Wolf

by D. M. Turner

  Ian chuckled. “That, he was. Showed us just how mean a human could be. He caught on real quick to the fact you were feeling sorry for yourself.”

  “I was not.” Brows met between blue eyes. “I’d just gotten tired of moving around all the time, wanted some peace.”

  “So you joined the war effort? Yeah, that makes sense.”

  “Well, war equals death, which equals peace in my book. It probably would’ve worked if you hadn’t been so nosy.”

  He grinned without remorse or apology. “Ah, come on. You know you didn’t really want to die. You were just bored like me and looking for something more than the life of a tramp.”

  Brett narrowed his eyes with a smirk. “You realize that word no longer means what it used to, right? Neither of us is much for sleeping around, so the modern use doesn’t apply.”

  “No. No, I suppose it doesn’t.” He glanced at the photo on his desk. Alison’s smiling face looked back at him. One of the few photos he had of Colin’s mother. “We’ve both looked for something more valuable.”

  A long companionable silence passed.

  Brett finally broke it. “She was a mighty good woman.”

  “Yes, she was.” He smiled and met his friend’s gaze. “I pray the day comes you find one just as good.”

  “And risk losing her like you did?” Brett shook his head. “No, thanks. I’d prefer to stay single. Who needs that kind of heartache?”

  “Nothing ventured….”

  His friend groaned. “Don’t go cliché on me.”

  Ian grinned. “Better to have loved and lost….”

  Brett hopped to his feet. “That’s my cue to leave.”

  He chuckled. “Alright, alright. I’m done. I swear.”

  His friend studied him, heaved a sigh, and dropped back into the chair. “Fine.”

  “So, you’ve talked to the others more than I have. How’s the pack holding up? Honestly.” They’d have contacted Brett when Ian told them to stay away from the Preserve until the next full moon. He knew his pack.

  “Stressed. The only ones there’s absolutely no worries about are you, me, and our three mated males.”

  “Are you sure you don’t have any designs on Tanya as a mate? I’m sure you’ve got Colin concerned about that possibility with the fact you went out to stay with them during those bad storms earlier this month.”

  “It’s good for the pup to worry.” He grinned. “But, no, I’m not looking for a mate. She won’t hardly look at me anyway. I don’t need a mate that cringes every time I look at her.” He snorted. “You’d think I was the Big Bad Wolf with designs on her life, flesh, or virtue, depending on which version of that story you’ve read and how you interpreted it.”

  “Well, when you make a lifestyle out of intimidating people, I suppose that’s the response you can expect.”

  A brow quirked. “Hey, it helps you do your job, so you should be grateful.”

  “Yes, there is that.” Humor fled as quickly as it had come. Ian glanced out the window over his desk. “I talked to Colin just minutes before you arrived. I told him Tanya must choose a mate.”

  “How’d he take it?”

  “As we expected.” He shook his head. “He’s right. She’s not ready. She hasn’t come to terms with the wolf. I suspect she’s used the wolf, ironically enough, to avoid facing the fact she was brutalized and raped, so all that emotion is lurking under everything, still waiting to be confronted. And here we are, demanding she take a mate.”

  “Let me guess. Colin accused you of sacrificing her for the sake of the pack.”

  Ian shot his friend a look, a brow raised.

  “I know your son nearly as well as you do. You forget, I helped raise and teach that boy.” Brett’s gaze dropped to one of his hands as he drummed it on his thigh. “In his shoes, I’m not sure I’d feel any different. He’s pretty taken with her.”

  “I know. That’s part of what concerns me.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “If she doesn’t make it, I don’t know how Colin’ll take it.”

  “Have you thought about giving her a job to do? She’s a member of the pack now, so maybe giving her a job would help her feel like a real part of it.”

  “Such as?”

  “Do I have to do all the thinking? You probably know her better than I do. You could ask Colin for ideas.” He smirked. “It’d probably be bad form, not to mention politically incorrect, to ask her to help with upkeep around here. Cleaning, laundry, cooking, things like that.”

  “She already pitches in with laundry and some of the cleaning. I didn’t ask. She started after her brother’s visit last week. I assume she used to help out at home.” He stretched, his back popping and cracking. He needed a good run, but he hadn’t wanted to come upon Tanya in the forest and frighten her, so he’d kept to the house. Apparently Colin wasn’t the only one who’d made compromises for her. “Job or not, I don’t think she’ll respond well to having to choose a mate.”

  “I don’t envy you.” Brett half-grinned, but very little humor showed behind it. “If something ever happens to you, I hope Graham’s ready to be alpha, because I’m going lone wolf. I don’t want your responsibility.”

  Thus the reason Ian knew he could wholeheartedly and without reservation trust Brett as a friend and pack second. The man wasn’t going to kill him at the first opportunity to take control of the pack. At the same time, he had what it took to kill Ian should the need ever arise, and he’d do so swiftly and without hesitation. There was a certain comfort in that.

  His gaze returned to the photo of his wife. I very nearly followed you, mo chridhe. My heart. If Colin hadn’t needed me…. “I’m not too keen on the job myself, my friend.”

  “That’s why you’re so good at it. A man who wants your job? I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could hammer a nail with my tongue. There’s gotta be something wrong with his head.”

  Ian chuckled. Brett. Ever colorful. Too bad so few people saw that side of him.

  The man got to his feet with a heavy sigh. “I better go before Colin proves he’s inescapable and they come back to the house. I don’t want to add more stress to what she’s already under.”

  “You care more about her than you want others to know.” Ian smiled knowingly.

  Brett shrugged. “We’re different. We men and women. A man whose family rejects him isn’t as badly hurt. Most of the pack knows what it’s like to be abandoned by family. My father tried to shoot me. We walked away and created new lives for ourselves. But a woman? They’re wholly emotionally invested in their families. That’s… worse.”

  “You better be careful, my old friend. Someone might realize there’s a heart beating inside that lanky, grumpy, history professor exterior.”

  He snorted and headed for the door. “See you tomorrow.”

  Alone once more, Ian got up and went to the window he’d stood at for hours on end the last few weeks. He was no closer to peace with the things that were and what remained ahead. Why couldn’t answers be easier on all concerned?

  Sometimes, he really hated being alpha.

  Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” - Gen. 2:18

  Campbell Wildlife Preserve

  Somewhere outside Flagstaff, Arizona

  Wednesday, July 1, 2015

  TEETH bared, ears flattened to the side, Tanya growled. Two wolves circled her and snarled at each other, ignoring her posturing. The sanctuary rock was mere yards behind her, but she hadn’t made it before they’d caught up to her. She’d never met either of them before that full moon.

  Pack members Carlos and Peter had harangued her since the moon rose. The pack had proven unsafe that night, and Colin had fallen behind somewhere in the darkness of the forest. In her frightened state, she’d forgotten he couldn’t keep up with her and allowed herself to be separated from him.

  Carlos and Peter closed ranks on either side, aggressing toward each other, even as each of them so
ught to make a claim on her. Each attempted to herd her where he wanted, neither desiring to go the same direction.

  Fear spiked through her. She didn’t know them, much less want them so close. She opened her mouth to present them with a better view of her teeth and snapped a couple of times in Carlos’ direction, since he was the closest.

  He sidestepped her teeth but didn’t retreat.

  She didn’t belong to either of them, no matter what they seemed to think.

  Peter took the opportunity to leap forward and bump her with his chest, trying to get to Carlos and drive her at the same time.

  She whipped around and sank teeth into his neck. They closed mostly on hair, but warm blood spilling over her tongue assured her she’d made contact with flesh.

  He yelped and jumped away, right into Carlos, who’d grabbed the chance to take the other wolf down while he was distracted. Peter rallied faster that Carlos seemed to expect and turned to defend himself.

  Panting from exertion and stress, Tanya backed toward the sanctuary and hunkered as low as she could go, hoping to avoid attracting their attention again.

  A deep growl from behind stilled her progress.

  Another wolf had arrived. Bigger and stronger than the other two. Grizzled gray and brown with creamy white sprinkled liberally throughout his coat and solid down all four legs and around his muzzle, he almost glowed under the light of the full moon. Graham, the third in the pack.

  Just what she needed. Why wouldn’t they leave her alone? She turned to face a possible new threat. Snarls and growls behind her offered assurance that Carlos and Peter were still too absorbed in their personal quarrel to attack her from behind. For the moment anyway.

  Graham’s brown gaze pinned her paws to the ground. What were his intentions? Would he defend her from the other two or join the fray? He took a step toward her, ears up, confident. When he got close enough, he laid his muzzle over hers.

  Tanya tensed. What was he up to?

  She stepped away, and he growled. She snarled back.

  He flashed even more teeth.

  Flattening her profile by dropping her head level with her shoulders, she tried to skirt him to get the sanctuary rock at her back.

  He intercepted her.

  Fear skittered through her. So much for thinking Graham was one of the safe ones.

  Tanya lunged at him, intending only to snap and warn him back so she could run around him to reach the rock. But he met her partway and her teeth closed on his ruff as he swung his head out of the reach of her teeth at the last second. She let go and flicked a clump of fur off her tongue.

  His head came around, and teeth closed on the flesh of the upper part of her neck, just in front of the shoulder blade. His bite sank deep into the muscle, sending searing pain through her.

  She yelped and tried to step away, but he held fast. She cried out again, letting her weight fall to the ground, hoping that would pull her free of his strong bite. That only made flesh rend more, and he didn’t relent.

  A heavy weight slammed into both of them.

  The force of the impact ripped Graham’s clenched teeth from her flesh.

  Tanya cried out in pain and fell to the ground. She rolled upright and glanced around to see what had happened.

  Colin had attacked Graham.

  What was going on? Had the whole pack gone crazy with the full moon? Ian hadn’t warned her that could happen. He’d said individuals could be unstable if they came into the moon angry or frightened. Had she done something to tick them off?

  Tanya tried to stand, only to yelp and take weight off her injured limb. Warm blood ran down her leg and pooled on the ground. She forced herself to all fours, letting her three good legs take most of her weight, and limped toward the cavern in the big rock that had provided sanctuary when she’d first come to the Preserve.

  Two pairs of wolves continued to fight in the grass and brush behind her, but she ignored them. Get away. Just get away from them.

  The sounds of fighting waned and then stopped.

  Tanya turned to put her back to the rock and backed away from the wolves forming a ring around the fighters.

  Carlos had Peter on the ground. The loser rolled fully onto his back and exposed his throat, surrendering. Not surprising. Carlos was above Peter in pack rank, if she remembered correctly.

  The other pair had everyone else’s silent, undivided attention.

  Sides heaving with exertion, Colin stood over a downed Graham, daring the other wolf to get up. Blood darkened the white mark around his lips. His opponent had gotten in a few strong hits. Blood soaked his ruff and dripped onto the ground at his feet.

  Graham bled from multiple wounds around his neck and shoulders, and a deep gash sliced to the bone across his muzzle just below his eyes. One front leg was bent in the wrong direction, obviously broken. He lay on his side, panting. He rolled as though to get up.

  A soft growl accompanied a slight raising of Colin’s lips.

  The other wolf hesitated then rolled onto his back, presenting his delicate underbelly and throat.

  Tanya looked around at the others.

  Ian stood to one side, calm acceptance in his gaze. If the events that had just transpired bothered him, there was no indication.

  Brett stood at his side, cool, detached.

  O’Neil, Isaac, and the other members of the pack (Tanya couldn’t remember their names) stood out of reach of the bloodshed, silent observers.

  Carlos had let Peter to his feet, and they, too, stared at the other two combatants.

  What had just happened to draw such solemn focus from the others?

  Colin snorted then walked past a still-prostrate Graham toward her.

  Tanya shied back, cowering toward the ground. Her shoulder screamed at the movement. She winced and tried to move away from it, only to lose her footing and fall. Once down, she realized she didn’t have the strength to get back up again.

  A cold wet nose touched her face, followed by a tongue that caressed her muzzle and around one eye.

  She whined, fearful of what would come next. The night closed around her, and her senses fell asleep.

  * * *

  Fighting the moon’s call wasn’t something Colin had ever tried to do, but he had no other choice. Tanya was in trouble. So he forced a Shift against the full moon. Agony swept through a body that fought his wishes but finally complied. He restrained the urge the cry out in pain he’d never felt before.

  Transformation complete, he rotated his neck and shoulders, causing vertebra and other bones to crack and pop as they settled into proper place. Then he laid a hand on Tanya’s head.

  She didn’t move, and her eyes remained closed. She was still breathing at least. The gaping wound in her shoulder bled freely.

  He frowned. That should’ve started closing instantly.

  “Dad, she’s not healing.”

  The alpha glanced in the direction of the house, flicking an ear that way at the same time.

  Colin scooped Tanya’s disturbingly limp form into his arms and got to his feet. He followed his father toward the house.

  Others lowered their gazes as he passed.

  Graham, on his feet, a broken foreleg lifted to keep weight off of it, looked up at him.

  Colin bared his teeth and growled deep in his chest, still unhappy with the man for attacking Tanya.

  The other wolf lowered his gaze and tucked his tail.

  He’d displaced Graham as third in the pack. Worry about that later. There are more important things to deal with at the moment. If they didn’t stop the bleeding, Tanya would die. Even a werewolf could bleed to death.

  One of his bare feet found a sharp rock. He grunted and kept walking.

  When they finally made it back to the house, his father trotted down the hallway off the living room toward the master suite. By the time Colin laid Tanya on the tile floor in the living room, Dad returned in human form wearing a pair of jeans and carrying a large first aid kit.

&nbs
p; “Get dressed. I’ll get her bandaged up.” His father flicked an unconcerned gaze in his direction. “You might want to take a quick shower. You’re covered in blood. How are your wounds?”

  Colin glanced at the ones he could see. They’d already closed. “Healing. Why isn’t she?”

  “When did she last eat?”

  “I… I don’t know.” He frowned. “I remember her eating breakfast, but I don’t know if she ate anything after that. Her appetite’s been all over the place.”

  Dad growled. “Her weight’s too low for her to miss meals. Get dressed.”

  The authority behind the command sent Colin off at a run. He took the stairs to the second floor two and three at a time. A quick shower, a pair of blue jeans, and he headed back down the stairs.

  Dad had Tanya bandaged up.

  She’d awakened but simply lay there panting.

  Colin knelt at her head and ran a hand over the side of her neck, careful not to brush the bandages. He smiled. “Hey, beautiful. What are you thinking, picking a fight with someone bigger and meaner than you?”

  “You have to talk to her. It can’t wait anymore.”

  He winced and gently rubbed Tanya’s ear. “I know. I just…. She needs more time.”

  “We’re out of time. The pack can’t go through another full moon like this. Someone could die next time. Talk to her.”

  The demand couldn’t be disobeyed, so he nodded. “As soon as we’re past the immediate crisis.”

  Dad nodded and walked away. “I’ll fix something to eat. She should’ve eaten during the hunt.”

  Colin let his father go without comment. Tanya could eat fresh kills, had done so before, but she didn’t like it. She hadn’t put up a fuss about it, but he knew disgust when he saw it.

  He stretched out on his side beside her, ignoring the discomfort of the hard tile, his chest inches from her back. Stress and pain continued to make her pant, but at least she didn’t appear to be losing any more blood. Whether due to an expert bandaging job by his father, the fact she was finally healing, or both, he didn’t know, and he had no intention of messing with the wrappings to find out.