Silver-White (The Great North Woods Pack #1)

by Shawn Underhill

  “No it’s not a holiday,” Evelyn said over her shoulder. “It’s called a healthy meal; not that microwaved trash your mother feeds you. It’s a wonder you’re as healthy as you are.”

  Janie rolled her eyes at her daughter and laughed. As she did, Evie began watching her mother more closely. While she finished her first slice of muffin bread, no one else said much, and Evie took the time to glance back and forth from one to the other.

  Her grandfather was leaning quietly at the corner of the island, his forearms resting on the bar top. His eyes were on her, beaming. She could tell he wanted to speak, was waiting for his chance, yet he was holding back for the moment. His eyes were the most colorful of the four. From what Evie had seen in the mirror, her own ranked second, followed by the ice-blues of her grandmother, who never wore earrings. Her mother’s eyes were the dimmest of the group. They looked as Evie’s had the day before: green but not unordinary. Her mother’s earrings were in place.

  “So …” Evie said, reaching for another slice of the bread.

  “Are you ready for this?” her mother asked.

  Evie looked at her as she chewed and shrugged her shoulders. Of course she didn’t feel ready. But the food really was “fixing” her, her curiosity was growing, and the subject could not be sidestepped forever.

  “She’s ready,” her grandfather said low and proudly. “Just look at her; she’s bounced back marvelously.”

  Evie kept eating. It felt safer to chew and listen rather than to speak. Her grandfather went on after a moment.

  “As strange as it sounds, it’s all true. That odd feeling you’re feeling right now … unusually alert, excited but hesitant beyond normal. That’s it; that’s the wolf stirring in you.”

  Evie shook her head slightly. She understood now why her mother had laughed upstairs. The situation wasn’t scary … it was absurd.

  “I am sorry you had no warning,” her Papa Joe said in his kindest tone. “Honest I am. We weren’t prepared for you to experience the change at your age. Rightfully, this should be a day of celebration, one you’d been anticipating for years and welcomed gladly.”

  “Sure,” Evie said, ignoring both his comments and his tone. “I just never would’ve thought wolves would like English muffins so much.” She laughed a muffled laugh with her mouth full. “It’s kind of funny if you think about it,” she mumbled.

  Everyone was quiet. The sound of Evie’s chewing seemed quite loud against the silence.

  “I know this is a bit of a shock, Red,” her Papa Joe said after a while. “I’m trying to—”

  “Not at all,” she said over him. “I mean … what else have you been waiting to tell me? Are we related to Bigfoot, too?”

  “Evie,” her mother scolded suddenly but not too harshly. “Respect your grandfather.”

  “Let her be,” Joe defended. “We’ve left her in the dark and heaped it all on her at once. I’d feel defensive too.”

  “Sorry, Papa,” Evie said between bites. “I’m not mad at you, I’m just … I don’t know what I am.”

  “Exactly,” her mother said. “You’re confused. And it’s my fault that you were in the dark. If you want someone to blame, blame me. Your grandfather is only trying to help.”

  Evie looked quickly at her mother. Before she could ask why she was taking the blame, her grandfather was speaking again.

  “Let’s not get into this right now. There are more pressing matters to cover first.”

  “Fine,” Evie huffed, giving him her full attention. “Let’s get to it. If I’m really a werewolf, I wanna change into one right now.”

  The old man’s sharp eyes narrowed. “Do you?”

  “Yes. Just tell me how it works and I’ll do it. I’ll howl at the moon all night, if that’ll make you happy.”

  Her grandfather laughed softly. “I’m afraid now isn’t the best time, Red.”

  “Of course not,” Evie scoffed, and took a big bite of bread, chomping it angrily. To be frustrated with her grandfather was a very rare occurrence; so rare that she had no idea how to handle it.

  “No,” her grandfather said in a little stronger tone. “Hear me out.”

  Evie sat still in response to his firmer tone; chewing, staring, waiting.

  “As far as the werewolf term, let me clarify. We are humans possessing the ability to change into wolves. Given the age you’ve grown up in, you’re probably picturing the strange beasts of story. We are not them.”

  “And the difference is?”

  “All the difference in the world.”

  “Oh thanks, Papa. Really. That tells me nothing.”

  He laughed again. “You are yourself again, aren’t you? That’s good. Very good. That means you’re ready to run.”

  Evie kept quiet for the moment; she was afraid to let more sarcasm slip. Her grandfather could take a joke, but he would not tolerate outright disrespect. Her little outburst had pressed dangerously close.

  “In old times,” he went on calmly, “we were known as spirit wolves. These days we tend to say shape-shifters or skin-changers. Either way, we appear as the wolf on the mantel, not as the half-man, half-beast creatures of films. We dislike the werewolf, lycanthrope terms because we are neither curse nor bite victims, and we are controlled by the moon no more or less than anyone or anything else. At the risk of sounding arrogant … we are far superior to anything conjured up by men.”

  Evie watched him for a moment. He had been right: she did feel better now; she felt ready to fight. “Fine,” she said in the boldest tone she dared use. “Show me, Papa. You want me to believe in magic? Prove it. Turn into a wolf and I’ll have no choice.”

  “My how things change,” Joseph Ludlow sighed. “Have you been taught no folklore, no mythology in your schooling?”

  Evie shook her head without even the hint of a smile.

  “Is it your age?” he asked, “or the age that’s left no space within your worldview for a little magic? Hmm?”

  Evie said nothing.

  “I see.” He nodded glumly. “You probably trust the people that taught you to scoff at the idea more than your old Papa Joe.”

  “Papa …” Evie said seriously, almost angrily.

  Glancing around at the others, her grandfather asked, “What exactly are they teaching these kids?”

  “Seeing is believing,” Janie said. “Just do it, Daddy.”

  “Is that all?” he asked, staring straight into Evie’s eyes.

  “I guess so,” she replied with a put-on poker smile brightening her face. She had challenged him. Now he was challenging her right back. And she absolutely loved it. “Prove it,” she said confidently.

  “You’re sure?”

  “Oh I’m sure.”

  “Joe,” warned his wife.

  He raised his eyebrows. “It’s quite a shock, kiddo.”

  “I’m sure,” Evie repeated. Her eyes were locked with his, and she was leaning toward him across the counter. “That’s why I said it.”

  The word “it” was still on Evie’s lips when her eyes caught movements. The sound of her grandfather’s hand slapping the counter drew her attention. As her eyes dropped to his hand, to where his hand should have been, for only an instant she saw a large, light-colored paw extending from the cuff of his shirt. Then in the next blink the paw was rightfully a hand once more.

  Evie looked up fast. Again, only for an instant, her grandfather changed before her eyes. His face lightened. She saw teeth. Huge teeth in a long jaw. She heard a loud clicking of those teeth as the long jaws snapped together. There was a slight, deep growling sound. And then just as quickly, the show was over; her grandfather was his smiling self again.

  By then Evie had jumped back and off of her bar stool, putting some distance between her and those teeth. Her face had become all eyes and an open mouth, but she could form no words. Still leaning on the counter staring back at her, her grandfather laughed low with smoldering, inhuman eyes.

  “Careful what you ask for,” Janie
remarked, and she took a bite of muffin bread as though nothing remotely frightening had just taken place.

  “Not in my house!” Evelyn put in strongly. To drive home her point she dropped a big spoon loudly onto the counter top.

  “You …” Evie stammered, looking into her grandfather’s eyes. “How did you—”

  “Forget how for the time being,” he said calmly, deeply. “What matters is that we’re on the same page. Are we now?”

  “Yeah,” Evie strained, and slowly she returned to her bar stool. Her heart fluttered nervously; her eyes remained glued to her grandfather.

  “Don’t worry,” he smiled, his eyes dimming. “That little glimpse was the most I can presently offer. My beloved prefers animals to remain out-of-doors.”

  “Where they belong,” Evelyn added. “Now stop your clowning and talk to the girl seriously.”

  “Breathe, honey,” Janie said, leaning over close to her daughter. “You’re a little pale. Are you okay?”

  “Fine,” Evie exhaled, “if heart attacks are okay with y’all.”

  “Ask your questions,” Joseph Ludlow said when it seemed Evie had settled from the shock.

  There were so many questions swirling in her head, it was like picking just one ice cream flavor from a long list. “When can I change?” she settled on.

  “Tonight.”

  “But when?”

  “After we’ve had a chance to rest a bit, you and I will go out for a run.”

  Evie liked the idea of a run, but certainly not the idea of waiting. It showed on her face.

  “The time will come soon enough,” her grandfather assured her. “What else would you like to know?”

  “How fast are we?”

  “Very fast.”

  “Like horses?”

  “And then some,” he smiled. “The clock’s ticking. What else?”

  “What does the white hair mean? Am I stuck with it?”

  “You’re stuck with it. It means quite simply that you are the rarest of the rare.” He smiled large. “A white wolf … just like your old Papa.”

  “Is that good?”

  “I think so. But of course I’m biased.”

  Evie paused only for a second to smile. “Okay, what’s with the eyes? Of the four of us, I noticed yours and mine look the most alike.”

  “Simple. It’s a matter of genes. In you and me, a certain genetic trait is very prominent.”

  “They look different,” her mother clarified, “partly because your vision has changed. You can pick up on subtleties a little easier now, like an animal; all of your senses should improve a little. Plus, wolves have piercing eyes.”

  Evie remained focused on her grandfather as she listened to her mother. There really was something mesmerizing about him. Something dangerous and magical. She had been right as a little girl: he was special. And now that she knew the extent of that truth, as with the wolf of her dream, she found it difficult to look away from him.

  “Your grandfather has been pack leader for a long time,” Janie continued. “He’s a very strong wolf. He changes almost every day, and it shows in his human form. Your grandmother doesn’t change as often. I obviously don’t change at all. Not anymore.”

  Evie turned to her mother now. She couldn’t believe her ears. “Um, why?”

  “I haven’t since before you were born.”

  “You’re telling me you can become a wolf if you want to, and you don’t?”

  Janie shook her head subtly. For a brief moment she appeared almost sad.

  “It’s a choice,” Papa Joe said, drawing Evie’s full attention once more. “It’s her choice, and it’s something the two of you can discuss later. Right now we’re running out of time. The family is very excited to see you. I’ve held them off as long as I could, during the fever, but now that they’ve heard you’re on your feet again, they’ll begin arriving shortly. There is a slim chance you could change, stirred by all the excitement. Before that happens, there are some ground rules to go over; a last minute crash course, if you will.”

  Evie glanced from one relative to the next, waiting for whatever was to follow.

  “You should handle it, Daddy,” Janie said. “You’re the best at this.”

  On the porch it was cool. The weak September sun was sinking behind the ridge of Percy Peak, and Evie stood with her arms crossed looking out to the nearest pasture and the closest of the barns. Several of the horses were grazing the upper fence line.

  “Please tell me wolves don’t eat horses,” she sighed.

  “Never,” her grandfather said. “Our rules regarding food are among the strictest the pack has.”

  “I feel bottomless inside; smelling that chicken was killing me.”

  “I understand. The urge to run and the urge to refuel go hand in hand. You’ll grow accustomed to it all, and you’ll learn the difference between urges and necessities. Now—”

  “Okay,” Evie said, “I promise I’ll listen to all the rules as soon as I know why. Why are we wolves? How did this happen?”

  Joseph Ludlow smiled down at his granddaughter. “Now you’re talking my language. Origins have fascinated me all of my life. Our history is very rich. I’ve studied it in depth, and I’ll be more than happy to share it with you in due time. The best I can offer right now is the condensed version.”

  Evie shrugged. “I’ll take it.”

  “I have no exact years to offer, but in ancient times our kind was given the power of the wolf, the speed, the valor. Not for pleasure but for service. Makeshift Keepers was our believed original purpose, in place of the failed original Keepers. But we shifters have played many roles since then. Guardians, Watchers, Punishers, Messengers, sometimes slaves. Always we have been feared, and understandably so with our intelligence and strength. But our greatest power is the secrecy in which we thrive. So for many years, all of my lifetime, we’ve been the protectors and keepers of great secrets.”

  “What’s a Keeper?” Evie asked.

  “A Steward. It simply means caretaker. Commonly they’re known as men and women … the intended caretakers of the earth.”

  “So—”

  “Not now; dinner is ready and you’ve not yet heard my rules.”

  Evie pressed her lips together.

  “Changing … becoming the wolf is something you learn to do on your own. Others can coax, even push, but it’s you who ultimately makes it happen—an active decision you make and cause to become a reality. When this first happens, you’re quite likely to feel overwhelmed, almost drunk with power. Bluntly, you’ll be wild.”

  Evie raised her eyebrows but said nothing. Wild sounded sort of fun.

  “But here’s the kicker,” her grandfather continued. “You will always be you … the person you were born as and have become. All your wits and personality will remain present within the wolf. It’s no game of opposing halves; the wolf, rightfully used, is an addition to what is already present. Therefore it is your responsibility to act in accordance with all laws, of wolves and men. Wolves who flout the laws are subject to the punishment of wolves, even death. No excuses. Do you understand?”

  She only nodded. Her earlier inclination toward sarcasm had completely vanished. As her grandfather progressed, his eyes seemed to flair again, and his strong voice further deepened. The wolf she had seen flashes of seemed on the verge of breaking free of the calm man’s control.

  “You will not show yourself to humans,” he continued. “You will not openly discuss your gift outside of the family. You will not make the shift during daylight until you are mature; the night is yours. You will not kill prey and get the taste for blood until you have matured. You will not go to certain places as the wolf. Ever. I will show you the places forbidden for your own safety when time permits. Am I clear?”

  “Yes,” Evie said, almost shyly. The Alpha nature had completely overshadowed her kind Papa Joe. The thinly veiled beast standing before her demanded her utmost respect, arguably favorite granddaughter or not.
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br />   “The last rules for now are simple,” he said gentler, the storm in his eyes subsiding. “You may roam freely on my land and only my land. This won’t be a burden; I own thousands of acres in two states. But young wolves are not permitted to roam far without company in their early days. If you seek solitude, seek it near to this house, the trails and places already familiar to you. Otherwise you will be with a pack member at all times. You’ve got a very large family, many of which will be eager to run with you. With them you may go. Am I clear?”

  “Yes.”

  Joseph Ludlow’s demeanor had by now settled to normal. “Good,” he said in his common tone. “Dinner is on the table. Aunts, uncles, and cousins will be here within minutes.” He smiled down at his granddaughter’s anxious face. “Don’t worry, my dear, being a wolf isn’t all serious business; it’s foremost a gift.”

  “Okay,” she muttered.

  “No, Red.” He leaned closer. “This is a lot, I know, but understand me clearly. This is a wonderful day, a wonderful time, the springtime of a great new life; be glad in it. You’ve come through the hardest part brilliantly; you have only the best left ahead of you now—to make the first full shift, which is a literal explosion of vitality nothing short of rebirth. This night you will experience wonders you will hardly believe. You will feel things truer, deeper than you ever thought possible. And you will run like you have never run before; the north wind itself will envy your speed.”

  Evie smiled nervously. The same cool tingle she’d felt from seeing the wolf on the mantel rippled through her once again. “Okay,” she breathed.

  “That’s better,” he said, motioning her toward the house. “Come now, our magic goes only so far; we must eat to have strength for the night.”

  -4-

  Dinner was not over when the first wave of family arrived. There had been time to discuss very little after the conversation on the porch.

  When Uncle Earl and Aunt Ruth entered with Matthew and Erica, Evie jumped from her chair at the table to meet them. Of all her cousins, Erica and Matthew she’d always been closest with. Erica was only eight months older, and for a long time now the two had considered themselves as best friends rather than relatives. Matthew was several years older, and even though he was a boy he had always paid Evie much attention. He was big and rough and loud, but he loved his family, and had a sense of humor that never failed to keep Evie, or most who knew him, entertained.