Page 11 of Midlife Wolf Captured My Heart

“I know. He can’t help the wanderlust that’s in his heart and I could never leave Angel’s Creek for more than a vacation. My parents and now my brother drive me insane, but I do love them. My clan is here and so are my friends. I have a job that I love and I worked hard to get. A girl can’t be a media coordinator when globetrotting.”

“What are you going to do?”

Sadie shrugged. “What can I do? I can’t stay away from him, and it’s not just because he asked me to be his research assistant. It’s that I’m drawn to him.”

“Maybe you’ll hang out with him and get him out of your system, as they say – whoever they are. Eventually, you’ll find your fated mate.”

“I know you believe in that whole fated mate thing, but I’m not so sure about it. I don’t know that I can accept the idea of fate deciding my future. I like the idea of free will. If people are fated for one thing or another, then does that mean some people are fated to become serial killers and some are born to be their victims? Were Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims born for the sole purpose of being killed by him?”

Talia sighed. “I don’t have the answer for that. Maybe it’s a combination of fate and free will. There are certain paths put in front of us and we can choose, like Robert Frost’s poem,The Road Not Taken.Jeffrey didn’t have to choose to be a serial killer, he did. It was unfortunate that his victims were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Sadie shook her head. “I don’t know that I believe in coincidences, either. Was it fate that made them go to that particular place at that particular bar and engage in conversation with Jeffrey, leading to their demise? What if it had been a different cop the night that one of his victims escaped and the cop had actually helped the victim?”

“I don’t know. I don’t have the answers for you. What I do know is that I felt something for Sebastian since I was very young and those feelings never changed. When I came back to Angel’s Creek as an adult, I caught his scent and he detected mine. It’s just like purebred wolves. They know their mate by their scent. Sebastian and I were meant to be together. Rory and Savvy said the same thing.”

“Dakota has a scent that stays with me. What if he is my fated mate, as you say, but he doesn’t stay in Angel’s Creek and I won’t leave? Am I destined to be alone forever?”

“I think that if he is your fated mate, then those three old women, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, who gather the yarn, put the yarn into the tapestry of life, and cut the yarn, will make itwork out for you.” Talia giggled at the reference to the immortals from Greek mythology.

“No, thanks. I prefer to run my own life if it’s all the same to you. I would like to think that if he, by some tiny chance, does fall in love with me and decide to stick around, it will be because of his own free will.”

The two women discussed love and destiny for a short while longer and then Sadie hugged her friend and went home.

Sadie was able to sleep in the next morning. Feeling relaxed, she took her computer to her deck and started researching wolves. She called him later that afternoon. “I have some preliminary information, which you probably already knew. Do you want to come over and talk about it?”

“Sure. I’ll be over in about half an hour.”

Exactly half an hour later, her doorbell rang. Her heart racing a million miles an hour, she opened the door and greeted him. The tall well-built man took her breath away.

“Please come in. Grab some coffee or tea and come back to the back deck with me. My family’s motto is that if you’ve been to the house more than twice, you are no longer a guest – you’re family, so you get what you want.”

“Is that because you all don’t want to wait on the guests and want them to take care of themselves or because if a person comes more than twice you trust them and like them?”

“Maybe a little of both. If we don’t like you, chances are there won’t be a second visit.”

“Fair enough.” Dakota opened the fridge, grabbed a bottle of tea and they walked out back.

“Like I said, I’m guessing you already know all of this information, but I thought I would share, anyway. Wolves use a combination of vocalizations, body language, and scent markings to communicate. I learned that the sound of a wolf’s howl can travel up to ten miles if everything is just right.”

Dakota smiled and nodded. Even though she was pretty sure she wasn’t telling him anything new, she excitedly continued. “They use different pitches in their vocalizations as well as different durations to communicate. If a wolf makes a short, high-pitched whine, they are either submitting to or greeting another wolf. On the other hand, a low growl either shows dominance or aggression.”

“Please continue.”

Sadie found it extremely interesting. Honestly, she didn’t know whether it was so interesting because it was a way to connect to Dakota or because of her love for animals. She decided that it was probably a bit of both. Almost feeling foolish because she was sure Dakota already knew every bit of information she was sharing, she continued.

“Body language is important to wolves. If a wolf’s tail is high and it is being wagged stiffly, that means aggression or dominance. A relaxed, wagging tail is a sign of friendliness.”

They continued talking about wolves and how they communicate. Dakota made a note that he wanted to photograph each type of communication for that particular chapter, although he assured Sadie that he would be taking pictures of a snarling wolf with a telescope lens far away from the beast.

“I might be brave and often the animals get used to me. However, I do not have a death wish and I have a healthy respect for the animals.”

“That’s a good thing, although you’d still be handsome with half a face.” Sadie grinned as he made a face.

“I’m getting hungry. How about pizza?”

Sadie nodded. “Sounds perfect. I have them on speed dial.”

As they waited, Dakota looked at her appraisingly. “You are very beautiful and sweet. Why don’t you have a boyfriend?”

---