The Wolf You Feed Arc (10 page)

“I guess my boys were destined to have wolf in them!”

“They’re thoroughbreds. Your little guys are pure Lycanthrope.”

Tore laughed, “I’ll have my work cut out for me then, if they grow up like us.”

Liam stood, “Too right. Speaking of which, you’re gonna need a better pay check than what you’re getting at the warehouse, if you’re gonna give your kids what they need. Hand in your notice and you can start here Monday. Basic pay is double what you’re earning and there are tips on top.”

“Liam, I don’t know how to thank you.”

Liam waved his thanks away. “I thought I’d lost my family. Not going to turn my back on you now I’ve found you again. Ah, here she is.” Liam kissed Jessie on the cheek and draped his arm over her shoulder. “Jessie, let me introduce you to my youngest brother.”

The following Saturday, Liam gave Tore the grand tour. The main building was a massive fourteen thousand square feet. It was built of stone and housed a cozy bar, restaurant, games room, and five star guest rooms. “We have twenty studio style log cabins with kitchenettes and luxury bathrooms,” Liam said.

Walking along the back terrace, Tore was surprised how huge the place was. “Impressive!”

A picturesque lake set against manicured lawns provided an idyllic view from the Lodge. They walked along its shore, Liam pointed towards the other side. “Over there, we have a small camping ground, tents and RV standing. There are two shower blocks, and another games room. There’s a state of the art, do-it-yourself meat prep and storage area so guests can prepare and store their kills. You should see the refrigeration units, they’re bigger than Dad’s cave!”

Liam pointed towards the Lodge restaurant.

“Guests often ask us to cook what they catch. It’s a nice little money maker. Costs me nothing. They pay the chef directly to prepare the food, and the leftovers feed my staff.

“That’s what I call win-win.” Tore said.

“Too right!” Liam took the left fork down a small track and led Tore into dense woods that surrounded the property. After five hundred feet, they stopped by a small lock box. On top of the box was a notebook and pencil, slipped inside a plastic bag. “There’s one of these at the head of each trail. I give a different route to each guide, spreading the parties as much as possible to avoid any accidents. Only one group is allowed on each trail. No exceptions, ever. Each goes in a different direction from the Lodge. Once you are a mile out, the trail ends and you’re safe to hunt in the marked area.”
 

Tore confirmed he understood.
 

“Once you get to the trail head, you have to follow standard procedures. Fill in this book so we can locate guests, if necessary, or in case of emergencies.”

Liam unlocked the box.

“Before heading off from here, you need to mark the trail as occupied and then radio in.”

He reached in the box and took out a small flag, which he attached to a long flexible pole that stretched out from the top of the box.

“You see a flag on your allotted trail, don’t go in. Radio in the discrepancy, we’ll find you another trail while we clarify its status. Last thing I want is anyone getting shot because they crept up behind another group. We have an excellent safety record here and want to keep it, and my license.”

“Mark trail, record in book, confirm by radio. Got it.”

“When you come back, you radio in again, remove the flag. Right, that’s the business side done, how about we explore my grounds au naturel?”

“Okay, but what’s that?” Tore pointed to a spray bottle in the lock box.

“That?” He pulled it out and passed it over for Tore to look at.

“Scent Killer?”

“Yup. We spray the clients and then even the white tailed deer can’t smell them. If you cover yourself in this, I couldn’t smell you standing next to me. It’s dynamite stuff.”

“Damn. Wish I’d known about this when we ran from the clan.”

“You mean you didn’t use it? How the hell did you make it out of there? Jeez, their trackers could find you here. You must have left a trail halfway across America.”

“We’re good, Liam. It was touch and go for a while but I’m positive we lost them in Nebraska. Hopped aboard a train and didn’t get off until Tulsa.”

“That was smart thinking. You ready to take that run now?”

They stripped and put their clothes into the lock box before shifting.

They fell into an easy lope down the trail. After a mile, the marked trail disappeared and the woods opened into fields. Liam showed Tore where he’d killed a huge stag one autumn.
Just through those trees, a bull elk charged a group of guests when they got too close.

 
A couple of hours later, they turned back towards the trail. Liam looked over his shoulder at Tore.

Race you back!
Before he could reply, Liam was gone.

Tore struggled to gain ground over the first five hundred feet. Liam was a sprinter. Erik used to say he was good in the rush because he set off like a rocket launcher, but if he was lead tracker, he exhausted everyone else before they got to their prey.

Tore was no slouch but he wasn’t a sprinter. Endurance was more his thing. As Liam tired and slowed, Tore still had gas in the tank to kick it up a gear. Within another hundred yards, he’d caught up with his brother.
So long Liam
.

By the time Liam made it back to the drop box, Tore was pulling on his pants. Grumpy, Liam shifted. “Humph! We’ll call that beginners luck,” he said as he dressed.

Tore stifled a laugh and punched Liam on the shoulder.

“Beginners luck? Erik always said you had no idea how to pace yourself. You still don’t.”

Liam glared at him for a second, and then shrugged his shoulders. He knew Tore won fair and square. They walked back to the Lodge across the parking lot, and Liam threw Tore a set of keys.

“Your jeep is the one on the end. Don’t ding it and keep it topped off with gas. We have an account at Larry’s two miles out of town. You’re responsible for maintenance so look after it.”

Tore grinned and reached out his hand to thank him.

“I appreciate this, bro.”

Liam nodded. “Listen, Tore, there’s a cottage set away from the property if you want it. I have three of them for my workers. There’s plenty of room for the five of you there.”

“Nah, we’re okay. You’ve done too much for me already. Anyway I made an agreement with my landlord to fix his place up instead of paying rent for a couple of months. I want to honor that. Max Albright helped us out, I don’t want to throw it back in his face.”

Liam nodded again. “I respect that, but think it over, it makes more sense to move in here. I know Albright, he’ll understand. Fix his place up then move in with me. I want you close, Tore. Now we’ve found each other again, I want you by my side. Right, you ready to find the girls and eat? Jessie thought we’d grill. Well, she thought I’d grill! After saying that, she makes terrific sides and her desserts are to die for.”

 
9

Three Years Later, Gray Wolf Hunting Lodge, AK, May 1983.

“Nea is that you?” Annike called as she walked from the boys’ room. The cabin at Gray Wolf Lodge was bigger than those at the commune and the one they’d rented from the Albrights.

There were four separate bedrooms, two on either side of the main living area. The lounge and kitchen took up the central space. Tore, Annike and the boys occupied the east side, leaving Nea some privacy on the west. For the time being, the other bedroom remained spare. Annike hoped one day soon, she and Tore would increase their family and put the room to good use.
 

“Yeah it’s me.” Nea appeared at the kitchen door, slipping off her shoes. “My feet are killing me!” She’d been on them since before six that morning.

Nea spent most days helping Jessie with housekeeping in the mornings, over at the Lodge. During the afternoons, she worked in the kitchen prepping for the evening meals. Annike took charge of their three-year-old boys and Jessie’s almost-five-year-old, Kai. Annike was great with the kids. She preferred to be with them instead of working around the Lodge. However, she often felt guilty that she spent all her time with the boys leaving Nea to do all the work. Nea didn’t mind, in fact, she found it a relief.
 

Recently, Nea had begun to find as many reasons as she could to spend time away from the house. She found herself coming home later and later. Tonight it was almost eight. She was glad that Rune would be in bed. Her heart filled with sadness as the thought popped into her head. She saw her child less and less these days. But in truth, she was relieved. Nea found it too painful to be around him. Instead, Nea paid Annike to babysit. Annike, of course, refused to take any money but Nea opened an account for her and deposited part of her paycheck each week. Her friend had yet to touch it, but it made Nea feel better.

“How was your day?” Annike asked. “Oh, you look so tired. Let me make you a cup of tea.” She went straight to the stove and lit the flame under the kettle.

Nea’s weak smile was less than convincing. She knew it didn’t fool Annike, but she hadn’t been able to smile genuinely in weeks.
 

“Let me just go and see Rune.” Nea slipped out of the kitchen, sensing Annike was about to lecture her about taking time off.

Rune was asleep in his bed. He was such a sweet little boy, so beautiful with his dark blonde hair and deep blue eyes. His mouth curled at the corners as he burped wind. He was beginning to lose his baby appearance. Already, he was bigger than Kjell. The size of his hands and feet suggested he was going to be a large male, like his dad.
 

A lump caught in Nea’s throat and her stomach plummeted. Why did he look so much like that man? Being able to keep his father secret from everyone else grew more difficult every day.
 

Nea wished she could rewind clocks. But would she do things differently? One stupid night cost her Felix and exiled her from the clan, but it also gave her Rune.

Sometimes Nea convinced herself that her son was worth everything, but then she remembered what it felt like to be in Felix’s arms. That was when she looked at her son and hated what she’d done.

A tear dropped on Rune’s face as she bent to kiss him. She wiped it with her thumb. He stirred, opening sleepy eyes. “Mommy.”

“Hush now, just let me kiss you.”

Chubby arms wrapped around her. They hugged and kissed before he rolled to his stomach and fell back to sleep.

Nea returned to the kitchen. A steaming cup of chamomile tea and a sandwich waited on the table. Annike sat on Tore’s lap. They were laughing and whispering to each other. Tore ran his fingers through her hair. The look on his face was one of complete adoration.

Felix used to look at her like that, Nea thought.

Annike blushed and leaned forward to kiss Tore.

Unable to bear their display of affection, Nea grabbed her food, muttered her thanks and slunk into the other room. Jealousy welled up inside her. They always sneaked off for time alone. It was beginning to irritate and disgust her. Each time they kissed or held hands she felt resentment wash over her. All she needed was Annike to fall pregnant again
.

Shame engulfed her. When had this antagonism towards her friends begun? They were so in love. Why did she hate them for that?

Because she could never have it.
 

Nea ignored her plate and flicked on the TV. She was no longer hungry. These days her appetite disappeared as soon as food appeared in front of her. Nea’s weight was down. Annike pointed it out, even Tore noticed. She considered going to a doctor. Perhaps he’d solve all her problems with a little pill.

Or, she could solve them with a whole bottle of pills!

Guilt pushed the thought from her head. Exhaustion sunk into her limbs. Everything was too much effort. Nea was stuck in a vicious circle; she worked too many hours so she could avoid looking at Rune just because he looked so much like his father. She hated how mundane her life had become. Each night she fell into bed exhausted by her long day, full of regret that she hadn’t spent any time with her son. Then she tossed and turned until morning. Felix, Rune, his father — they filled her head, keeping her awake night after night. In the mornings, it was all Nea could do to throw on the crumpled clothes she picked up off her bedroom floor.