by Tamara White
“That’s pretty clever, Ash.”
He smiles at the praise, reaching over to pour himself a cup of coffee, and his mother disappears back in the kitchen before returning with a jug of what appears to be apple juice.
She winks over at me. “I don’t drink coffee either.”
I nod and grab one of the mugs, pouring juice in it. I take a sip, noting it’s not fresh juice but store bought, which again begs the question of how the hell this woman is living out here with no car and most likely no money if the world thinks she’s dead. How on earth is she surviving?
After everyone is relaxed, I decide it’s time for answers. “So, anyone want to explain how your mom is alive? Or why she’s hiding out in a cabin in the middle of nowhere?”
Ash sighs, obviously not quite ready to divulge all of his secrets, but he brought me here and then asked me to stay so he could explain. He better speak up sooner or later, otherwise I’m out of here.
“How about we start at the beginning,” Shelly suggests, giving Ash a sad smile, like she knows he wants to delay his part of the story for as long as possible. “I take it if you’re a hunter, then you’ve already met Duncan and the rest of my family?” At my nod, she lets out a sigh. “Well, it all started the night Duncan got word of the pack that killed his parents. See, my husband never used to be so driven to kill wolves. He once thought that some should be spared, that surely not all of them could be killers, until his parents went on a hunt and never returned.” She pauses to take a sip of her juice, looking lost in the past.
I can tell by her beautiful blue eyes she is most definitely the boys’ mother, but unlike theirs, hers have gone dull, most likely from all the horror she’s seen. Although she’s been living out here for who knows how long, she doesn’t look anywhere near as haggard as I would have imagined.
Sure, her hair looks slightly ragged and her cheeks are somewhat sunken in, but other than that, she appears to be in good health.
Stirring from her memories, she blinks a few times and turns to stare at the fire. “Duncan’s mother and father had gone after a pack on the night of the full moon without any research or backup. They went in thinking there were only three or four wolves in this pack, but there were more than that. There were at least twenty of them. By the time they would have realized their mistake, it would have been too late. After news of their deaths reached Duncan, he changed. He became darker, obsessed with ridding all wolves from existence. By that time, Ash was about thirteen years old. His brothers had already begun to be influenced by their father’s bias, but I didn’t want them to be so blinded to the world. We may have been hunters, but none of us had stopped to talk to a wolf, so how would we know for sure if they were all terrible monsters? I raised Ash to keep an open mind, which is how I’m still alive today.”
She takes in a ragged breath as tears begin to fall. “When Duncan had the location of the pack who killed his parents, he called the hunter tree, then we were off. We left the kids behind with Jayden in charge. We figured it would be an easy job, what with so many of us involved. We have never been so wrong. When we started killing the pack members, even more seemed to appear. There weren’t the twenty that existed when Duncan’s parents were murdered. There were over fifty and only twenty of us. We were vastly outnumbered, so we had no choice but to retreat. They chased us out of their woods, but somehow, they must have known Duncan was behind the attack, because they seemed to keep trying to separate him from the rest of us until they finally succeeded. In such an instance, we knew the drill. You leave the fallen man behind. You can’t take on a pack of wolves on your own, but he was my husband. I ignored orders and doubled back for him, the wolves snapping at him. I ran in guns blazing, but of course my heroic efforts didn’t go to plan. I managed to distract them long enough for my husband to run free, but rather than turn back to help me as I did for him, he didn’t look back. A wolf bit my arm, another my leg. I screamed, I called for help until my husband finally returned with another hunter. Both of them were armed with machine guns, and they just fired into the wolves without aim, hoping to scare them off, which they did, but by then it was too late and the damage was done.”
She pauses to hold out her arm, showing me the mangled scars from the bite. “We all know the rules. You get bitten by a wolf, you’re as good as dead. You either kill yourself or another hunter does it for you. Duncan sat down with me. He cried but he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t kill the woman he loved, so he left his friend to do it instead. I waited, I had accepted death, but the hunter, an old friend of both of ours, sat down and pressed a kiss to my head. He told me he loved me once and he believed I could get better. He told me to run, to hide, but if he ever found out I’d killed another human, it would be him who would come and take my life. So I ran.”
A hunter let her live? I guess not all hunters are heartless bastards, but I think I hate Duncan more for leaving his wife to be killed. I mean, why not wait for her to change? See if she becomes as bad as the others or if she could control it? Then again, if you’re raised believing one thing, it’s hard to let go of that belief. But still, to have someone kill your wife when she just saved your life? Yeah, safe to say I’m really not a fan of Duncan.
Ash clears his throat, setting down his mug and running a hand through his hair. “We all suffered with Mom’s loss. Dad got so angry and decided that vengeance was the best route. He began being really harsh about training, and I rebelled. I ran away about a year ago. I couldn’t handle it. But I was stupid. I only packed a small amount of cash and a few sets of clothes, and I didn’t think anything through. I took the bus out of town and ended up in Hot Springs just aimlessly walking around town. I had no clue where I was going to stay or what I would do to survive. I ended up in this small café, drinking coffee, when Mom appeared like an angel. At first I was in shock, then I was angry. I thought Dad had lied, then I was mad at Mom for leaving us. I stormed out and she chased after me. When I finally stopped to listen, well, I was shocked. I tried to convince Mom to come home with me, to tell Dad she was alive, but Mom was scared. So this was the compromise. We found this old cabin and made it livable. Mom doesn’t let me visit too often, but the hope is one day I can tell the others that Mom’s alive. Which is why I brought you here. I’m hoping you might be able to help convince the others she’s stable and not like the other wolves out there. She can control herself.”
Ah fuck, I shouldn’t have stayed. This isn’t going to end well at all.
“So, do you think you can help me?”
I look between him and his mother. His mother looks dejected, like she knows it’s an impossible feat. Ash, though, his eyes are filled with so much hope that it breaks my heart a little. He loves his mom despite that he’s been raised all his life to believe that the very thing she is, is a monster.
I should do the smart thing, I should say no, I won’t help him. But there’s a little part of me that has always held out hope that maybe not every hunter is destined to kill wolves. That maybe there could be a way to communicate to and live with those who don’t cause harm. Ash’s mother being alive and not hunting humans is even more proof that not all wolves are killers.
So I say the stupid thing. “I’ll try.” His eyes light up with joy. “But I can’t guarantee anything. Hate is very hard to overcome. Especially with your family’s history.”
“That’s okay. Even if you just help me start a conversation discussing the possibility of wolves not killing people, that will be a step in the right direction. It could open their eyes up to the prospect of meeting Mom as she is, which is all I want.”
I nod then look over at his mother. “This all hinges on her remaining sane of course.”
“I’m as sane as you.” She smirks, her eyes twinkling with laughter.
I stare at her for a moment. I think I need to have a quick word with his mom alone. “Ash, can I have a minute with your mom? I want to ask her something. Woman to woman.”
“I don’t know…” Ash seems to be a little
nervous at the mere thought.
Shelly smiles at him, one filled with the warmth and love only a parent can show. “Don’t worry, honey, she’s safe with me. I won’t hurt her. Besides, might be good if we have a little chat. I doubt you would have brought her here if you didn’t trust her and she wasn’t someone special to you.”
Ash coughs, and even in the dim lighting, I can see his cheeks flushing in embarrassment. Wait, does he have a crush on me or something? Is that what this is?
Ash suddenly gets to his feet, like he wants to be done with this subject. “Yeah, so I’ll just go wait outside then.”
He quickly hurries outside, leaving me alone with his mother. Once he’s out of earshot, I level her with a stern look. “Swear to me—right here, right now—that you’ve never harmed a human, not once.”
She frowns, crossing her arms in front of her. “I can’t do that.”
“You’ve killed already? Then why are you leading Ash on? Why give him hope of something that doesn’t exist? Once you’ve had blood, you’ll have a taste for it.”
“I never said I killed someone. But harm them, yes, I have. I haven’t bitten anyone either, so as far as I’m concerned, I am one of the good wolves out there. But what about you, huh? How do I know you haven’t killed anyone? How do I know you’re not a plant from a pack out there intending to kill my family as retaliation for what was done to you and yours?”
“I’ve never killed a human. I use my unique situation to slay others of my kind who do kill humans. And I, too, have never bitten another human. As far as retaliation on your family, I had no clue who they were until my dad and I moved here. And I intend to move as soon as possible. I don’t plan on sticking around long enough for your husband to find out about my nature. As it is, I have to go on a hunt with him and his sons next full moon. You have no idea how much that’s going to fucking suck, but to keep my true self hidden, I have no choice. I’m just lucky my father is coming along to keep Duncan distracted so I can run off before the moon reaches its peak.”
“Wait, your father is a hunter?” She seems to have gone pale at the mere thought.
Rather than out Dad more than I already have, I keep my mouth shut. He’s going to fucking kill me for making such a stupid mistake. Hell, for all I know, she’s been inducted into the pack that turned her and she plans on killing her family, or worse, turning them.
“Elizabeth? Is that what Eliza is short for?” Her eyes appear frenzied as she stares at me. “My God, yes, I can see it now. You’re Anton’s daughter.”
Still, I remain quiet, even though I’m panicking on the inside. Fuck, what do I do?
“Relax, honey. You’re safe,” she murmurs, her eyes still intense as she stares at me. “I know your father because he was the one to spare me that night.”
Chapter Fifteen
I’m pacing back and forth in the house, waiting for Dad to come home. Ash dropped me off just over an hour ago. The car ride back was silent and filled with tension, but not because of him, because of the bomb Shelly dropped on me.
Dad saved me, yes, as an infant. But he’s never once told me of her. I thought we kept pretty much everything out in the open, that he never lied to me, but if he could withhold that, then what else could he be hiding?
It’s well past ten when he finally walks in the front door. He drops his duffel in the hall and lets out a yawn as he walks into the living room. At the sight of me still awake on the couch, he pauses, a cautious expression in place. He knows I wouldn’t stay up for him without a reason, and this time, it’s a pretty big one.
“Liza, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing much.” I smirk over at him. “After the principal dismissed me from his office today, Ash and I decided to skip the rest of classes.”
“Oh? And you didn’t call to tell me?”
“I had planned to tell you in the morning, but that’s not even the most exciting thing that happened today.”
“Well, I’m glad you spent some time with Ash. He’s struggling with a few things, and his father and brothers don’t seem to know how to get through to him.” Dad moves into the kitchen, most likely to get a beer. Sure enough, I hear the fridge open and close, then he comes back out into the living room. “So what’s bugging you? There’s obviously something more pressing on your mind than hanging out with Ash. Come on, Liza, we agreed, honesty is the best policy.”
My grin grows at his choice of words. “Well, Dad, that’s what’s bugging me. Honesty. Today I found out there is a pretty big secret you’ve been keeping from me.”
Dad frowns, his eyes showing genuine confusion. For a moment I doubt myself, but Shelly knew my full name, so Dad must have talked about me to her. Duncan was the only one surprised by my existence. But she seemed to know me, like Dad had mentioned me to her.
It led me to believe there was more to their story than just him letting her go.
“I don’t keep secrets from you, Eliza, no matter how painful. I’m honest with you, with everything.”
I nod, pretending I believe the lie. “Cool. Well, I guess it’s my turn to be completely honest about what happened today. I met Shelly.” I watch my father closely. “You know, Ash’s mother and Duncan’s wife.” Dad’s eyes are wide with shock, and the bottle slips from his fingers and smashes on the hardwood floor.
I jump to my feet to grab a broom and some paper towels to clean up the glass. Dad hasn’t moved an inch, seemingly stuck in a state of surprise. I begin to wonder if he really didn’t know about her being a wolf.
Once the mess is taken care of, I step over to my father, giving his shoulder a gentle nudge. “Dad? You okay?”
His eyes are filled with terror as he comes out of the catatonic state he was in. “I’m so sorry, Liza. I did lie to you. But I swear, Shelly is the only secret I’ve ever hid from you.”
I help him to the couch and he collapses, like the weight of the world is on his shoulders.
“Well, it came as quite a shock to me, I can tell you. Ash took me out of town, and I thought he was going to show me his favorite tree or bar. What I didn’t expect was a ‘here’s my mom and oh, by the way, she’s a wolf, but don’t worry, she’s tame’ surprise.”
“I don’t imagine you did. I can’t believe Ash knows. Does Duncan know?”
I shake my head. “That’s why he wanted me out there. He asked me for help to try and convince his family that not all wolves are bad. I think he wants to soften them up so he can bring his mom home.”
My dad’s head snaps around to me with terror written all over his face. “You can’t do that, Elizabeth. I mean it. Promise me you won’t help Ash tell his family about Shelly. If he does, she will be as good as dead.”
My eyes narrow as I try to figure out what the hell is going on. Why doesn’t he want to bring their family together? “You need to tell me why, Dad. Why would I hide Tyler and Jayden’s mom from them? I can’t do it just because you say so. Not this time. She misses her family, she deserves to be with them, especially if she can prove she is in control of her wolf nature.”
“No, Eliza.” He’s shakes his head and digs his hands into his hair as his gaze settles on me in frustration. “The hunters who went in with Duncan and Michelle, they all knew how many wolves there were. The only person who wasn’t told of the details of the hunt was Shelly. I fear Duncan wanted her gone because of the waves she had begun making in hunter circles. She had a lot of people eager to reach out and speak to wolves that were found in human form. I was supposed to kill her because Duncan said he wasn’t strong enough to kill his own wife. But after I let her go and word of her ‘death’ got around, all talk of getting to know the wolves was extinguished. In fact, anyone who had ever met Michelle and was impacted by her in life became more anti-wolf than even Duncan. My gut tells me Duncan set it all up. I haven’t had a way to prove it, but I was hoping while we were here, I could somehow get him to slip up.”
I listen to each word he’s saying, taking it all in with a slight degre
e of shock. Could Duncan really do that? The man doesn’t strike me as the most stable guy in the world, but to set his wife up to die?
“I’ll do my best to leave it alone, but maybe you should have a chat with Ash. I doubt he’ll listen to me. He wants his family together so badly. He’s also not a big fan of being a hunter at all. I don’t think he will allow me to just let it go now that I agreed to help.”
Dad sighs and leans back on the couch, closing his eyes. “I’ll talk to him soon.”
“Good.” I get to my feet with a yawn. “I’m going to bed, because today has taken a lot out of me.” Before I leave the room, I turn back. “And Dad?”
“Yeah, honey?”
“Thanks for covering with the principal today. He was adamant on expelling me, but you saved my ass.”
He gives me a warm smile. “No problem, Liza. You know I’ve got your back. Now get your stinky ass to the shower and get some rest. I have a feeling the rest of the week is going to go by in a blur.”
Chapter Sixteen
Today sucks balls. That’s the only way to describe it.
Dad has given me the day off because tonight is the full moon and the night of the hunt, but my anxiety has ratcheted so damn high, I’m having trouble trying to rein in my wolf. I spent the day trying to sleep, trying to let my body rest enough so I would have the control needed when the moon struck its highest peak, but so far it’s been pointless.
She knows that tonight is the night she gets her moment of freedom. It’s such a surreal experience when she takes over on the full moon. Like I’m there, watching everything, and I have only a small amount of control. She just thinks in primal desires. She just wants to run, to hunt, to eat, to mark her territory. Me, I want to push her to the limits and see just what she’s capable of. What we’re capable of.
“You almost ready, Liza?” Dad pops his head in the doorway, his eyes filled with concern for me. I know he’s worried about how this night will go, but I’ll do my best to stick to the plan.
