The brothers had walked off into the woods to have their conversation. Since I hadn’t watched them leave, I had no idea of the direction they’d taken.
“I need to use our trusty outhouse,” I said when my legs finally felt usable again. Heading out to the porch, I surveyed the clearing before asking, “Do you happen to know where it’s located.
“I’m assuming it’s hidden behind the building,” Kenzie offered. “I didn’t see it when I was starting the generator, but I wasn’t looking for it. My guess is it’s back there.”
“It’s a bit odd to hide an outhouse, isn’t it?” I asked with mild annoyance.
“Do you really want a shithouse sitting in plain view of the cabin?” Kenzie asked with amusement. “Not to mention what happens when the wind kicks up.”
“Egad,” I said with a roll of my eyes as I stepped off the porch and headed toward the back side of the cabin. “What did I get myself into?”
“There’s my city girl,” Kenzie teased. “Do we need to mark the trees so that you can find your way back?”
“Very funny,” I called over my shoulder as I left the clearing to search for the outhouse amidst the trees that bordered it. “Just finish unpacking and setting up, will you? I’m getting hungry.”
“Unpack and set up?” Kenzie exclaimed. “How long do you plan on being?”
Her unbridled laughter floated back to me as I continued to walk while flipping my middle finger without looking back at her.
My bladder was about to burst and I saw no signs of the outhouse. If I didn’t find it soon, I’d have no choice but to go where I stood.
Not only was there no outhouse in sight, but I was feeling a touch of trepidation over the distance that was building between me and the cabin. I’d been so preoccupied with thoughts of Noah and the unsettling effect that he’d had on me that I’d paid little attention to my surroundings. Kenzie wasn’t far off with her suggestion to mark the path that I’d taken. It might have proven useful.
Studying my surroundings for the first time, I realized that I’d gone much further into the wild than I’d intended and wasn’t altogether sure of the direction I’d walked in.
The adrenaline that coursed through my veins as my mind whirled with scenes from all of the horror shows I’d watched over the years where monsters or predatory wildlife hunted humans in the woods and did unspeakable things to them, including eating them, caused my bladder to threaten to give way on its own if I didn’t immediately empty it. Seeing no alternative, I dropped my pants to my ankles and squatted where I stood.
The silence of the forest was assaulted by the seemingly amplified sound of the almost endless stream of my urine beating against the debris on the forest floor. A sense of uneasiness came over me to the extent that I felt panicked. I mentally begged my bladder to finish relieving itself quickly so that I could hurry back to the cabin.
I was just fastening my pants when a low snarl caught my attention. Almost frozen with fear, I slowly looked to my right. There, just a few yards away, stood an enormous snow white wolf. Had I not been so terrified, I’d have delighted in admiring its thick, beautiful coat. Unfortunately, my eyes were locked on the long, solid looking fangs that it displayed.
I squeezed my eyes shut while I thought on what to do. Running would be foolish since the wolf was close and much faster than I was. Could I use my psychic abilities to speak to it telepathically? I’d done it a few times with domestic dogs and cats. Even if I could, would it do me any good to tell it that I meant it no harm? It was a wild creature and a predator, after all.
My heartbeat was so strong that it pounded against my eardrums, making it difficult to hear much else. It was for this reason that I didn’t hear Noah approaching.
“What are you doing?” he asked with a hint of agitation. “Did you just urinate?”
I opened my eyes with a start to find Noah standing with his hand on the back of the beautiful, yet super scary wolf and a look of annoyance on his face.
“We have an outhouse for a reason,” he continued. “Your urine is going to attract the wolves in the area, or worse.”
“I was looking for it,” I feebly explained while not taking my eyes off the wolf.
His face softened a bit as he said, “You’re not an outdoors kind of person, are you?” When I vigorously shook my head, he asked, “Can I ask why you came up here with Kenzie?”
Seeing that the wolf was content to stand next to Noah and have its ears scratched, I allowed my body to relax enough to converse with him.
“I needed to get away and Kenzie thought this was the perfect opportunity,” I explained. “I’m not a total idiot when it comes to the wild. I’ve just never had the opportunity to enjoy it like this. It’s all new. That’s all.”
“I see,” he said as his mesmerizing eyes studied me. After an uncomfortable silence that felt like hours, but I guessed were only seconds, he added, “This is Snow. He lives in these parts. Since you’ve ventured into his territory and he’s now aware of you, you might as well get acquainted.”
As he moved toward me, the wolf did the same. With a renewed panic, I quickly stepped back.
“Stand still and let him smell you,” Noah practically barked. “This can go good or bad. The choice is yours.”
“If I let him smell me, will it go good?” I meekly asked.
He nodded and said in a low tone, “That’s what I’m hoping for.”
Snow’s moist nose felt cold as it brushed against the back of my trembling hand.
“You’re hoping?” I said with obvious distress.
“Just stay as calm as you can and let him sniff you,” Noah ordered.
After what had to be the most torturous few minutes of my life, the wolf completed its sniffing of my entire body. I doubted it left one inch out. When it finally walked back to Noah, I heaved a sigh of relief.
The fear that had kept me standing like a statue gushed from me like the waters that were held back by a dam that suddenly broke. The result was my legs failing me and the world going black.
The sound of a wolf howling was the last thing I heard before I slipped into oblivion.
The male voices sounded distant as I slowly regained consciousness. It took my head a moment to clear enough for me to realize that I was being carried by one of them and he wasn’t being particularly cautious about jostling me about.Confused and uncertain of what to do, I kept my eyes closed while I focused on the words being passed back and forth between the two brothers.“I can’t believe you brought them here just before the full moon. What were you thinking?” snapped Noah.“I had no choice,” Oscar defensively said. “I’m on a time crunch. Kenzie’s the only one I could find to help at the last minute. When she asked to bring Lisa, what was I supposed to say… no psychics allowed?”“It’s bad enough that she’s psychic and could pick up on something, but she carries a touch of the bloodline,” Noah complained. “It’s faint, but I could smel
After directing Snow to settle in front of the fireplace at the far end of the great room and making sure that everyone was seated in a comfortable position in preparation for the talk, Noah was the first to break into conversation.Focusing his attention on Kenzie he said, “I’m aware that you and my brother go back some years.” When she nodded, he continued, “He thinks very highly of you which is why we’re trusting you with something that’s been held secret.”“Not just from you, Kenz. From everyone,” Oscar quickly interjected.“I see,” Kenzie said in a slow and thoughtful manner. “Is this a secret that I want to know or should even know?”“I’m not sure you’ll want to know it, but you definitely need to know it,” Oscar replied.Kenzie looked at me and said, “What about Lisa? I’m assuming she needs to hear this se
After raiding the outhouse that was in the opposite direction from the one I took when searching for it and placing the contents they’d removed from it in a hefty pile over the spot where I’d urinated, Oscar and Noah said their good-byes. Kenzie had been given last minute instructions and had audibly vowed to start out first thing with the intention of getting the job done in record time. Oscar vowed the same.That night, I slept very little. Every sound in the night made me jump. With the moon on the verge of being full, it was bright enough for me to see the cabin’s surroundings without the aid of a light. I periodically peered out of the window to search the tree line for a man who was really a werewolf come to steal me away.I was still awake when I heard Kenzie clambering about the kitchen in an effort to get going for the day. It was obvious that she wasn’t a morning person. I’d neglected to bring a robe
I relaxed on the porch and enjoyed the cabin’s natural surroundings for an easy hour after watching Kenzie adjust her backpack as she hiked off into the woods to begin tagging duty. She was right about the weather. I’d shed my sweater almost immediately upon returning from using the outhouse. Sitting on the porch while reveling in the sensation of the faint warm breeze that caressed my flesh and feeling the heat of the morning sun on my face as it climbed higher over the treetops was so fantastic that I’d actually forgotten about Oscar and Noah’s outrageous werewolf claims.I’d also forgotten about Snow.It wasn’t until I was floating on my back in the clear lake water and spotted him sitting on shore near my clothes that I remembered the wolf. He looked so majestic as he sat watching my every move that it was almost breathtaking. Seeing how proud and tall he held himself also made me feel more at ease a
With both of us lost in our own thoughts, the silence during Noah’s and my trip off the mountain was acute. With my mind tortured by what had happened to me, I paid little attention to the drive or the time that it took.When he pulled down a long, narrow drive that was lined by ancient and massive looking oak trees that mingled with balsom fir and white pine trees, I forced myself back to reality.Positioned in the middle of a clearing that was circled by a thick mass of the same species of trees that lined the drive, his cedar sided house looked lonely, but majestic. The lawn was well manicured, but void of any shrubs or flowers. Since he was a busy man, it didn’t surprise me that he’d kept the landscaping simple to care for.Having met him at his rustic cabin and noticing the weathered cedar siding on the house, I was surprised to see how technically advanced his furnishings were. Being a fan of antiques and old homes, the d&eacu
Dr. Mitchell Blake was a small, wiry man in his mid-fifties who looked like a perfectly normal man. Had I not known that he was one of Noah’s pack, I’d never have guessed it. Then, I never would have thought Noah to be a werewolf either. The good doctor’s appearance helped to lessen the trauma that I experienced at having to expose myself to a stranger for an intimate examination. His mild mannered politeness also didn’t hurt.“You’re torn in two places,” he informed me after completing my internal exam. “They aren’t excessive, but I’m going to give you a cream to insert for the next few days. It will help to accelerate the healing process.” As he turned his back to me and searched the cupboards for the medication that he wanted to supply me with, he added, “No sex until I’ve examined you again in two weeks.”“No worries there,” I said with a tr
It was dark when I felt someone’s weight lowering onto the mattress beside me. Still groggy, I was only vaguely aware of the fact that Noah was now sharing the king sized bed with me.“You’re in my bed,” I drowsily slurred.“Actually,” he said with a low, soft tone, “you’re in mine.”Forced into a slightly more coherent state from the surprise of discovering that I’d been sleeping in his bed for the better part of the day, I said with dismay, “This is your bed? I’m in your bed?”“There’s no need to panic,” he assured me. “I want to keep you close. It makes sense to put you next to me during the night. This is the most vulnerable time.”Hearing his words, I moved a little closer to him. My body was still trembling. I wasn’t sure if it was still the remnants from the attack or from the reality of
Inserting the cream that the doctor sent home with me proved to be more difficult than I’d expected. The pain in my ribs and my fear of making matters worse prohibited me from being as flexible as I needed to be in order to do it properly. I was still struggling with maneuvering my body to better accept the applicator when Kenzie knocked on the bathroom door.“Are you okay in there?” she asked with a concerned tone. “Noah tells me that you’ve been in here for some time.”“He noticed I went to the bathroom?” I cried with disbelief. “Is there no privacy in this house?”“Not if you want to stay safe, there isn’t,” she replied. “What’s going on. Do you need help?”I hesitated for a moment before giving in and telling her that I did indeed need help. When she entered the room and I explained why her assistance was required,