Page 6 of Twisted Destiny

“I asked Calder to build a fire to get the chill out of the air before you got here. I hope you don’t mind,” Daisy said with a welcoming smile.

“Not at all. I appreciate you looking after the cabin after Henry passed away.”

“Our condolences,” Daisy said.

“Thank you, but to be honest, I haven’t seen him in years. I honestly didn’t even know he was still alive, let alone living here. I didn’t think I had any relatives left on the planet.” Had she known that Henry had survived Griffin’s rule, she might have reached out to check on him, then again, not if it meant Griffin finding her.

“How about we show you around your cabin, Hayley,” Calder suggested, holding the door open for her.

Butterflies twisted in her belly. She had no idea why she was so nervous. Was the nervousness because she didn’t trust the Alpha or the situation? Or was it because the realization had just hit her that she was truly back at Twisted Tail? A place she swore she’d never return to. She swallowed her fear, pushing it down inside of her. It served no purpose at the moment. It was as if she felt a threat from the Alpha or his mate. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Daisy had a way of making her feel welcomed and safe.

“Wow. I didn’t expect it to be so clean and tidy,” she replied as she stepped inside and glanced around. The clean and uncluttered cabin caught her by surprise. After all, she’d imagined finding the typical sanctuary of a recluse, packed to the rafters with junk and dust and more magazines than a person knew what to do with.

“As you can see, Henry wasn’t much of a pack rat, but there are a few things stored in the closets and cupboards. I dropped off these boxes to help you sort through them,” Daisy said, pointing out a small stack of flattened cardboard moving boxes.

“This old cabin is solid, but I’ll be honest with you, there are some things that need attention. The roof should be checked out, and I know it could use some new windows. You’ll notice there aren’t nearly enough electrical outlets, so you’d probably want that redone. There are also a few places where the paint could be touched up, but that’s just cosmetic and easy to take care of.”

“And don’t forget a full kitchen remodel,” Daisy said, pointing to the dated appliances and modestly sized counter with a tiny porcelain sink. “Really, this place would be perfect for a full renovation. It could be so cute.”

“Nope. I’m not even worried about those things. I just want the basic things checked out. You know, the bare minimum to put it up for sale. The next owners can have that fun with whatever design they want.”

Calder shrugged. “We’d love to have you here with us at Twisted Tail. This is your pack. I want you to remember that. But the cabin is yours, and you’re free to do what you want. I can refer you to a couple of people who’d be able to inspect the place and go over any work that might be needed.”

“I think I have that covered. Cam, from the diner, gave me the number of a guy she thought would be good. I was going to introduce myself, but he seemed to be in the middle of some drama with his wife or girlfriend. I figured I’d get in touch with him later.”

“Sounds like Jackson,” Calder said.

“And his ex-girlfriend, Sherry. I swear she’s made it her life’s mission to torment that man,” Daisy added.

“Hopefully, she won’t be a distraction. The important thing for me is if he can devote himself to the job. I really want a quick turnaround. What do you think of him?”

“He’ll be all right. Sherry isn’t from Twisted Tail, anyway. She blows into town every now and again and is about as welcome as a skunk at a picnic,” Calder replied.

Hayley hoped Calder was right. She could care less about her prospective handyman’s personal problems. All she wanted was someone trustworthy and focused on the job so she could get back to her life in the city.

“I wasn’t sure where you were planning on staying. I brought along some clean bedding if you’d like to stay here at the cabin, or we have a guest cottage at our place if you think you’d be more comfortable there,” Daisy said.

Hayley took another quick look around the cabin. Removing the dust cover from the sofa, she found it to be large, comfortable, and nearly new. The warmth from the fire made it feel especially cozy. “You know what? I think I’ll take you up on that bedding,” she replied.

5

By the time Calder and Daisy left, it was late afternoon. Hayley laid out the bedding that Daisy had given her, looking forward to stretching out after a long day. But the cabin was quiet, so quiet that it seemed strangely deafening. She was used to hearing the noise from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Checking the living room, she realized that Henry didn’t own a TV, but she did find an old radio. With some fine adjustment of the tuner, she picked up on only a single station that poured out a steady mix of familiar oldies.

While tuning the radio, a picture frame on a nearby shelf caught her eye. It displayed a black-and-white photo of a young boy and a girl. The boy was perhaps six or seven years old, and she guessed the girl was around three years old. Something about it intrigued her. Could it be an old picture of Henry with a sibling, perhaps her grandmother?

Noticing the photo prompted her to walk through the house and look closer at all the little things Henry had left behind. Up to this point, she’d maintained such a business-like approach toward her entire visit. And she’d taken that attitude very much on purpose. Hayley didn’t want to get bogged down by feelings or nostalgia. Not if she planned to pawn the cabin off on the first person who made an offer and run back to her life in the city.

“What am I doing? The last thing I want, and I sure don’t need, is to rip open a scab on some old emotional wound that I probably haven’t dealt with,” she said to herself.

In the hallway, she found another framed photograph. It was another picture of the same children, only older. She wanted to know these people. She always had. After all, these unknown relatives were a generation beyond the degenerate wolves who had ruined life for everyone at Twisted Tail.

As a little girl, she often dreamed of meeting her grandmother and pretended she would live with her in a fairytale world, far away from the crazy reality she had been born into. “I guess I’ll never know. They were nothing but ghosts to me then, and they’re nothing but ghosts to me now.”

She came across several more photographs. Many of them depicted what appeared to be other families. She could see the resemblance between her and those who appeared in the pictures. They were definitely related to her. The people in the pictures left her with the impression that they were all kind, decent people from an era she could only imagine when Twisted Tail was in its glory days.

But during her childhood, Twisted Tail was the furthest thing from good and decent.

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