“Don’t you think I’ve tried? I’ve been obsessed with it ever since I found out what I was missing. Believe me; we can’t force the change.”
Evie stood up fast, suddenly energized. “Maybe we can’t force it, but who says we can’t coax it along a bit? Even Papa said that it’s us who makes it happen.”
“After the initial change, yes.”
“Just listen to my idea.”
“Oh God,” Erica said. “What do you expect me to do, run naked through the woods, howling?”
Evie grinned. “You won’t be making fun when it works.”
-9-
“Seriously,” Evie said. “I didn’t know a thing about wolves or mysteries before I changed.”
“You were lucky, Red. The Snow gene just happens to be strong in you. You weren’t even looking for it and you got it anyway. That’s why I was jealous.”
“Was?” Evie whispered under her breath.
“Don’t give me any crap.”
“Fine,” Evie said, “but listen up. You heard that I changed, but you haven’t heard the whole story of how it started for me.”
Erica sat down on her bed. “All right. Go.”
“Maybe it was just my time,” Evie admitted. “I don’t know. But I know for sure where my mind was the night it all started. It was here in Ludlow; on Papa’s land to be exact.”
Erica shrugged. “Okay.”
“I say we go to Papa’s, jump on the four-wheelers and ride the trails till dark. Get your mind off solving the mystery and onto having fun. Wolves, I can tell you, love running in familiar places where they feel free and at home and can just enjoy being wolves. That’s where my mind was at before I changed, missing y’all and missing this place. I was angry with myself for not coming up in August and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
“Really?”
“I swear. I was missing everyone and everything, and next thing I knew it was morning and I was sprawled out naked in the bark mulch.”
Erica tried very hard not to laugh. “You know, we keep robes handy in every household to avoid those situations.”
“Ha-Ha,” Evie scowled. “If someone had been sweet enough to warn me, maybe I would’ve been prepared.”
“Okay,” Erica said, standing up from the bed. “I get your point and I’ll try it. I haven’t really been out in those woods much since you were here last summer. Maybe it’ll do me some good. And if it doesn’t help, at least it’ll be fun. Like old times again. Right?”
Evie smiled.
“There’s only one problem,” Erica said. “I’m guessing Grandpa will wanna go with us. If he does, I’m sure he won’t approve of what we’re trying to do. As leader, his role is to keep us all accountable. He runs a tight ship.”
“We’re not gonna force it,” Evie said with a smile. “And it’s good if Papa’s there. Just being around him, you can sense the wolf in him. It’s a win-win.”
“I’m around wolves all the time.”
“Just try it,” Evie sighed.
“Okay, we’re running out of daylight,” Erica said. “Let’s go.”
The family was gathered in the great room when the girls arrived at their grandparents’ house. It had been agreed during the drive over that Evie would do most of the talking, being excited to be in town and revisit old haunts; Erica would play it off as going along indifferently.
Evie went right to work on her grandfather, and within fifteen minutes the three of them were speeding down the trail. Evie led the parade, followed closely by Erica, and their grandfather brought up the tail.
As she drove, Evie tried not to think of the previous night’s run. Her grandfather had warned her to be mindful and self-controlled, not to become lost in the sensation of speeding through the woods and shift by mistake. She was still too inexperienced to be allowed to shift during daylight—the remembered incident with the moose drove the point home in her own mind—and he had felt it would be insensitive to reveal her wolf to Erica, knowing how envious she had been.
On top of everything else, a newer issue now crowded its way into her head.
In the brief time Evie been in the house, she’d had yet another bomb dropped on her—this time to do with her mother. Janie had announced that she was leaving Ludlow, flying back to Alabama first thing in the morning. As she’d spoken, it had dawned on Evie that in the confusion and pace of the preceding days, she’d barely spoken more than a few clear words to her mother. Now she was leaving, Evie was staying indefinitely, and the internal conflict that had been boiling within her rose nearer to the surface.
Her mother and home were in direct competition with the northern family, the woods, and the undeniable call of the wolf. Deep down Evie knew who the eventual victor would be. In fact there wasn’t a doubt in her mind regarding that. But her mother’s simple presence was a comfort. The announcement of her departure seemed to rule out the option of a smooth and gradual transition. Plus, she would just plain miss her; she wasn’t accustomed to being away from her for long.
Moving down the trail with all this on her mind, Evie felt herself struggling against the wolf and its desire to run freely. The quad felt slow and heavy. It turned awkwardly where, as the wolf, Evie knew she could slice the turns with sharp precision. Just a year before these ATV’s had felt like rocket ships. Continually she had to remind herself that this had been her idea. She could run after dark. Now was her chance to help Erica.
When the trail forked Evie turned left, northwest, in the direction of the old logging cabins. This stretch of trail was not as heavily worn as the one that lead to Oak Hill. For the first time in her life, Evie understood why.
At the cabins Evie slowed and cut the quad’s engine. Her cousin and grandfather rolled up alongside and did the same.
“Having fun?” Evie asked as she removed her helmet.
“Yeah,” Erica said. “I forgot how creepy it is out here.”
“Imagine it at night,” Evie said. “You’re all alone. And then this massive wolf steps out of the dark.”
“Show me where you were,” her Papa Joe said.
They climbed from the four-wheelers and began walking through the old logging village. Evie was in the lead.
“I ran all the way here,” she said. “I slowed down and walked through this open area, just like we are now. And then here, I stopped. Then I saw him. He stepped right out of the dark as casually as could be.”
“We call him Ruach,” Erica said proudly. “He was the first of our kind.”
“That’s right,” their grandfather said. “We’ve been meeting him for thousands of years.”
“Why such a strange name?” Evie asked.
“Tell her,” he said to Erica. “You’ve been waiting a long while to speak freely with her.”
“It’s Hebrew,” Erica said, and Evie could tell by her tone how happy she was to share. “It pretty much means spirit. Apparently our ancestors started using it as the name for the spirit wolf who calls us. If he has another name, no one can remember it anymore. He’s ancient, so of course it’s a bit of a mystery.”
Evie was quiet for a while, trying to recall as many details of her encounter as she could. Some were very clear, while others remained foggy. “This cabin looked better in the dream,” she said with certainty. “It was in almost perfect condition.”
“You probably saw it as it once was, back when I was a young man,” her grandfather said. “You both know I built these cabins, but did you know I also met Ruach here?”
The girls looked at each other and then together answered no.
“I did. Myself and a handful of men—all of them older wolves—were here surveying the land. We built the first few cabins and were preparing to return home, when, on the last night here, he called me to my meeting.”
“How old were you, Papa?” Evie asked.
“I was seventeen then. Here working for my father. Securing more property and preparing it for service. It was a great time in my life,” he said thoughtf
ully. “I’d always been big for my age, but that year, that trip, was the first time I was allowed to work with the men without my father’s supervision. I had won his trust, and it was a very big deal for me.” He smiled. “And after I met the wolf, well, life got better yet.”
“No more being a kid, right?” Erica said,
“That’s right,” he smiled.
“You said you were seventeen?” Evie asked to clarify.
“That I was. Barely had a whisker on my chin.”
“What about now?” Evie pressed.
“Now,” he said with a funny, stifled grin, “Whiskers or age?”
“Age, Papa.”
“I’m seventy one.”
Evie studied his expression. Erica cleared her throat.
Joseph Snow let his smile spread. “All right, all right. Seventy one times two.”
“We age very gracefully,” Erica said. “See why I’m excited?”
“That’s crazy,” Evie said, and went straight into asking how long a wolf could live. She stopped halfway through her question, when she realized she’d lost her grandfather’s attention. He was standing rigidly, frozen in his tracks, and for a moment wore an expression of intense focus. When he did move again, it was only enough to sniff the air.
“Erica,” he said. “Did your father and brother go out on their patrol as they were supposed to?”
“I think so,” she said. “Why?”
“The wind is from the west,” he said, and his soft, thoughtful tone of the minute before was long gone. Now he sounded nearer to a general. “Earl and Matthew should be patrolling the western line this afternoon. They should have detected a strange scent by now, yet I’ve heard no warning call.”
“What’s wrong?” Evie asked with a look of confusion. She’d just begun forgetting her own problems and was enjoying the relaxed conversation.
“When the air stirred,” her Papa Joe told her. “I could have sworn I smelled a cat. I’ll need to shift to be certain.”
“A cat?” Evie said with an open mouth. She didn’t know whether to laugh or panic. “Are y’all serious?”
“Big cats,” Erica said. Her pretty face was suddenly distorted with concern. Clearly it was no laughing matter.
“Erica,” the Alpha said, removing his watch and handing it to her as he spoke. “Get on the four wheeler and start to the house. Evie and I will run along with you.”
“We’ll what?” Evie said.
Her grandfather turned to her as Erica ran for her ATV. “Are you terribly fond of those clothes or shoes?”
“Sure,” Evie stammered, her insides suddenly jumping. “I mean, I guess. I don’t know!”
“Remove what you care to save,” he spoke over her. “This is your chance to break the rules and make the change in daylight. Get to it.”
Before Evie could respond, the sound of a distant howl met their ears.
“There’s Earl,” her grandfather said. “His warning call.” The words had scarcely left his lips when he made the change. Before his torn clothing could reach the ground, he was the snow white wolf. With his nose raised to the light wind, the lord of his lands scented the air filtering in between the trees. After a brief call of reply, saying simply, “I hear,” he lowered his head. His eyes locked with Evie’s, intensely green, and from deep in his belly there began a low and guttural growl. Every nearby bird, every squirrel and chipmunk began chirping their own alarms. Even a great black raven cawed of distress from its perch high in a tree.
“Go,” his growl was saying, and Evie obeyed just as Erica had instantly obeyed. As she peeled off her shoes Evie heard the whirring whine and rumble of Erica’s quad firing to life behind her. She spun and watched her cousin start up the trail. Then, looking back over her shoulder, she saw the patriarch’s great white bulk dazzling in the late day light. His great scruff had bristled, the crest along his shoulders stood on end, and his now deadly serious eyes smoldered with what Evie guessed to be an intense rage. He barked a simple command in a deep voice, “fast,” and all questions ceased in Evie’s mind. She obeyed her order without fussing over her clothing.
Facing forward to the trailhead, she took in a long breath, filling her suddenly-pounding chest. In what felt like slow motion, she pushed off as she exhaled, beginning her run. With the word-thoughts run and haste and danger repeating in her head, she saw her cousin speeding away before her, felt her bare feet striking hard on the ground, and once more felt the impact of the white wolf’s lowered head striking her back. The hit was less forceful than the previous night’s, deemed all that was necessary—the final push that narrowed her mind to the singular task of being the wolf.
Evie felt her clothes falling away; air ruffled her fur. Two feet struck the ground—the wide and padded paws that fell softer than human feet but with many times the traction—and then the third and fourth struck, dug in, and launched her. In a second she shot forward in chase of Erica’s noisy ATV.
With the shift, all fear of the unknown seemed to leave her. The night before had been about running—the joy of wolves. But now Evie felt the rage of the wolf. Her jaws snapped angrily and her teeth clicked. Along her back her silvery crest stood on end, prickling from the cool tingles surging up and down her spine. Her mind was bent on the clear task before her; her focus, her life, was fulfillment of her role—in this moment being the guardianship of the delicate human a few yards from her nose. The goal for which she now strove was this human’s safe escort to the security of the oak house. From her heart pumped raw determination, and in her throat there rose a grumbled message; a warning of woe to any and all who might dare oppose her. She’d never felt more serious about anything.
Then her leader overtook her, drawing up alongside of her in long bounds. It was the first time she’d run only with the white wolf; for a few strides the present leaped shoulder to shoulder with the future, and Evie felt the great pride of her bloodline pulsing through her veins. He was magnificent to see, a legend to run alongside of.
Closing easily on their subject, the two wolves fanned out on either side of the human on the machine, who was by now glancing back and around at every bend in the trail. Her eyes were wide like a deer’s mesmerized by headlights.
“Sneak!” the white wolf complained through an array of angry snarls, shaking his head with fury. “Trespasser. My land. My home. Meddling, clawing, Cat!”
-10-
Minutes later the three burst from the shadows of the trail onto the open lawn. Erica made straight for the driveway, her escorts leaping at either side. She skidded to a stop in the driveway, killed the engine, and jumped from the ATV. The two wolves circled her wide as she ran to the house, where she met her aunt and grandmother waiting on the porch with worried expressions. When she was at their sides, she turned back for a clear and steady look at the two wolves.
Only once had she seen a wolf apart from the shadows of night, and that had been her gray brother, shifting in his early weeks of learned control. But these white and silver-white were the most magnificent animals she’d ever beheld. Seeing them in daylight raised goose bumps on her skin; her entire body trembled with fear and wonder. They were everything she wished to be, and everything she was not yet.
“Stay,” barked the white wolf now to the silver-white, turning his great bulk to the western pasture, flexing his powerful legs as he turned. He pushed off into a long leap, but at the end of the stride he whirled around in a flash of white, snarling terribly and kicking up dust. “Stay!” he scolded the young wolf, because she had begun to follow against orders.
Evie crouched, lowering her head and tucking tail before the massive punisher. Though she cowered, her ears were back and her fangs were bared; her bitter protests rumbled in her throat.
Deep down she knew better than to defy him. Seeing him for the first time in the clear light of day, the battle scars marking the Alpha’s wonderful physique were now evident. Old and grown over, along his shoulders, flanks and belly there were black stripes, on
ly visible when his fur was ruffled by the sudden changing of direction. He had fought and won more battles than she could guess; he had stood the test of time, suppressing all rivals and defeating all enemies. His rank was deserved, Evie understood, not a given. But in the fire of the moment, the urge, the temptation to run at his side was too great for her to ignore. She’d been warned of danger and then set loose. Her human rationale was not yet capable of harnessing the snarling beast once it had been loosed.
“I go,” Evie had growled as her leader had taken off, causing him to whirl about. And as he’d stood over her she’d repeated, “No,” many times through her snarls. But then suddenly the white wolf turned away again without another warning. In seconds he was nearing the inner fences of the pasture, poised for a long jump, and Evie arose slowly from her crouched position, intent on following him rather his order. As soon as he reached the shadows of the trees, she decided, she would be after him.
She stood ready, tensely watching him go; her muscles twitched with anticipation. Now the white wolf leapt the outer fence, he was near the trees, and Evie let her legs spring. Before she could make a full stride, however, she felt herself suddenly bowled over by a heavy strike to her flank; a surprised yelp escaped her throat. Rolling and landing upon her side amid a cloud of dust and a rush of fresh anger, she looked up just as she felt herself being pinned heavily to the ground. Her attacker was a wolf, gray-saddled and white-bellied, with familiar eyes.
“Obey,” growled her grandmother through bared teeth.
“I go!” Evie protested, whining and thrashing violently beneath the weight of her captor.
“Calm,” grumbled her grandmother. “Young. Unwise.”
“Wolf!”
“Indeed. Young wolf.”
“Let me go! I fight!”
“Not your fight. Stay here. Safe.”
Evie protested many times over through angry snarls and high, sad whines, until at last, realizing that she could neither move nor sway the old wolf, she gave in to a sudden, deep despair. Dropping her muzzle to her fluffy chest, she covered her face with white paws and cried in the dark.
Silver-White (The Great North Woods Pack #1) Page 9
