumped. "All right, but another dead animal and I'm spilling everything to Olivia," I warned him.
Will smiled and bowed his head. "I will accept that condition, and as further proof of my openness I will inform you of another lie I have told you," he revealed.
I frowned. "How many have you told me?" I questioned him.
"They are all white lies, I assure you," he insisted.
"White lies are Santa Claus, and I stopped believing in him a few years ago," I retorted.
He chuckled. "Well, you may start believing in my sincerity when I tell you what Vuk and I dropped into that lake the night you spied us was not junk. It was the remains of that poor deer. We rid the area of the evidence for both the Hunt and the creature that stalks the woods."
Speaking of the Hunt game brought a light, flighty rap on the door to Will's cabin, and Olivia's voice sang through the hard wood. "Hello? Is anyone in there?" she cooed. Vuk opened the door and showed us Olivia standing in the doorway with a bright smile on her face. It should have been illegal to be that chipper this early in the morning. She strolled inside and caught sight of me on the couch. "There you are, Grace! How often have you been coming over here?" she teased.
Will leaned over one side of the chair and smiled at his new guest. "Just a few times, Olivia, but what can I do for you?" he asked her.
"I wanted to make sure the two other owners of the Hunt property were all ready for everyone else. You know how crowded it gets when everyone's watching the Hunt, and I'm afraid there's no way to keep them off the grass," she explained.
"That's fine. A little play won't harm the grass," Will assured her.
"That's wonderful! And I'm sure Grace feels the same." She turned to me with a wide smile and a plea in her eyes. "Now I know you like your privacy, Will, and won't let anyone in your cabin but we must have a place to set up the refreshments and I thought that since your cabin is in the center, Grace, we could have the tables in there," she requested, addressing me.
I glanced between Will and Olivia. "I'm not really sure about that. It isn't really my cabin," I reminded them.
"I will pay for any damages that are incurred," Will promised.
"Well, doesn't that take care of any worries?" Olivia asked me.
"Yes, I suppose it does," I hesitantly agreed. I would have to hide any things I thought were invaluable.
"Fabulous! The Hunt starts at five-thirty, but everyone comes for dinner at four-thirty so we'll be over at your cabin at three-thirty to set everything up," Olivia told me.
I barely processed that bit of time-sensitive information, but the hour of the Hunt caught my attention. "Why start the Hunt that late?" I asked her.
"It is rather strange. We hardly ever get two games in, but everyone agrees having the Hunt at that late hours adds to the effect," she explained. She stepped over to the toward and waved her fingers at us. "But I'm afraid I don't have time for talking. See you then!" She slipped out and left me with a big headache.
Will chuckled, and I glared at him. "It's easy to laugh when you aren't the one who will be in trouble if your boss's cabin is wrecked," I commented.
He held up his hands defensively. "I was merely admiring Olivia's ability to convince anyone to give up their soul for a good cause," he returned.
"Well, I'm going to have you help with this good cause," I told him. His face was no longer pale and his hands gripped the arms of the chair with a steady, firm hold.
Will bowed his head. "Forever your servant, madam," he agreed.
I stood from the chair and made to leave. "Good. I expect to see you at three so you can help me hide anything that's valuable."
Chapter 13
I waited impatiently for three o'clock to come. The neighbors walked along the road in large groups and surveyed the woods above our cabins. Many of them climbed the paths up the hill and came back down after an hour. They were probably inspecting good places to hide or find their prey, depending on which side they chose for the evening fun.
Three o'clock finally came and so did Will and Vuk. They met me on the back deck as I admired the view of the calm lake. I was pondering why I hadn't been swimming yet when they walked up. "Good afternoon," Will greeted me. Vuk merely bowed his head.
I smiled and stood from my wicker chair. Other than some narrow dark spots beneath his eyes Will looked like his old self. "You might not say that after Olivia gets done with us," I teased.
"I'm sure we can rise up to the challenge," he returned. He sat down in one of the wickers and I seated myself on my own. Vuk, ever the faithful servant, stood to one side of Will. Will swept his hand over the view. "You have quite a calming picture here. I can see how you spotted our going out on the lake," he commented.
"Yes, it is a nice view," I agreed.
He turned to me and scrutinized my face. "It reminds one of beautiful dreams. You told me some about yourself, but not about your dreams," he mused.
I snorted. "I dream of not becoming a cat lady," I quipped. "I like cats, but cleaning up after two dozen of the furry cacti would be too much."
"What about dogs?" he wondered.
I pondered that for a moment. "I've never really had a dog of my own. Oh, my family had the All-American Weiner Family Dog, but he liked my dad better than he did me. One time he bowled me over to get at my dad when he came home." I dropped my voice to a low, solemn tone and put on my best stoic look. "I never gave him a treat again."
"What a tragic tale," Will teased.
I laughed. "It is, isn't it? But what about you? What are you dreams?"
He smiled. It was that empty one he displayed whenever I brought up an uncomfortable subject. "I don't have many dreams, only nightmares."
I raised an eyebrow. "Nightmares? Of becoming a crazy cat man?" I guessed.
He chuckled. "Not quite of the feline variety, but you noticed the way the dog at the picnic reacted to me," he reminded me.
"Not a dog lover?" I wondered.
"We have a mutual understanding that we shall forever disagree," he politely phrased.
"So you hate one another?" I rephrased.
"Precisely."
"Has this been a long hate-relationship or is it something recent?" I asked him.
"Since I was attacked. The wolf left more than physical marks," he replied.
I furrowed my brow. "Vuk told me you crawled back to the village
after you were attacked, but neither of you have told me how badly you were injured."
Will pursed his lips. He reluctantly grabbed hold of the bottom of his shirt, turned away from me so his side faced me, and pulled up the shirt. I gasped when my eyes fell on three long, jagged scars that ran from the left side of his chest at a right angle down his side and dipped below his waistband. Their healed edges were jagged and a harsh red color like they were irritated. If he hadn't told me the attack took place seven years before I would have guessed they were only a few months old.
Without thinking I reached out and brushed my fingers against the old wounds. He flinched, and I pulled my hand back. "Do they still hurt?" I asked him.
He dropped his shirt and turned away. "Sometimes," he admitted.
"Have you had a doctor look at it?"
Will snorted. Again there wasn't any humor in the sound. "Countless."
"And they couldn't help you?" I wondered.
"They gave their theories. Some suggested that the nerves were permanently damaged, and others thought the problem lay in my mind and that I was feeling an echo of the pain."
"That's-um, original," I commented.
"But not the most original. One of them suggested the wolf contained a venom that infected the wounds and transformed my very blood," he told me.
I blinked. "Like a werewolf?" I suggested.
"He wouldn't go so far as to say that, but it was the hidden meaning," Will replied.
"So what did you do?" I asked him.
"I ate him and went to another doctor," he joked.
I snorted. "Was he tasty?" I mused.
"The stethoscope was a little chewy, but otherwise he was quite delicious," Will told me.
I rolled my eyes and jumped to my feet. "I asked for that, and I also asked for your help to hide the expensive stuff in the cabin."
"I believe I can be a little help in that chore," he assured me.
He was more than a little helpful. Will knew his way around art like I knew my way around my local grocery store. Half the contents of the cabin were carefully placed in the bedroom and that was locked against curious visitors. The task was performed in half an hour, and then there came a soft rap on the door.
"Hello? Anyone home?" Olivia's voice called from the other side. Vuk opened the door and Olivia swept in with a small army of men and women behind her. She smiled at us, spun on her feet to the others, and gestured around the room. "Put the tables there. Dessert last, remember," she cooed. The army started its task of arranging the food, and she turned to us. "Good afternoon, darlings! I hope you're ready for a fine Hunt tonight."
"Not for me, but I will watch," Will replied.
Olivia frowned and tapped him lightly and carefully on the shoulder with her cigarette holder. "No Hunting? Why ever not? You used to have such fun with it."
"The pleasure is all gone, but I'm sure Grace here will gladly join the fun," he returned. He placed his hand on the small of my back and pushed me forward.
I glared at Will and turned to Olivia with a smile. "I was hoping to try the game," I told her.
Olivia was partially mollified. "You'll have such fun. The children are always the best Wolves because they hide so well, but the adults make the best Hunters because they're so much faster."
"How many are expected to join this year?" Will asked her.
"Oh, I would say fifty, so there will be quite the crowd up there on the hill," she replied. She paused and furrowed her brow. "Though I do worry about the farmers who came to the gate."
A dark shadow flitted across Will's face. "Farmers? Were they missing a cow?" he wondered.
"Several, actually. They were killed by what appears to be a wolf. Of course, Steuben wouldn't let them in, but he did call me. Apparently they wanted to set some traps along the old logger road or dig some holes around the road, I forget, but I told them all of that was out of the question. There will be no trap-laying or hole-digging around the lake," she insisted.
"So they went away disappointed?" Will guessed.
"Quite, and several of them were very angry with me, but we have too many children on the lake to risk setting rusted traps," she replied.
"You did the right thing," Will agreed with her.
Olivia laughed and tapped his shoulder again. "Don't I always? I have a big heart, or so everyone says, but you really must try one or two Hunts, William. The exercise does everyone good," she persisted.
Will smiled and bowed his head. "I will see what I can do," he promised.
"That's the young rascal I know! Always willing to try anything even if he nearly killed himself doing it!" Olivia slid up next to me and lowered her voice, though not low enough so Will couldn't overhear her words. "He used to be so fascinated with the tales of wolves that he would go into the woods for hours searching for them." Her eyes flickered to Will and she chuckled. "Of course, he never found them, but that didn't stop him from trying."
An argument broke out over the placement of the foodstuffs on the table, and Olivia whisked away to assist. I stepped up beside Will and looked him over. "So you've always been interested in wolves?" I guessed.
"Yes. It was a weakness of mine," he admitted.
"Until the incident," I finished.
"Yes, until the incident." I could tell he wasn't in the mood to talk about wolves, so I dove into helping everyone with the tables.
In half an hour the cabin was ready to serve as the chow building for the spectators and participants of the Hunt. I stepped back and looked for Will. Vuk and he were nowhere to be seen, and I sighed. This was his way of escaping participating in the Hunt, but I wouldn't let his absence ruin my fun. I was fond of a good game of hide-and-go-seek, and the added twist of Wolf and Hunter was just the thing to liven up an old game. Little did I know how lively it would be.
Chapter 14
The other cabin folk, those not already there helping with the food, started arriving at four. Cars parked along the far side of the roadway, but many walked from their cabins. They dove into the food and inspected the Hunt area one last time before the game began.
I was standing beside Olivia with a plate in my hand looking up at the hill when Steuben came up to us. He walked quickly and had a grim expression on his face. "Sorry for intruding on your fun, Miss Olivia, but we've had a bit more trouble with those ranchers."
Olivia lowered her plate and frowned. "What sort of trouble, Steuben?" she asked him.
"They came around again asking to take a look around the lake. I said there wasn't any going about that unless I got your permission, and seeing as you were here setting up the Hunt I told them they'd have to come back tomorrow," he explained.
"And then they went away?" Olivia asked him.
"Well, not exactly, Miss Olivia. They drove off, but I heard them stop a ways down the road and I think I heard some doors slam. They might have gone into the woods around the gate and be snooping along up the logger road like they wanted to earlier," he revealed.
Olivia was ruffled at the stubbornness of the ranchers. "Why, of all the nerve! They know they're not allowed up there, or anywhere around the lake!"
"They're only caring for their cattle, Miss Olivia. They've lost a lot of them, and not just the calves," Steuben pointed out.
Olivia scowled at the gatekeeper. "Don't you dare defend them, Josiah Steuben! I won't have them traipsing across the lands setting their traps to catch what could be a large coyote."
"They say it's got the claws and tracks of a wolf," Steuben argued.
"They can say whatever they like, but there are no wolves around Wolf Lake!" she insisted. Her loud, clear voice carried over the crowds and they paused to look at us. Olivia smiled and waved them off. "So sorry about that, darlings. Go back to eating. There's not much time before the Hunt starts," she reminded them. The people turned away and the mention of the Hunt helped the lively atmosphere to return. Olivia whipped her head to Steuben and lowered her voice. "Would you please try to search for these men
and tell them that trespassing is frowned upon here?" she requested.
"I will, Miss Olivia, but I don't know if I'll find them. It's a lot of woods along that logger road," he pointed out.
"If anyone can find them that would you be, Steuben, and that wily William if I could just find where he's gone," Olivia added. She glanced over the crowds and, not seeing him, finally turned to me. "Have you seen William?"
"Not for a while," I admitted.
Olivia sighed. "Well, I'll scold him later, but try your best to find them, Steuben," she pleaded.
"Yes, Miss Olivia, I'll do that," he promised. Steuben climbed up the hill and disappeared into the brush and trees in search of the elusive ranchers.
It was nearing five-thirty by now and the sun had only an hour's life left in it. Olivia set aside her plate, walked to the bottom of the hill and clapped her hands. "Attention! Attention everyone!" she called to them. The crowd, which numbered one hundred, silenced their conversations and chewing. "It is now time for the Hunt! Everyone who wishes to be a Hunter stand to my left, the Wolves to my right." Needless to say very few wanted to be "It" so the crowd to her left was a little sparse. There were four of them, and I joined for a fifth. We were against about fifty Wolves. It was a good thing they couldn't pack up on us. "I know a lot of you know the rules, but I will repeat them for the benefit of anyone new to the game," Olivia called over the clamor of excited voices. "The Wolves will have ten minutes to climb the hill and hide. Then the Hunters will be allowed to go up the hill after them. The Wolves don't have to hide, but can run across the entire flagged area. When a Hunter tags a Wolf they must come down to the road. The last Wolf tagged is the winner. The game will be played until it is too dark to see the trails."
"Get on with it!" a Wolf shouted from the crowd.
Olivia scowled, but obligingly pulled a gym whistle from her pocket. "When I blow this whistle the Wolves can start hiding. When I blow it again that means the Hunters can start hunting," she explained. She put her lips to the whistle and blew a shrill sound from it.
The pack of Wolves flew up the hill. They bumped and pushed, but there were enough trails to accommodate twice that number of people and they soon dispersed into the trees. I could just imagine the panic and glee as young and old alike hid in the nooks and crannies of the woods and waited for the Hunters to find them. The parents and spectators looked from the hill to us and back. We would be the bane of everyone Wolf's existence until the last person was caught.
