Why don’t you use your human form after?
Well, as I said, they are pups. It’s easier to feed them in our wolf form and we can keep them warm with our fur…Tore, you did know that the babies will be pups, didn’t you?
He shook his head looking ashamed, Not really. I only ever saw a newborn when it was in human form.
Annike couldn’t help but laugh. I’m sorry, Tore. Look, our young don’t transition for ten days to two weeks. When they are born they look like a puppy, though they are quite a bit larger, usually around four or five pounds. After the first week, they put on weight quickly and then they transition into their human form. By then they are about six or seven pounds, sometimes a bit bigger. They stay in human form until they are seventeen.
I know that much, Annike. I’m not that stupid, I remember my own transition.
I don’t think you’re stupid, Tore. Most males wouldn’t know these things because they are kept away from the mothers and infants until after they have taken their human forms.
Why?
So they don’t attack them, I suppose. I think it dates back to when our people actually lived with real wolves over in Europe, when we were persecuted. Male wolves could be unpredictable around the young and were known to kill them. Actually it seems rather foolish, really.
Do you think I’ll attack mine or Nea’s?
Annike hugged him tight. He looked so worried, I’m sure you wouldn’t. She tried to sound confident but in all honesty, she’d never seen any male near a newborn. Now Annike began to fret, what if he did try to attack them? Could Nea or her fend him off?
Tore was quiet for a while. We won’t take any chances. I’ll stay away from you. You must keep me away from Nea and she has to protect you when it’s your time, okay?
Annike kissed him, Okay, we’ll be careful.
5
November 1979,Yellowstone National Park.
“What the hell do you mean, you’ve lost them? Lost them where?” Erik said.
“They vanished when they left the commune. They got ahead of us by a few weeks before we got some info out of a human called Andy. He’d taken them to Casper,” said Erik’s right hand man, David.
“So how come it took you so long to track them there?”
“We didn’t expect them to go east. I sent scouts to Cody thinking that’d be their first port of call and they had been there, but their scent disappeared.”
“They must have got picked up by a passing motorist.”
“Yeah, most likely. But I still expected Tore to stick to the landscape he was familiar with. So, I sent patrols scouting up and down our territory but they picked up nothing.”
“So how’d you get to the human?” David was irritating Erik now. Allowing Tore to get such a large head start was unforgivable.
“We had a stroke of luck. Henrik ran into the boy in a bar. The guy recognized him as Tore’s brother and asked how he had enjoyed the concert in Denver. Henrik didn’t know what he was talking about but he played along, sensing that what the Andy had to say might give us a lead. We found out, he’d taken them as far as Casper. Then we wasted another week hunting around Denver trying to find some leads.”
Erik frowned, “So how did you track them east? You’re not making sense. If they were heading to Denver…” David looked at the floor and shuffled around from foot to foot.
“Spit it out!”
“Well, it was just more luck. Georg and I had to go to Cheyenne to meet a guy about that special crop. He mentioned he’d seen Georg a few weeks earlier in town. We told him he couldn’t have; Georg had been in Denver hunting for Tore. But the guy was adamant. It was then the penny dropped, and I wondered if the guy might have seen Tore. It was a stab in the dark, but it paid off. It’s a good job all you brothers look so alike. Anyway, after the meeting, we took a few days to scout the area. I picked up their scent on the outskirts of town near a farmhouse. The couple who ran the place confirmed they had stayed close by and worked for them, but they’d left a month or so earlier.”
“You’re supposed to be the best David. What do I pay you for?” Erik slumped back in his chair. “Tell me where you tracked them to after that.”
David looked embarrassed, but he settled back into his chair. “We came across an old trail heading north-east out of Cheyenne and followed it to South Dakota. From there they went south to Nebraska.”
“So where did you lose them in the end?”
“We got pretty close to catching them. They were hanging out for a few weeks at a time near the larger cities. I’m guessing they got work or hunkered down for a while, so we caught up with them. When we arrived in Tulsa, they were still there.” David paused, he was looking nervous. “We were this close…” He held his thumb and forefinger an inch apart, “but they vanished.”
“They can’t just disappear, get back out there.”
“Look Erik, they’re long gone. The trail led to the railway line. We have no clue what train they boarded. It could have been traveling north or south, they could have gotten off at the next stop and gone east or west. I don’t have that kind of manpower. I can’t cover the whole of the United States.”
“Damn it!” Erik slammed his fist down on the table.
For good measure, he grabbed the wooden frame and upturned it. David jumped back several feet to avoid it crashing onto him. His wolf appeared in his eyes and then vanished. He knew which side of his bread was buttered, and he wasn’t stupid enough to pull a shift in Erik’s presence. “What’s it matter? The kids are gone, end of story. Tore’s no longer a threat to your position in the clan.”
“My damn father is going to have a field day with this, that’s why it matters! I won’t hear the last of it, and you know it. Besides it’s not just him. Stanislav wants his granddaughter back. He suspects Tore has interfered with Nea and is hoping for a great grandson out of it. If that happens, you know he is gonna make a claim on the clan leadership.”
David laughed. “That might not be far from the truth.”
“What? Don’t talk in riddles. I’m in no mood. I have a clan meeting in a few minutes and need more concrete information to tell them.”
“When we were tracking them, we noticed something.”
“Noticed what, David?”
“Both girls are pregnant. Seems like your wonderful little brother has more lead in his pencil than you.”
David never finished what he had to say. Erik leapt over the fallen table, his wolf form landing snarling at David’s feet, saliva dripping from his mouth. Pure hatred pulsed through Erik’s veins. David crashed back into the wall, his claws extending from his fingertips, his fangs bared as he struggled to recall his wolf.
Go on, shift. Make it worth my while. Erik lunged, snapping at his arms.
David raised them in front of his face. “Please, Erik, cool it. It was a joke, a stupid freaking joke.”
Erik lunged at his legs, tearing flesh before aiming his teeth at softer parts. Do I look like I’m laughing?
David shook his head, his self-control barely hanging on in there. He collapsed on the floor, blood oozing from the fresh bites. David had more brains than most gave him credit for, he knew Erik would kill him if he attempted to transition. Erik’s fangs hovered close to David’s manhood, and still he kept himself under control.
I could silence those hilarious remarks of yours once and for all. One bite could end your fun. Then we’d see who is cracking jokes and laughing, wouldn’t we?
David held it together. A lesser man would have shifted or pissed himself, but he stayed where he was and his bodily fluids remained under control.
Erik’s temper cooled. He shifted back and went to his bedroom to find some clothes. After dressing, he returned to find David sitting at the righted table, attending to his wound.
Erik had calmed, his bad mood appeased by David’s show of loyalty. “You sure they were both pregnant?”
David nodded, putting down the iodine.
As much as Eri
k despised his brother, he couldn’t see Tore taking another woman. The damn kid had scruples and too much loyalty for that. “Doesn’t mean they are both Tore’s. Nea was going to mate Felix before she skipped. Odds are her kid is his.”
David held gauze over the bite mark and began to wrap a bandage around his leg. “Or someone else’s.”
“What do you mean by that? One minute you’re saying it’s Tore’s then you change your tune?” Erik pulled up a chair and slumped into it, his hand running through his hair.
David winced as he taped the wrapping around his leg. “All I know is, Nea left the commune pregnant. Her scent had traces of hormone changes from the start. Annike’s didn’t. The only thing that confirms is; Annike is carrying Tore’s pup. Nea? Who knows?”
“Why do I get the feeling you are not telling me everything, David?”
David’s face was passive.
He frowned. What a mess. It was bad enough if Tore had impregnated Annike! God help Erik if either girl bore Tore a son.
Erik! Isak’s voiced boomed into his head, startling him and bringing him back to his dilemma.
“Damn, now dear old Daddy is calling me. Look David, I have to get to this meeting and limit the fall out from your incompetence. As far as I’m concerned, this is not over. Tore cannot disappear. He has to be heading somewhere and I want to know where that is.” David nodded and got up to leave. “By the way, that other matter we spoke about?”
David hesitated, his hand on the door. “You sure about this, Erik?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. I’m not putting up with this much longer. Now do you have it or not?”
“It won’t be long,” David said.
“Good, what took you so long?”
“Lysa took longer to convince than I anticipated.”
“What? She didn’t fall for your charms? Thought all women were putty in your hands.”
“Yeah, well, it took more effort than usual. And then the process to extract and dilute the serum took longer than expected. It’s harder than it looks. But the first batch will be ready soon, another week or two.”
“And you’re sure he won’t be able to detect it?”
“Colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Once it’s mixed with the syrup, there’ll be no way of telling it’s there.”
“Get it to me as fast as you can, I’m eager to get this started.” David nodded his agreement. “Oh, and get rid of Lysa, she knows too much. Don’t want her putting two and two together. She’s bound to recognize the symptoms.”
“Don’t worry. It’ll be between the two of us,” David said.
By the time Erik reached the cave, Isak and the Russian were in the middle of an argument.
“Back off Stanislav. I run the clan not you.” Isak was pacing to and fro across the cave.
Stanislav sat, his hands folded on his lap. He laid out what he thought was his trump card, “We’re family now. Erik and my granddaughter united us. The leadership is not so cut and dried anymore.”
“You forget Louisa died before she had a son, nothing has changed. The pack is mine.”
“Be reasonable...”
“I am being reasonable. I’m the one with sons, there are seven of them waiting in line.”
“But you forget the fine print. Your sons need their own pure bred sons. Tell me how many Lycan grandsons do you have?”
“And how many do you? Last time I looked, you only have girls.” Isak glared at the Russian.
Erik could see that his father’s wolf was about to burst free. Damn, he needed to break this up, a fight with Stanislav would be disastrous. It’d split the clan. Then all he and Isak had worked for would be for nought.
Erik stepped out of the shadows, “Father.”
Isak hesitated at his son’s warning. His wolf backed down. “If that is all comrade, I need to speak with my son.”
The Russian glared at Isak and stormed passed Erik.
“You hear that? The nerve of that man! He thinks he’ll take control of the clan. The sooner you find Tore and bring him back here the better. We need to secure our leadership.”
Erik seethed at his father’s words. That was not going to happen. He was the clan’s future, and he was going to damn-well make sure he got what was his.
6
Late February, Hot Spring, Arkansas.
Tore’s wolf loped from boulder to cave door and back. Like a caged zoo animal, he wore a path with his relentless pacing. He struck a miserable sight. His tail tucked between his legs, ears flattened to the side of his head, a hangdog expression to end all miserable faces.
Nea guarded the cave, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, sharp fangs on full show. She emitted a low growl, every time he passed. Nea was half his size but she’d done a formidable job of keeping him out. Tore avoided her latest nip at his ankles and continued to the boulder. He shifted back to human.
The Hot Springs landscape made him think of home. It lacked Yellowstone’s harsh beauty, but the strong sulfur stench from bubbling geothermal pools was familiar and comforting. The meadows promised lush long grasses and sweet smelling wild flowers come the spring. It would be almost as good as Sentinel Meadows. He sighed. There was no going back; this was their new life.
Annike whimpered and Tore jumped to his feet. Consumed by helplessness, he returned to the cave door. Nea’s she-wolf instincts kicked into gear. She lunged at him snarling, her need to protect a birthing mother overriding her respect for Tore. He backed off, cursing. It would be days before she allowed him near his mate.
Earlier in the week, Nea had given birth and it was Annike that stood guard. Exiled for days now, sleeping alone under the stars, he felt like an outcast.
Nea chased him further down the path, snapping at his heels as he dodged her jaws. He slumped on the grass, groaning at his own stupidity. As if leaving the clan with one pregnant girl wasn’t complicated enough, getting Annike with child almost immediately was a disaster. God, what was he thinking?
How on earth would they cope with no communal support, no older females to marshal the upbringing of their babies? Isak’s oft spoken words came to him, ‘Quit whining like a pup. Step up. Be a man.’ He disliked his father’s no-nonsense, tough-love approach, but in this case Isak’s words struck a chord. Tore was all the girls’ had. It was time to be that man.
Annike’s distressed whines tugged at his heart. He returned to the cave entrance, unable to hide the fear in his nineteen-year-old eyes. “Please, what’s wrong? Let me help.”
Nea continued to bar his way.
“At least tell me if she is okay?”
Annike’s fine.
“How much longer?”
Not long. For God’s sake, put your clothes on, or go and fetch us something to eat. I’m tired of watching you shift from one form to another. It’s distracting seeing your naked ass prowling up and down.
Tore blushed at his indiscretion. Nea wasn’t his mate; he should try to be more civilized around her. “Okay, I’ll hunt.” At least it would relieve his helplessness.
Tore loped down the rocky outcrop towards the tree line. He followed the scent of a wild boar he’d noticed earlier. It led him through dense undergrowth and into a small clearing, where the pig’s odor became confused with others.
He scanned the area and scented the air. Moments later the familiar reek of wild pig hit the back of his throat. His body stiffened. Ears twitched as his nose locked onto his prey. Tore assessed his surroundings. Creeping out of the clearing, he dropped back into the undergrowth once more. Concealed in the shadows and grasses he began his approach. He shifted into a faster gear and closed the gap. The pig grunted, giving away its position. Tore slowed, his tail wagging slow and steady, keeping his focus with a metronomic rhythm. If the boar ran now, it would be impossible to catch.
Ah, there it was!
Rooting about in the forest floor, making a ridiculous amount of noise, it was oblivious to the predator closing in. As the gap narrowed, the boar heard him
and swung its heavy body towards Tore. It was quite a young boar. Its short stubby tusks under developed. Tore licked his lips. It was fat enough to feed the three of them and small enough to drag back.
They settled into a standoff. Despite its smaller stature and fat belly, it didn’t pay to underestimate the pig’s capabilities. These damn things were vicious and, despite their rotund frames and short legs, they could run. When they took off, their movements were unpredictable. Tore knew his larger frame was less maneuverable. He’d have to play it smart if he didn’t want to lose the pig in the trees.
The boar stood its ground. It was only a matter of time before its aggressive nature forced it to charge. But still, the pig hesitated longer than Tore expected. He snarled, attempting to goad it. Willing it to run so it would stimulate his instinct to attack.
With a huge squeal and a cacophony of grunts, the boar broke the stalemate. Surging forwards it triggered Tore’s rush. The pig swerved right before it reached him and disappeared into the undergrowth. Tore followed at full speed, his hind legs struggling to grip the loose ground as he made the tight turns. Keeping his eyes on his disappearing meal, he ran faster.
As the boar twisted and turned between the trees, Tore watched for signs that the pig would turn and fight. A huge boar with massive curled tusks had caught him by surprise once before. That one had attacked him, sending Tore tail over ears into a thorn bush. By the time he’d extracted his embarrassed ass out of the undergrowth, dinner was long gone.
This time, there would be no mistakes. This would be a successful kill.
With one giant leap, Tore landed parallel to the squealing hog. Huge jaws locked tight around its throat and Tore’s long fangs, punctured its jugular. The boar thrashed and writhed as the wolf’s canines pierced deeper into its flesh. The pig was strong. Strangled squeals echoed around the forest as it fought for its life.
Tore used all his considerable strength to keep hold of the bucking creature. Inch by inch, he ratcheted his jaws together until the pig inhaled its last breath. With its heart no longer beating, its blood pooled in its arteries and the once robust body hung limp. Warm hog’s blood trickled down Tore’s throat and the gamey smell filled his nostrils. The impulse to feed on his prize was consuming his wolf, but Tore was half human. Unlike his animal counterpart, he could keep control.
The Wolf You Feed Arc Page 4
