Taneika: Daughter of the Wolf

by R. Casteel

  Taking it back to her seat, she entered the world of astrology, planet orbits and phases, whether they were stable or neutral, ascending or descending. The more Taneika looked at the book, the more confusing it became. With so many equations that could be figured in, no wonder predictions varied drastically.

  “Damn!” She slammed the book down in frustration, forgetting for the moment she was in the library. Looking up, she caught the disapproving glare of the librarian and the suppressed laughter from the hawk.

  The Korean girl stood and walked towards her with graceful, fluid strides, as if walking on air. “Pardon me, but I couldn’t help noticing the title of the book. I’ve dabbled in astrology for several years, maybe I can help.”

  “That would be wonderful. I’m Taneika, please have a seat.”

  “I’m Paula. I’m new here. I transferred in from back east.” Paula sat where she could see the rest of the library and took the book Taneika had been reading. “Okay, first thing, when were you born?”

  “I don’t know for sure.” She couldn’t keep the sadness from creeping into her voice. “I’m adopted and have always celebrated my birthday on the fifth of April, nineteen seventy-nine.”

  Paula turned to the computer and in a few minutes had Taneika’s information typed in for a natal chart. “See this,” she pointed to the screen. “As an Aries, your controlling planet Mars, is linked to Jupiter through Uranus. Is there anything special you are looking for?”

  “I’m not real sure,” Taneika answered. “I was told that Jupiter would affect Saturn and the rings would align with Orion’s belt.”

  “Now, going forward from today we find a date where the chart shows the greatest possibility.” Paula studied the chart. “Wow!”

  “What is it?” Taneika leaned forward, butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she anxiously waited for the answer.

  “With Mars in conjuncture with Uranus in the house of Aquarius, it places Jupiter in your house of Aries, making a significant impact on your life. With the close proximity of Jupiter, Saturn could be affected, as it is weaker being in the house of Taurus. Once Jupiter and Saturn both enter the house of Aries then their powers of influence will be the same. The Moon, which also has a considerable role in your birth chart, will then be ascending and be dominate.”

  She wanted to know and yet she didn’t. The apprehension of not knowing overruled. “When will the planets be aligned like this?”

  “If you knew the fifth was the right date, I’d say the second of January.” Paula shrugged, “Otherwise, anytime between now and then.”

  “The library is closing.” The loudspeaker crackled. “Please bring library books to the front for filing.”

  “Don’t look so glum,” Paula laughed as they walked to the front desk. “Everything will work out.”

  They walked outside and she gave Paula a wave. “Thanks again for the help.”

  “No big deal.” Paula unlocked her car. “See ya. Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas to you.” Taneika opened the door and sat down. Her first Christmas away from home and she hadn’t sent a thing to her family. She would give them a call tomorrow when they’d be together on Christmas. Checking her purse, she frowned. With finances being low, she was limited in what she could get Taren for Christmas.

  Stopping at the mall, Taneika joined the crowd of last-minute shoppers crowding the stores. In desperation to get something for him, she picked up a heavy flannel shirt in earthen green and brown colors. As she left the mall with her purchase, she recognized a car in the next row. Paula must be the other agent.

  As Taneika backed out and left, she caught the sight of Paula’s lights being turned on. She felt better knowing that the hawk was still watching. The lights trailed behind her all the way to her own driveway.

  Pulling up in front of her house, Taren’s door opened and he stepped out. “I’ve got dinner ready if you want to eat. I made spaghetti if that’s all right?”

  “Sounds great,” she waved back. “I’ll be right over. I want to check on Lobo.”

  “She’s over here. I think she was lonely.” Taren went back into the house and scratched Lobo’s ears.

  “Easy, girl. She’ll be here in a minute.”

  The door opened and Lobo sat up, her tail wagging and almost a smile on her face.

  Taren was about to turn around when she stuck her tail between her legs, lowered her ears and lay back on the couch.

  “Did you walk over here?” Taneika asked.

  The wolf looked away and covered her nose with her good paw.

  Taneika walked over to the couch and gave Taren a kiss. Shaking her head, she knelt beside the couch and ran her hands along Lobo’s back. “I swear I don’t know what to do with you. Have you eaten today?” she asked Lobo.

  “The other wolf has been bringing a steady supply of food for her all day.” He turned back toward the kitchen. “Probably enough to feed both of you.”

  Getting to her feet, she followed Taren into the kitchen. “Mmm, smells good. I’m starved.”

  Walking over to the stove, she wrapped her arms around Taren and laid her head on his shoulder. Ten short days, maybe less. She sighed.

  Taren stirred the sauce and offered her a taste.

  “It’s good,” she smiled, licking her lips. Turning her head, she kissed him. “I could get used to this. If you do laundry too, I might keep you around for a while.” A smile played on her lips as he gave her a light squeeze.

  “I hope for a long time,” he kissed her forehead.

  Ten days….

  “Anything I can do?” she asked.

  “Grab a couple plates, dinner is ready.” Taren drained the spaghetti and rinsed it with fresh water. “Let’s eat.”

  As Taneika twirled the spaghetti on her fork, she spoke. “I met a new student at the library today.”

  “Oh?” Taren paused with the fork full of dangling pasta.

  “A young Korean girl, Paula Myers.” There was the slightest hint of recognition as Taren took another bite of food.

  “She followed me to the mall and all the way home.” She laughed at the look of displeasure on Taren’s face. “I appreciate the thoughtfulness, but is being watched all the time necessary?”

  “Yes.” Taren got up and grabbed a beer from the fridge.

  “We talked for a few minutes. Paula seems real nice. Are you sure she is up to the task?”

  Taren popped the tab on the beer and Lobo stuck her head around the corner.

  “No,” Taneika scolded. “Go back and lay down.”

  Lobo’s ears lowered and she ducked her head out of sight.

  Taren laughed. “She has been begging me for one all day.”

  “Figures. Thanks to my brothers she’s a beer-alcoholic. When she was too young to go with me in the mountains, they would get her drunk and then laugh at her when she couldn’t walk straight.”

  He sat back down at the table. “Don’t worry about Paula. >From what I’ve heard she can hold her own. She’s supposed to have a black belt and an uncanny knack for getting out of bad situations.”

  Lobo limped to the back door, scratched at the threshold and whined.

  Taneika went to the door to let her out. “Don’t go running off.”

  * * * * *

  Curled up on the couch with the warmth of Taren’s chest against her cheek and the steady rhythm of his heart pounding beneath her ear, she sighed. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve.

  Taneika woke in the night disorientated at being in bed. The last thing she remembered was being on the couch. Taren was asleep with one arm draped across her waist. She snuggled closer, fitting herself against his solid length. If only we had more time.

  A lone sad tear slid down the soft contours of her face and disappeared into the pillow. Of all the times to fall in love. Why now?

  * * * * *

  Sounds in the kitchen woke her the next morning. Light streamed through the crack of the open door. She rolled to her side and received
a hot, wet good morning kiss.

  “Morning, girl. Have you had eaten?”

  Lobo barked. Tired of rabbit, want pizza.

  “Ohh,” She groaned. Flopping back on the bed, she covered her head with Taren’s pillow.

  Lobo grabbed a mouth full of blankets and pulled.

  Taneika managed to snag the sheet before it was pulled completely to the floor. Unprepared for the sudden jerk to her arm, she found herself half-off the bed.

  Taren’s laughter at Lobo’s antics caused her to look up. Taren was holding the sheet in his hand and Lobo had a silly grin on her face. “You two are impossible. Okay, I’m up. See, I’m out of bed.”

  “I’ll be in the kitchen.” Taren chuckled as he turned toward the door.

  She slipped her jeans on and reached for her shirt. Unable to fasten the jeans she sat on the edge of the bed. What is going on with my clothes? They’re getting smaller.

  Lobo came up, stood between her legs and licked her stomach. ‘Woof.’

  “Yes, I know. I’m getting fat.”

  ‘Woof.’ Not fat, growing inside. ‘Woof, Woof.’

  “What do you mean grow…”

  As the concept of what Lobo said registered, she felt a hopeless sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. I can’t be… She had no other explanation for the added tightness to her clothes.

  Zipping up the front of her jeans, Taneika went in search of Taren.

  “Morning.” She kissed him quickly on the lips. “I’ve got to run over to the house. I may have to go to the store first thing this morning.”

  The door banged closed and Taren watched her run through the snow. “What brought that on?”

  ‘Woof.’

  “Come here, girl,” Taren opened the fridge and handed Lobo a skinned rabbit.

  “Go on, take it outside.” He held the door open.

  As Lobo went through the door, her mate met her with yelps and kisses.

  A car engine started close by. Taren looked around the corner of the house and saw Taneika’s car go down the drive.

  Taneika stopped at the first pharmacy she came to and went inside. Making her purchase, she went to the bathroom. In horror, she watched the indicator turn positive. “Great.” She laid her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. This is all I fucking need.

  Washing her face, she finger-combed her hair and went out to her car. Finding a department store, she used what money she had on a couple pair of stretch top pants. Still in a state of disbelief and shock, she headed home.

  Suppose her baby was like her. There was no way to hide it from society the way she had been. Not unless she went back to the reservation. Maybe that was the sanest answer she had. Pack a suitcase and go home. As she remembered her own childhood, she realized going home wasn’t a viable answer either. How long could she hide it from Taren? She wouldn’t trap him into a marriage, even if she did love him.

  The problem was still unresolved when she pulled into the driveway. She felt her world being slowly torn apart at the seams. Laying her head on the steering wheel, she groaned. “Why, God? Why now, O Great Spirit? If this is my destiny, I don’t want it? Must my baby suffer too?”

  Chapter 21

  Taneika had avoided any prolonged conversations with Taren, using her studies as a shield through the long afternoon. Watching him out of the corner of her eye, she felt he appeared edgy, nervous, like a caged animal, never sitting still for any length of time. And when he was sitting, his fingers and hands were moving.

  Taren’s fingers tapped out an almost silent, rhythmic beat on the arm of the couch. She had lost track of the number of times he had finger-combed his hair. His hot sultry glances had already caused a wet spot between her legs. Several times he had stopped and given her a kiss, or gently run his fingers sensuously through her hair.

  Her stomach growled, reminding her of her meager lunch.

  ‘Woof.’ Lobo’s soft bark came from beside her. Me too.

  “How could you be hungry, girl, after all those rabbits?” Her fingers lightly stroked the wolf’s neck.

  Lobo whimpered. They were small rabbits.

  ‘Woof, Woof,’ Lobo’s mate lifted his head. Give me a break, they were all I could find.

  “Enough, you two,” she scolded.

  “Hey, it’s Christmas Eve,” Taren announced. “Why don’t I try to find someplace open?”

  “The only place open tonight would be a…” She spelled out the word, “P-I-Z-Z-A.”

  “So, what’s wrong with pizza and why spell the word?”

  Lobo’s head came up. ‘Woof, Woof.’ She sat up, her tongue hanging from her mouth, her ears alert. Limping over to Taren, she licked his face. ‘Woof.’ Her tail beat against the side of the couch like a snare drum.

  “That’s why I spelled it,” she laughed. “Okay, you win. Pizza it is.”

  “I better order several.” Taren held Lobo’s head trying to stem the bath he was receiving from the wolf’s tongue. “I’ve seen the way you like pizza, girl. Yes I have.”

  ‘Woof?’

  “No.” Taneika laughed and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. “No beer for you.”

  Taren placed the order and walked over to the table where she sat.

  “How are the studies going?” Taren reached around her, gently cupping her breasts. He inhaled the scent of her hair and felt its silky softness against his face. “Are you catching up?”

  “I should be caught up with most of it in time. The lab work for biology will be the hardest one to make up.”

  “Take a break for a while. You have been hitting the books all afternoon.” Taren saw the hesitation. “A few minutes to relax. After you’ve eaten, if you still want to study, you will be refreshed.”

  “Okay.” She closed her eyes and enjoyed his soft massaging touch. Sensitive nerves in her nipples were sending ‘get ready’ announcements throughout her body. Taneika laid her book aside. Reluctantly breaking contact with Taren, stood and stretched.

  Taren immediately stepped back in, sliding his arms around her waist. “I’ve missed you.” He whispered in her ear.

  Her arms rested gently on his shoulders, sensuous laughter caressed his neck. “I’ve been right here most of the day.”

  “Not really.” Leaning back, he looked into her eyes. “You’ve been miles away and it hasn’t been your books you’ve been lost in. What’s troubling you, my Little Wolf?”

  Lowering her eyes, Taneika rested her head against his chest. “Nothing.” She flinched at the lie that came so easily to her lips.

  “Christmas without family is difficult,” he continued. “Maybe we can drive up to your mother’s tomorrow and visit. Would you like that?”

  “I suppose. If it’s no bother.”

  “Good, then that’s settled. We leave first thing in the morning.” Taren reached into his pocket. “Before we go, I have something for you.”

  “Merry Christmas, my Little Wolf.” He gave her a kiss and placed the gift in her hand.

  Opening the small package, she gasped. “Oh, Taren.” Tears sprang to her eyes like the morning dew.

  “Taneika, will you be my wife?”

  The diamond ring she held in the palm of her hand was the essence of her childhood dreams. To be loved by one person so much that their lives would be forever intertwined. But those dreams lay shrouded in the past, in a time of innocence, before she knew the truth. Would it be fair to Taren? Would he grow to hate what she was and what she feared she was yet to become?

  Taren place a finger on her lips. “Before you start making lame excuses for saying no, listen to me. I love you, just the way you are. When your skin bleeds, I’ll bathe you. When you’re weak, I’ll feed you. When you’re frightened, I’ll be there to hold you and when you bring our children into the world I’ll be beside you.”

  “Children like me? Are you sure you know what you want, Taren?” Tears stained her face as she felt her resistance start to crumble.

  “Yes, I would be happy to
have carbon copies of you crawling across the floor or bouncing on my knee. But we don’t have to be concerned about babies right now.” Taren cupped her chin and raised her head up, gazing steadfast into her eyes. “Or do we?”

  Better to hold a dream even for a little while, than not hold it at all. Her mind grasped at the thread of hope dangling before her.

  “Yes, Taren my love. I will be your wife and I will have your children….”

  He picked her up and twirled her around.

  “In about eight months.”

  “Eight months! You’re pregnant! Whoopee!” Taren crushed her to him and kissed her. “When did you find out?”

  “This morning. That’s why I went to town,” she confessed. She felt her smile stretch, beaming at him as she took hold of his excitement. Like a warm summer rain, it washed over her, cleansing her of any remaining doubts.

  “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” he admonished.

  “I…I didn’t want you to feel you had to marry me. I didn’t want you to feel…trapped.”

  “My Little Wolf,” he gently kissed away the sheepish expression on her face. “Don’t you know by now how much I love you? The month you were gone was a nightmare. I feared I would never find you again and my reason for living would be reduced to only a memory of you.”

  Both wolves stood, their ears slicked back and their teeth showing as they growled.

  “We have company,” she announced.

  “Probably the pizzas.” Taren opened the door and stepped out. A truck with a lighted delivery sign pulled up and stopped.

  The driver got out and started toward the house. “You the one that ordered six large pizzas?”

  “Right place.” He waved at the driver. “Stay there. I’ll come and get ‘em.”

  Taren walked out to the truck. “Where are the ones with double meat?”

  The driver indicated which red insulated box they were in.

  Taren took two boxes out and tossed them in the snow. “Don’t ask.” Taren laughed at the comical expression on the drivers face. He paid the bill and carried the others inside.