Something snapped inside Tore. Lines became blurred. He could focus on only one thought. He had to stop Erik.
Rune stood between Tore and the truck as he tried to prevent his father from leaving. Tore’s knuckles connected with Rune’s face, he saw the blood from the boy’s split lip but he couldn’t stop himself. That first punch, released fury inside him that he could not quell. Barely conscious of what he was doing, Tore lashed out, over and over again at Rune. Kjell jumped in and they wrestled, both hitting the floor hard. But seconds later Tore was back on his feet. This time, it was Rune who tried to subdue him. Dust flew everywhere. One of their fists connected with Tore’s jaw and sent him hurtling backwards. He landed on his ass and Kjell threw himself on top of his father.
As Tore fought off his sons, he saw Eveline’s face, tears streaming down her still too pale cheeks. She trembled as Johan held her hand. There was shouting but Tore couldn’t hear the words, couldn’t process what anyone said.
A car skidded to a halt, dust clouded around them. Voices shouted. Kjell and Rune disappeared and others took their place. Big bodies held Tore down, thick accents yelling his name. Strong arms gripped his shoulders and wrists. “Hold him still.”
Tore tried to buck them off but couldn’t move. He saw a needle, screamed at them to stop. “I have to get to Erik, I have to stop this!”
The prick in Tore’s arm was quick. The sudden heaviness in his limbs surprised him. He attempted to scramble to his feet a few times. He shifted to wolf, trying to throw the lethargy from his body. The others leapt backwards in all directions.
“Don’t hurt him, Hania.”
Was that, Kjell? Rune? The voices swam in Tore’s head, the world turned foggy and the atmosphere oppressive. He stumbled sideways. His four paws splayed outwards as he tried to regain his balance. People circled him, their voices low. He tried to lift his head to see who they were, but it felt too heavy. Unable to control his four legs any longer, he slumped to the ground, his tongue lolling from his mouth. Rune crouched before him, and stretched out a hand to his head.
Tore was exhausted. His muzzle sank to the floor between his paws. He shifted back and curled into a ball. The world began to swirl around him, and he closed his eyes.
31
Four Hours Later.
“How are they, Hania?” Kjell asked, as his grandfather closed the door to the room where Johan and Eva were resting.
“They’ll be fine, dehydrated and hungry. They haven’t eaten or drunk anything for three days, but the main thing is they’re unhurt. Johan did a fine job of protecting his sister.”
“Did they see what happened?”
“No, thank goodness. Johan knew something was wrong, but he had the sense to realize he wouldn’t be able to do anything to stop them. He chose to protect his sister instead.”
Kjell sighed. “A hell of a decision for a thirteen-year-old to make.”
Hania nodded and led him into the kitchen. He busied himself making a strong pot of coffee. Kjell slumped in a chair.
Hania found it hard to imagine Kjell as the little three-year-old that used to sit on his lap while he taught him to read. The boy had grown into a fine looking young man. He was so like his father. Had a serious side to him, which made him seem older than his seventeen years. And that same inner strength and calmness that Hania had once seen in Tore. Hania sighed. They would need that over the next few hours, days, maybe longer.
“I’m so glad you arrived when you did grandpa. I don’t know how Rune and I could have contained Dad on our own. When we found Johan and Eva something flipped in his brain. If you hadn’t arrived with Molega, I…”
Rune came into the kitchen, his hair damp from the shower. He pulled on his clean shirt. “How’s Dad?” he asked.
“Still sedated. Molega will let me know when he’s awake. Then I’ll go and talk to him.”
“Kjell, did you get anything out of Johan about why my mom was here?” Rune asked.
“A bit. He told me Kachina had received a letter from Nea, not long after we left on our trip. When Kachina got here, Nea arranged to come and visit. She wanted to say goodbye to my mom.”
“Yes, I was here when she arrived. But I left a few minutes later. She was alone and I didn’t see the harm. I should have anticipated something like this, but I thought they were safe. Erik believed Tore was dead so I never thought there was the remotest chance...”
Kjell interrupted him, placing his hand on Hania’s. “No one could have predicted this, Hania. You can’t blame yourself. There are too many people blaming themselves. There’s only one person behind this and that’s Dad’s brother.”
“Do we know it’s Erik for sure?” Rune asked.
Kjell nodded. “Johan heard them speaking to each other, heard names. Erik, Georg and David. There was one other, but he never heard anyone call him by name.”
“It was probably Tore’s other brother, Henrik. Johan said that three of them looked a lot like his dad,” Hania remembered the name from when Tore had talked to him, after Annike’s death. “It was the same group as killed Tore’s first mate.”
“They gave Johan a message, something about how Dad should have remained dead. Did he nearly die that night? I don’t really remember much about it.” Kjell asked.
“Yes, Kachina and I got there in time to save him and you boys. Unfortunately, Annike was already gone.”
Rune poured himself some coffee. “So Dad told you why they did this?”
Hania shook his head. “He never spoke about it. Tore never spoke much about his life at the commune. I don’t know what happened to cause so much hatred between him and his brother. I don’t think Tore knows himself. He said something happened which made him leave, but I’m not sure we’ll ever know why it came to this.”
“Did Dad ever tell you where the commune was?” Rune asked.
He was trying to sound casual but Hania knew where he was going with his enquiry. The last thing this family needed was Rune going vigilante on them. He was hot headed and passionate. He’d lost Annike, his mother, and now Kachina. Rune had reasons as strong as Tore’s, for revenge.
“Sit down, Rune.” Hania pulled out a chair and the boy sat. “Why would I know about the commune? I don’t and I won’t allow you to go and look for it either. This family doesn’t need more tragedy. Tore has had enough dealt to him. If you go after them, this will never end.”
“Jeez, Hania! How can you not want to go after them? They killed your daughter,” Rune said.
“I am aware of that Rune. I saw the grave you dug for her, saw her blood on the gravel out front. Kachina was my only child. You can’t begin to understand how I feel about her loss.” Hania sank into his chair, his face aging, and his eyes darkening with sorrow. He shook his head from side to side. “But I can’t turn back time, as much as I would like to. This nightmare, started as a disagreement between two brothers. It was an argument that should have been settled years ago, face-to-face, brother-to-brother. For whatever reason, it wasn’t and it has escalated. Three women have died because of this misunderstanding and my only daughter is one of them. If you think you can end this evil by seeking revenge, you’re mistaken. This has gone further than it ever should.”
Rune was not convinced. “I owe it to Tore…”
“You owe him what, Rune?”
“He took me in, he…”
“You are his son, Rune! In every meaningful sense of the word, you are his son. What he did for you is what every good man does for his son. You need to understand your importance to him. You are no different to him than Kjell or Johan or Eva. A son’s payback is to respect and honor his father. You do that by living up to his expectations. Become a good man with strong values, marry a fine woman, give him lots of grandchildren, and care for him in his old age. You do not do that by perpetuating a war that should never have happened in the first place. Tore does not want to hand this down to you and he does not want you to pass this legacy to your children.”
Gr
ief consumed Rune. He didn’t need to add rage to the mix. Hania had seen what these things could do to a man. He’d feared they’d lose Tore’s soul, after Annike’s murder. But that time Kachina helped him find his way. Tore was now back in that dark place and Hania needed Rune and Kjell to reach out to their father this time. If Rune followed in Tore’s emotional footsteps, this tragedy would claim yet more lives.
“You know, Rune, Mahatma Gandhi said, “An eye for an eye, only ends up making the whole world blind’.”
Rune stared at his grandfather then slumped forwards in his chair. As his eyes filled with tears he looked at Hania like the vulnerable little boy who’d sat at this table fourteen years ago. Like his father had been back then; Rune was far too young to take his place in a cruel world.
Hania rested his hands on both of the boys’ shoulders. “You’ll get through this. Tore will too. He’ll need time and he’ll need you both to help him through this journey. You will have to convince him of what’s right and help him when he loses his way. What he needs are sons to care for him, not men to carry out his revenge.” He reached out and patted the shoulders of his grandsons. “I will go and check on Tore now.”
Hania left Rune wrapped in the arms of his brother. If there was to be one member of the family who could ground both Tore and Rune, it would be Kjell. A lot of responsibility was going to be forced on that young man’s shoulders, but Hania knew Kjell had the strength to do it.
Molega sat in the doorway of Tore’s room with his eyes closed, meditating. Hania waited until he saw the faint wisp of silver vapor hover above him and then disappear. Molega opened his eyes and rose to his feet.
“Hania,” he said, clasping his fist to his chest and bowing his head. In this one small gesture he conveyed his sorrow for Hania’s loss and pledged his allegiance.
“Have you made a decision?” he asked.
Hania nodded. “It’s as I said before. This is a personal loss to Tore’s family and myself. This is not a threat in any wider context. Though it is hard for me to admit it, Kachina’s death was collateral damage. She was caught up in Tore’s personal war with his brother.”
“But, Hania, their attack on Tore fourteen years ago, this follow up… It is intentional. Tore became your family when he married Kachina. His demons are your demons. We pledged to rid the world of monsters like this,” Molega said.
“No, Molega, I will not call on them for this. I won’t use my brethren to repay a personal loss. This tragedy comes down to a family vendetta. I will not make this a war between our people and theirs.” The two men regarded each other. Respect and a long friendship connected them. “How can I convince Tore and Rune to chose the right path if I myself seek retribution? I’ll tend to my son-in-law and his family, and mourn my daughter in the old way.”
“If you are sure, Hania. But mark, we won’t forget this. You only have to say the word. Pilan has already volunteered. He can find Erik and the others and take out every last one of them.”
“You are a good man, Molega. I value your friendship and thank you for your support, but tell Pilan, no. I’ll need your help in many ways over the next weeks and months. There will be nights when I won’t be able to stay strong and I need to know you will pull me back and guide me.”
Molega nodded and stepped aside to allow Hania to enter Tore’s room. “He’s waking. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”
***
“Tore.” His eyes latched onto Hania’s face but he showed no recognition. “Tore, it’s Hania.”
Tears ran down Tore’s cheeks as he heard the name. “I’m sorry.” His voice was barely a murmur.
Hania read the words on his lips more than he heard them. He sat down beside him and took his hand. Tore bent his head to Hania’s shoulder and his back heaved up and down as he let his emotions go.
Hours later, his sobs finally subsided. He lay back against the headboard, his eyes black and empty. Hania sensed he was in danger of losing this man again.
“Tore.” He turned to Hania. “You have four children out there. They need their father now more than ever. You have to find the strength within you to come back from all this. You did it before and you can do it again. Be careful to choose the right path.”
Tore stared. “This is my path, Hania. I have no choice now. I chose wrong eighteen years ago and I’m still being punished for it. Destiny has me in her clutches. I have no free will.”
“You’re wrong. It doesn’t matter what twists and turns life takes. You always get to choose. Each new crossroads offers new problems. You have to make new assessments, take new chances. This is another crossroad and there is not just one road out of here.”
Tore shook his head and turned away.
“My people tell stories to help guide others with their problems,” Hania said. “I want to share with you an old proverb.”
Tore brought his gaze back to Hania.
“A tribal elder once told a story to his young grandson one evening by the fire – ‘Inside me, there is a fight raging between two wolves. One wolf is anger, bitterness, self-pity, jealousy, and sorrow. The other wolf is love, faith, hope, peace, forgiveness, and joy. Both wolves are strong, and they battle fiercely. Inside each of us this battle is so, even in you’ – The young boy thought for a moment and then asked, ‘Grandfather, which wolf will win?’ The wise elder replied, ‘The one you feed.’ This is an old story, but its message is strong. We all have to take responsibility for the wolves within us. We all have to be wary of which one we choose to feed.”
Tore listened to Hania’s words. They rang hollow through his soul. Somewhere within him, a wolf stirred. The beast was hungry, and there was only one way to satisfy its appetite.
Acknowledgements
A huge big thank you, goes to my two children. Their support has gone way beyond saying, ‘good on you Mom’. My son, George Stevens wrote and arranged the music (and played the instruments) that accompanies The Wolf You Feed book trailer. My daughter, Daisy Stevens designed and created the book covers for all the books in the trilogy. I am blessed to have such supportive and talented children.
I would like to thank my crew of wonderful editors, without which this project would never have got off the ground: Alex McGilvery (Author of The Enchanted Princess and Playing On Yggsdrasil) for his attention to detail in the structural edit. Dean, for wading through my manuscript countless times hunting for plot holes, checking loose ends, and correcting my bad habits and stray British phrases. Jeanie Simoncic for her attention to detail in the manuscripts style/ line edits. And last, but by no means least, Peter Thomson who pulled out all the stops to do the last minute proof reading when I had finally reached my breaking point.
I would also like to thank…
My awesome beta readers, Hayley and Judy…
Matt and the ‘Avengers’ fb group, for their moral support…
The members of the 100/20 book club on wattpad for their awesome feedback…
The wonderful readers on wattpad who read, commented, and supported the story during its evolution.
About The Author
Angela Stevens, is British born but moved to the United States eight years ago. Always a keen traveler, she has enjoyed spending time living outside of her native country. She is an ex-teacher and the mother of two children. When empty nest syndrome threatened, Angela turned to writing novels to fill her growing free time. As her hobby grew she found storytelling began to fill her waking hours.
Her first novel, Lemon Drops and Love grew out of her voracious appetite for reading. After one particularly momentous year, when she consumed over one hundred paper backs. Since then Angela Stevens has written seven novels across the contemporary romance and urban fantasy genres. She has also written a children’s book.
You can find out more about the authors work and when her novels will be released, on her website https://www.angelastevens.net
You can also find her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAngelaStevens and Twi
tter. https://twitter.com/angelastevens13
The Vargr Trilogy continues…
Hold On- to be released January 2015
Part two in the emotional Vargr Clan Trilogy. After the tragic events of 1997, Tore Vargr is consumed by hatred and despair. As he battles once more with the two wolves within him, he is in danger of losing everything he holds dear.
Hold on to what is good,
Even if it’s a handful of earth
Hold on to what you believe,
Even if it’s a tree that stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do,
Even if it’s a long way from here.
Hold on to your life,
Even if it’s easier to let go.
Hold on to my hand,
Even if someday, I’ll be gone away from you.
Pueblo Prayer
An Unbreakable Will- to be released March 2015
Join Tore and his children in this dramatic conclusion to the emotionally charged Vargr Trilogy.
“When you know who you are, when your mission is clear and you burn with the inner fire of unbreakable will.
No cold can touch your heart, no deluge can dampen your purpose. You know that you are alive.”
— Chief Seattle, 1780
Other books available by this author…
Lemon Drops And Love: Cocktail Series
For years, Jude loved Maya from afar. When she falls into his arms at his sister’s wedding, Jude decides he’s waited long enough. But it’s complicated. Maya’s no longer the carefree, self-assured woman he once knew. Frightened, vulnerable, her confidence crushed, Maya is unable to see a way out of an abusive relationship. But Jude Holland is not going to stand back and watch this happen. After rescuing her from Carl’s clutches, he plans to stay and pick up the pieces, but he didn’t bank on Carl’s unwillingness to let go.
The Wolf You Feed Arc Page 23
