by Willow Cross
They stood for another moment gazing into each other’s eyes. Sarah looked pointedly at the trees and growled. She waited for Shad to catch her meaning and then repeated the process.
“Hmm. You trying to tell me something, girl? Something wrong out there?”
Sarah barked and wagged her tail.
“You want me to come with you?”
Sarah growled and moved her head from side to side.
“You want me to go back inside?”
Sarah whimpered and looked at the surrounding woods again.
Shad stuck out his hand and leaned forward to touch her.
She growled.
“Okay, okay. I get it. You want me inside. I’ll go back in, if it’ll make you happy.”
Sarah wagged her tail and looked around him at the cabin. His sisters were standing on the porch, both of them holding rifles. Sarah whimpered again and took a step forward, in hopes he would move quickly. She could heard two rifles chambering rounds and stepped back into the trees and waited. When she realized he was waiting for her to leave, she gave him a final bark and ran into the woods. She wasn’t certain because the wind was whipping through the trees, but she could have sworn she heard him whisper…“I love you, Sarah,” as she ran away.
It seemed to take her longer to get home than it had to find Shad. When she neared the cabin, she decided she really didn’t want the company of the pack. She wanted to run. The urge to do so, enveloped her. Sarah caught the scent of the nearby stream and headed in that direction. She was awfully thirsty anyhow, and that would give her a good excuse to remain absent from a while. As she lapped water from the stream, she felt Pete close by. “You okay? I can leave if you still want to be alone.”
Sarah was a little irritated with his protective attitude, but really did want some company. It was strange. When working all of this out in her head, she’d thought it would be her brother she wanted close.
“He’s Alpha, Sarah. I hate to say it but your relationship won’t be the same after this.”
Sarah sighed and lay down close to the edge of the stream. Pete joined her and sniffed at her ear. “Don’t do that, it tickles.”
“Sorry.”
“How do you do this, Pete? How do you do this every day, don’t you hate it?”
“You don’t have to do it every day. I did at first, but it grows on you. Give it time. You’ll like it after a while.”
“My whole life is ruined. Everything is going to be different now.”
“Different isn’t the same as ruined. This time next year you’ll feel better about everything.”
Sarah shivered, not from cold, but dread. Pete moved closer to share his body heat. Exhausted, Sarah snuggled up to him and closed her eyes.
Pete sighed and rested his head on top of hers, feeling very content and happy with his world.
Sarah felt his thought but was too tired to set him straight, she yawned and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Sixteen
Sarah’s nose twitched as the pungent odor of wet dog assailed her nostrils. In a struggle to wake, one eye fought the other to open. “Ewww,” she said as she sat up. An abundant amount of loose, damp hair clung to her body in clumps. Great, I’m a shedder, she thought as she brushed the clumps from her body. I'll need to make sure I shift before I get in bed next time. A low rumble vibrated her mid-section. “Okay, settle down. We’ll take care of it in a bit,” she said patting her tummy.
She was in a good mood considering what had happened. In fact, she was in a great mood. Except for the hair all over her bed, she was pleased with herself. She had managed to save Shad and his sisters, without killing any of them or getting shot. That was quite an accomplishment. Jason’s voice accompanied a quick knock on her door, “Showers free sis, smells like you need it.”
Sarah answered his teasing voice by throwing a shoe against the door. Yuck! She did need a shower. She smelled overwhelmingly doggish.
Clean and refreshed, Sarah joined her brother and uncle in the kitchen for breakfast. Thom had been hard at work making a breakfast buffet. The table was loaded with pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast, biscuits and gravy--anything you could possibly imagine. If it was breakfast food, it was on the table. “We having company?” Sarah laughed.
“No, but I’m always starving after a change, and I didn’t know what you’d be hungry for.” Thomas answered.
Sarah was in such a fine mood she momentarily forgot she was mad at him. The look on his face when she bounced over and hugged him was priceless. She laughed at her red-faced uncle and began to devour the sumptuous feast.
“You’re in a good mood for once,” Jason said as he watched the unusual display of affection.
Crumbs fell from her mouth as she answered, “I have every reason to be!”
“Of course she does.” Thomas sternly told Jason.
“Oh great. Now that she’s top dog, I’m chicken liver? I see how this is going to work…” Jason laughed.
Sarah rolled her eyes and continued eating as if she had never eaten before. Everything tasted so good! Two plates later, the rumbling in her belly had quieted. Sipping her coffee, she said, “Wow. I understand why you eat so much! I’ve never been that hungry in my life.”
Running a dish towel over the newly washed plates, Thomas smiled and answered, “It’s the metabolism. You won’t ever have to worry about getting fat. Every time you transmogrify, it burns an enormous amount of calories and fat from your system.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I suppose there are wolf scientists somewhere, but we don’t know any,” he laughed.
Thomas grabbed his coffee and joined the siblings as the table. “I’m very proud of you, Sarah. You did an extraordinary job last night. But keep in mind that running off on your own isn’t smart.”
Sighing, she said, “Well that didn’t last long. Here we go…”
Smirking, he looked at his cup before meeting her eyes. “No here we don’t go. It’s not about your boyfriend. Shana is out there somewhere, and she wants you and your brother dead. We can’t protect you if you order us to stay home. That’s all I meant and nothing more.”
Her heart skipped a beat as he spoke. He was right, there was a lot more going on than Shad. She’d forgotten that last night, but she’d try not to make the same mistake again. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Well I’d hardly expect you to be able to think your first time. Most are vicious. Like I said, you did a great job maintaining.” He smiled and rose to retrieve another cup of coffee.
“Well?” Jason asked.
Confused, she glanced at him. “Well, what?”
“How was it?”
“I don’t know how to answer. Everything hurt, then I couldn’t breathe, then everything really hurt. Is that what you mean?”
“Yes and no. I get the hurt, I remember the pain in the beginning, I just--” Turning his attention to Thomas he asked, “Why can she remember? I couldn’t remember anything. Not until she began working with me. And why didn’t the moon effect her? I…”
Clearing his throat, Thomas replied, “Jason, most of us know ahead of time what is coming. We have years to prepare. Just like Sarah, we spend the day of the primary transformation in meditation. The moon does bring on a frenzy, especially when you don’t know what is going on. But it doesn’t have to rule you.”
Jason’s face fell. The pained look on his face brought tears to Sarah’s eyes. Reaching out, she squeezed his hand. “It’s not your fault. It’s not. Please stop thinking like that. Had we known…”
He looked away. “I’m sure the parents and families of those kids would be comforted by that.”
Uncomfortable, Thomas stood and began clearing the remaining dishes from the table. “If you want to blame someone, Jason…blame Shana. It was her fault you had to go through it alone. She’s the monster behind the tragedy.”
Gazing out the window, he answered, “The blood was on me.”
Lighting a cigar
ette, he took a long pull, and scrutinized the young man. This poor boy is ate up with guilt. He won’t be worth his salt if we can’t do something about that. Exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, he said, “All righty then, I cooked, so you two finish cleaning up.”
Catching the hint, Sarah replied, “Aww man! I always have to do dishes. Doesn‘t being Alpha get me out of anything?”
Thomas eyed her and growled, “Get up woman. Thar’s work to be done!”
She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Not you too. This woman thing is not quite what I pictured.”
Without speaking, Jason rose and methodically began cleaning the table.
***
After clearing away the remnants of their breakfast, Jason and Sarah went outside to relax on the porch. Sarah sat on the edge swinging her legs while Jason lounged across the porch swing.
“You did good last night, sis. I saw everything with your eyes, and you did a bang up job.”
“I was terrified I’d kill him.”
“I know, but you kept your head. That dirt thing was an awesome idea. Wish I’d have thought of it.”
“Oh, Jason. I’m sorry. None of the stuff you went through would have happened if it weren’t for Shana. You know that don’t you?”
“I know, but it doesn’t make me feel any better.”
They sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts until Sarah remembered what Pete had said the night before. “Jason? Pete says you and I won’t be the same anymore now that I’m fully Alpha, do you think it's true?”
“That’s horse shit. Maybe none of the rest of them could be--but you and I are not like them. We won’t ever be like them. It’s just me and you like always. Pete’s an ok guy and all, but don’t listen to everything he says, okay?”
“Pete likes me.”
“I know.”
“I think he wants to be my mate.”
“I know.”
After another pause, Jason spoke with carefully chosen words, “How do you feel about that?”
“I don’t know. I want to be with Shad…you know I could have sworn last night as I was running away--” Sarah paused. She was being stupid. She was fairly certain she’d heard what she wanted to hear, instead of what was there.
“You did.”
“I did what?” Sarah asked.
Jason‘s eyes became intense as he sat up and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “You heard him say that. So did I. Question is, what you going to do about it?”
“Nothing I can do. He’s not one of us.”
“Not yet.”
“Don’t you say that, Jason. Don’t you dare! You swear to me you won’t do that to him. You swear right now.”
“Hey, settle down. I didn’t say I was going to do anything. I’m just saying there are always options.”
Sarah looked up into the sky and watched the clouds roll by. There was a storm coming. The threat of rain still permeated the air. In the distance, she heard the muffled boom of thunder. Yep, it was coming all right. It would be here soon. She was fairly certain the strength of this storm wouldn’t come close to matching the one raging inside her. There are always options, he’d said. But he was wrong, she wasn’t about to let Shad’s life be ruined like hers. She’d die making sure it never happened.
***
At 10 am, Pete showed up. Sarah was still boiling from Jason’s solution to her problem with Shad. It’s not that the thought hadn’t crossed her mind; the idea was ludicrous. She'd give anything to be normal again. Why in the world would he think she’d sentence someone she cared about to the same fate?
Pete followed Sarah around like a lost puppy. “You need anything? You okay?”
“I’m good, thanks.” She answered.
Ten minutes later, “Anything I can get for you? I’m getting a soda so…”
“Nope, I’m good thanks.”
After an hour of incessant questioning, she was in no mood to be bothered and finally locked herself in her bedroom. Pete sat in the living room pretending to watch television. Jason sat across the room and watched Pete.
Admittedly, Pete was a nice guy. He didn’t have much going for him in the way of money, but few of them did. Nearly everything about the pack was communal. Each family had their own house, but money came from the Alpha. Jason was still learning about the financial holdings of the pack and the distribution of money. A handful of clan members had jobs, but most farmed and sold their crops. The proceeds of their sales went into a clan fund. This style of living did not invite ambition from those that were young. Jason couldn’t find fault with Pete for doing what others expected of him. What worried him most was the possibility of Pete being another Shana. A union with Sarah would allow him power and prestige within the pack.
Pete had been around, here and there, since their arrival. However, his recent interest in Sarah left Jason wondering about his motivations. It seemed unlikely that Pete just suddenly fell for his sister. As Jason studied Sarah’s self-professed protector, he dissected every aspect of him. Pete was tall, nearly as tall as Jason. Jason figured he had to be at least 6’2”. Muscled, but still on the lanky side, he could have passed for a farm hand easily. He had a relaxed look about him, as if he didn’t take too much seriously. For a guy, he was all right looking. He wouldn’t be on the cover of any magazines any time soon, but hey, not many men were. The fact that Pete was twenty-five bugged the crap out of him. That was just too old for an eighteen-year-old girl. A question interrupted Jason’s analysis of Pete’s looks and character.
“Well, what did you decide?” Pete asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ve been sitting there staring at me for a long time. I assume you're trying to figure me out, so I want to know what you’ve decided.”
“I haven’t decided anything…yet.”
“You could just ask me. Or better yet, I’ll just tell you.”
Jason’s eyebrows knit together as he continued studying Pete.
Pete looked Jason squarely in the eye, took a moment to collect his thoughts, and began, “I know you’re going to think I’m nuts, but I want to be with your sister.”
“Thanks Captain Obvious, that helps a lot.”
“I’m serious. I couldn’t say anything before because she wasn’t eighteen.”
“You’re still twenty-five, Pete, or did you forget about that?”
“So I’m older and wiser, big deal. Doesn’t that make me a better protector for her?”
“Protector from what? This isn’t the old days; we aren’t constantly at war with rival packs.”
“Oh…so you think Shana is just going to quietly disappear? That ain’t happening man. I’d bet money on it. She wants both of you dead, and believe me, she won’t stop until you are.”
Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, you should know her. You were there to fight with her when everyone else had come to our side. Why is that Pete? You just want the chick with the most power or what?”
Pete answered so quickly that Jason briefly wondered if it was rehearsed. “Yeah I was there, but I had a plan. I had already decided it was all wrong. You can ask Mark. We were going to wait until she wasn’t ready and jump her. I didn’t know she had the Savata to back her up. None of us did! Do you really think any of us would have let her put the entire pack in jeopardy?”
Jason leaned back in his chair and mulled over Pete’s claim. He had a valid point. The entire clan had been astonished by Shana’s treachery. Both men were distracted from their thoughts by the sound of a vehicle coming up the drive. Pete jumped up and went to the window. “Great. Freaking wonderful.”
A smile crept over Jason’s face. It must be Shad. Within seconds, Sarah was out of her room and bolting out the door yelling, “I’ll be back later!”
Pete returned to his seat with a disgruntled look on his face. He glanced at Jason and seeing his smile, left in search of Thom.
Jason laughed as Pete stomped out of the room. Pete might think
he’s next in line for Sarah, but he’s got major competition, Jason thought as the back door slammed.
***
The truck had barely rolled to a stop when Sarah jumped in. “Don’t stop. Just keep going.” Sarah said as she hunted for the seat belt.
“And good morning to you, too.” Shad smiled as he pushed the gearshift into reverse and turned the truck around.
“I’m sorry. I just don’t want any trouble today.” Sarah relaxed into the seat with a sigh.
“How did you know I was coming?”
“I heard you coming down the driveway, silly.”
Shad reached out and turned the knob on the radio, shutting it off. “I thought we could have lunch, unless you want to do something else?”
“Lunch is good. Where we going?” Sarah watched the trees fly by as they headed to the main road. Afraid she might say something to give away her secret, she couldn’t look him in the eye.
Shad kept his eyes on the road ahead of him. Every so often, he glanced out of the corner of his eye. Sarah looked drawn and uncomfortable. He thought he knew why, but there wasn‘t much he could say to dispel it. “There’s an old bar about an hour or so from here. You can get in if you’re eighteen, you just can’t drink alcohol. They have pool tables and stuff. I thought you might like it.”
“Sure. Sounds fun.”
Finally deciding she was not going to get into a conversation with him, Shad turned the radio back on. He moved the tuner back and forth trying to get a clear signal. “So what kind of music do you listen too?”
“I don’t know, lots of stuff.” Sarah kept her hands in her lap and sat ridged in her seat.
“How’s this?” A song about a lost girlfriend and a stolen pickup truck filtered through the cab of the truck.
Sarah laughed and scrunched up her nose. “Ewww. I hate country music!”
“You live in Arkansas. How can you hate country music?” Shad mused.
“I just never got into it. Some of the newer stuff is pretty good, but the old twangy stuff irks me.”
