Page 41 of Father of the Wolf

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She felt him stroke her cheek and then slip from her mind. It took a great deal of will power for her to turn her attention to Steve, who was still lecturing her on allowing strangers into her home, working with wild animals, and dating in general. It made her smile. Steve was a very good friend. Like a brother, he was trying to watch out for her in a sweet, but nosy sort of way.

* * *

“Come on Steve, Let’s get out of here,” Hope called Steve, who was doing a last check on the animals in the clinic. Her last appointment had left, and the evening team had arrived.

The day had been just as long as she’d expected, and even more nerve racking. She was haunted by the need to return to Athair. She felt as though he was calling her to him but was too far away to be heard. The feeling was so strong, she even called the house twice to be sure nothing had gone wrong.

Granny had answered her first call with a complaint that she had interrupted a serious game of blackjack. For the second call, Granny had passed the phone to Athair. His voice soothed her when he told her all was quiet, and nothing was wrong. Granny was going to next teach him how to play some other card games. Hope offered to pick up some clothes for him on the way home. Now she wondered how she would explain that to Steve.

Steve met her at the back door with his coat. “You’re in a hurry tonight. Anything to do with that tall, dark stranger being at your house, all alone with your defenseless old Granny?”

“No, but I want to make a stop before we leave town,” she said as they reached the car.

“Sure. Where to?”

Trying to come up with a good reason to pick up clothes for Athair, she thought the best route would be to distract Steve. This time of day food would be the most reliable means of distraction. “I thought we could pick up dinner. You can join us if you want. You know, for my own safety. What do you think about subs?” What she really thought was that there was a department store next to the sub shop.

They reached the sandwich shop in no time. She slipped into acting mode. “Oh, I forgot. Granny asked me to pick up a sweater for her. Will you get the subs while I look for the one she mentioned?” Her lines weren’t exactly Emmy award winning, but they were good enough. Steve agreed and she handed him some money for the food.

Hope raced through the store, having no real idea what she should buy. She settled on blue jeans, boxers, and T-shirts. She was in the checkout line when she remembered socks and shoes. How odd. It seemed more natural for him to be barefoot.

She made it back to the car a moment after Steve.

“Looks like more than a sweater. How many bags do you have there?” He pestered her during the twenty minute drive back home. Her only response was to say she had gotten carried away when she spotted a sale.

As they neared her driveway, Hope suddenly had an overwhelming impression of dread. Something was terribly wrong. She looked around but could see nothing out of place. Yet something was definitely not right. The feeling of being watched raised goose bumps on her flesh. But watched by whom? Or what? Had the ones hunting Athair found him already?

“Athair?” She called out, hoping he could hear her.

“What’s wrong?”

She sighed with the reassuring contact. He would know instantly that she felt fear. “I don’t know. I feel like someone is watching me. Have you seen anyone? I am almost to the house.”

Her nerves on edge, she gave Steve an unexpected request, “Drive all the way up to the steps, please.” Her driveway went around the side of the house, which was where Steve usually parked. The grassy area to the left of the walk was level and would allow him to park directly beside the steps.

As he made the turn, she caught a movement in the bushes from the corner of her eye. Whatever it was, it was much too big to be one of the cats. She pretended to look the other way as she studied the bushes along the side of the house.

There it was again. A flash of dark fur. Then a pair of golden eyes. Especially scary, glowing eyes.

Yup. This was going to be a run-for-the-house kind of moment. A lucky-if-I-don’t-wet-myself kind of dash.

“Steve, listen to me. We need to run to the house. Don’t look, but there is something in the bushes over to the left. I think it’s another wolf.” She said this in a quiet, reasonably calm voice while screaming for Athair in her mind. “Please open the door. We are just outside.”

“Are you ready?” Steve asked. From his lack of chatter and his grim look, she knew he had seen something, too.

She gathered the bags at her feet and looked at Steve. “Yes. Go.”

They sprang from the car and raced for the opening door. Although they only had to go a few steps, she suddenly knew she wouldn’t reach the door in time. Even with the healing Athair had done to her leg, she wasn’t much of a sprinter. She felt hot breath and a crushing weight throw her to the ground even as she heard Athair’s bellowed, “No!”

Chapter Fourteen

A choice of perception

A chance of redemption

Instantly, the weight was thrown from her as Athair shoved the wolf away and lifted her tenderly in his arms. “The wolf is Rath. Can we trust Steve?”

“Completely.” She clung to him and tried to get her breath.

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