Werewolf in Alaska

Chapter 7

Rachel pulled her phone out of her pocket and pressed the buttons that connected her to Lionel. “He’s taken off. He went to the right, headed around the lake.”

Lionel’s voice came through the phone. “I’m on it. How is he?”

“I hope he’s strong enough. It was weird, though. I imagined I could hear him thinking.”

“Yeah, well, you know what they say about artists. A little bit strange.”

“I know. Flaky as hell. Follow him, okay? I need to know he’s made it to . . . wherever he’s going.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Text me if you get a chance, to let me know the situation.”

“I will. Go pour yourself a glass of wine and relax.”

“Fat chance.” She disconnected and stood staring at the spot in the woods where the wolf had disappeared. Stay safe, wolf.

An answer popped into her head, as if from a radio transmission. Always, Rachel.

She told herself she’d imagined the response. She’d wanted to believe he was okay and she’d fabricated his telepathic message to make her feel secure. But then she thought over their last few minutes together and what she’d admitted to Lionel.

While she’d talked to the wolf and stroked his fur, he’d looked into her eyes as if absorbing every word. She’d swear that he responded, somehow, because she’d felt communication flow between them.

No doubt she was letting her overactive imagination run away with her again. She couldn’t really read a wolf’s mind.

But what if she could? She’d heard of people who communicated mentally with dogs, cats, even horses. Why couldn’t she receive the transmissions of this wolf, especially if they had a special connection?

Closing her eyes, she tried to tune in again, but all she got was static. She sent out a question. Where are you? No answer came back. That made sense. If he was running for his life and concentrating on protecting himself, he wouldn’t have time to play telepathy games with her.

No, she couldn’t expect little messages of comfort when his very existence was in jeopardy. But she couldn’t leave the deck and go back inside. That would seem like deserting him.

So she’d stay right here and enjoy the view, something she didn’t do often enough. Polecat Lake, despite its unlovely name, was gorgeous. Evergreens framed the waterline except for the mirror-image clearings, where her cabin sat on one side and Jake’s on the other.

Off to her right, a vista both she and Jake could enjoy, mountains rose in eternally snowcapped splendor. Had she been a painter instead of a carver, she’d be moved to capture them with her brush. But she’d always been drawn to the tactile pleasure of woodworking.

The cell phone in her hand chimed. Eager for news, she opened the text from Lionel.

Picked up his trail. No blood.

She answered immediately. Good. Knowing that the wolf wasn’t bleeding loomed large in her mind. He had to make it to safety. He had to.

Humans. Must avoid.

She drew in a quick breath. She hadn’t imagined that communication. The words had come through clearly, and they could be from only one source.

Somehow in the time they’d spent together, she’d managed to tune in. The connection wasn’t perfect or constant, but in times of intense concentration on the wolf’s welfare, she was able to pick up his thoughts.

Leaning against the deck railing, she clutched the weathered wood with both hands and focused on the wolf. If he was in danger from the humans he’d sensed nearby, she’d hear his panic. She could text Lionel, who might be able to get there in time to intercede.

Made it past them.

Her shoulders sagged in relief.

Tired.

Her tummy churned. Should he stop and rest? She had no idea. She didn’t know how far he had to go before he was safe.

Getting close, though.

That was good news. She wondered if he’d moved deeper into the forest. Maybe he had a cave back in there, away from the frequently traveled hiking trails. Thank heavens Lionel was young and fit, because he’d have the stamina to follow the wolf to wherever he was going.

Her cell phone chimed again. Weird, Lionel texted. Moving toward Mr. Hunter’s cabin.

Jake Hunter?

Yep. Wolf stopped in trees. I’m pulling back.

Don’t let him C U.

I won’t.

Rachel whirled and ran back inside to get her binoculars. Suddenly things were starting to make sense. If anyone in the neighborhood would keep a pet wolf, it would be Jake. He was something of a lone wolf, himself.

She thought of his green eyes, so like the wolf’s. Maybe Jake felt a kinship there. He’d also been quick to buy that carving. She couldn’t figure out why he wanted to get rid of it now, though.

As she trained her binoculars on Jake’s cabin, she pondered his odd behavior regarding the carving. Maybe he planned to surrender the wolf to a zoo or sanctuary. If so, he might be riddled with guilt.

Now that she’d spent time with that magnificent animal, she thought he certainly should feel guilty even considering doing such a thing. She realized that if Jake planned to surrender the wolf, he wouldn’t want the carving around to remind him of his former companion.

She couldn’t know any of that for sure, but she intended to find out. She owed the wolf her life, and she was going to protect it from any threat, especially if that threat came from Jake Hunter.

Her phone chimed again. Holding her binoculars with one hand, she pulled out her phone and took a quick look at Lionel’s text.

Can U C him?

She put down the binoculars long enough to send a reply. No.

In trees near Mr. Hunter’s place.

Picking up the binoculars again, she focused them on the tree line to the right of Jake’s cabin. Deep shadows pooled under the trees made seeing anything difficult, but . . . there. That darker shape could be him. She watched a moment longer and decided it very well could be him.

She laid the binoculars on the railing and texted Lionel. Think I C him.

Want me to keep watching?

No. Go on home. And thanks!

Welcome!

Rachel tucked her phone away and picked up the binoculars again. Yes, she was now almost positive that black shadow under a large pine tree was the wolf lying down. She tried tuning in to his thoughts but got nothing.

Poor injured wolf. He was probably worn out from the effort of getting around the lake without being seen. He still instinctively stayed out of sight, and Jake, if the wolf indeed belonged to him, would have reinforced that instinct.

If the cabin was the wolf’s ultimate destination, he’d have to cross that treeless stretch, which was currently bathed in sunlight. Another hour and it would be shaded, though. Another hour after that, and it would be nearly time for Jake’s nightly skinny-dipping session.

Had he been at all worried that his wolf had been gone for twenty-four hours? Of course, she still couldn’t prove for certain that the wolf was his, but the evidence was mounting. If the wolf went up to the cabin, then she could justify driving over there.

Jake must have really kept that animal under wraps, though. She’d never seen it except for one glimpse four years ago. The wolf was news to Lionel, obviously. Ted might know. She decided to call him.

But first she dragged an Adirondack chair over to the railing and made herself comfortable. If she was right about the wolf’s plan, she had an hour to wait before he made his move. Propping her elbow on the flat arm of the chair, she braced herself so she could look through the binoculars while talking on the phone.

Ted answered, but there was noise in the background. Oh, right. He hosted some guys for a poker party once a week, and this was the night. She modified the question she’d been about to ask because she didn’t want Ted to discuss potential wolf ownership with his cronies.

“Sorry to bother you on poker night,” she said, “but I have a quick question.”

“Sure. I had a lousy hand, anyway.”

“Do we have a leash law in Polecat?”

“We might. I don’t have a dog, so I never paid much attention. Why?”

“I saw a dog roaming around Jake’s place and I wondered if it was his.”

Amusement laced Ted’s reply. “So if Jake’s in violation of a leash law, you want to nail him for that?”

“Darn right. A dog could get hurt wandering around loose.” Or a semitame wolf could tangle with a bear and almost get himself killed.

“Sorry, Rachel, but Jake’s not your culprit. He doesn’t have a dog. He travels so much it wouldn’t work out.”

“Yeah, guess you’re right.”

“You should let him know about the dog, though. If it’s a stray, one of you should call the shelter and have it picked up.”

“Thanks. I’ll do that. Have fun with your buddies.”

“I will. Fortunately I’m not in it for profit.”

“That’s a good attitude, Ted. See you later.” She disconnected.

Good old Ted wasn’t motivated by profit in any sense. She suspected that with his overhead he barely broke even at the general store. But he made enough to live on and stay in the place he loved best on earth. That was nothing to sneeze at.

Meanwhile Jake Hunter apparently made a tidy profit with his wilderness guiding business. She had no quarrel with his success, but she wondered if his long absences meant he was shirking his responsibility to the wolf, the one that nobody seemed to know about.

That was assuming the wolf was his, or at least used his cabin as a home base. She still couldn’t prove that for sure, but she was determined to find out. Settling back in her chair, she adjusted the focus on the binoculars and prepared to wait for shade to find that open stretch between the tree line and Jake’s cabin.

She didn’t mind the waiting, but she was getting hungry. Candy bars waited in her kitchen, but she didn’t dare go get them and risk missing the wolf when he moved. She felt certain he wouldn’t stay where he was. Gut instinct told her Jake’s cabin was his final destination.

But she had to be sure before she went over there. Assuming she did that, she might want to decide what she planned to say. For starters, she’d ask if the wolf was his. Whether he admitted it or not, she’d know from his answer. She was good at reading people.

Then she’d tell him about the incident with the grizzly and how she’d tended the wolf’s injuries. Last of all, she’d ask if he intended to keep the wolf or turn him over to a zoo or wildlife sanctuary. If she could get him to admit that he was planning to do something like that, she would offer to take the animal herself.

How that would fit into her life was a big unanswered question. She’d already debated the issue and had decided she couldn’t commit to keeping any animal, let alone a wolf. But this was the creature that had saved her life, and she would do whatever was necessary to ensure his welfare.

Maybe she could ask Lionel to help out when she had to travel. She could cut down on the number of trips, too. Some commissions required her to be there during the installation and some didn’t. She could become pickier about which jobs she accepted.

Thinking about that, she realized it was past time to stop agreeing to every offer that came her way. She had enough money invested to make her financially comfortable even if she never carved another piece. She would always carve because that was her passion, but she could be more selective about it.

If she stayed home more, she might have a better chance of finding a soul mate. She could concentrate on it, instead of trying to grab moments to find a match online. She knew in her heart that finding the right man required as much dedication as she devoted to her art, but she hadn’t been willing to make that kind of commitment.

Perhaps the wolf had come partly to teach her that she needed to do so. If Jake was no longer willing to be the wolf’s guardian, then she would take over and allow that to be the beginning of a new life, a new attitude. The more she considered that, the better she liked the idea.

Shifting every so often to make sure her arm didn’t go numb, she continued to watch the tree line. The wolf might not want to come with her initially, but she’d win him over. Once he realized that Jake was finking out on him, he might be grateful for someone who would buy him round steak and give him a soft bed on cold nights.

Daydreaming about her new, more peaceful life with a lighter workload, a companion animal, and perhaps the love of her life made her lose track of time. With a start, she realized the shade had reached the edge of Jake’s deck. And the dark outline she’d identified as the wolf was moving.

Adrenaline made her shaky, but she forced herself to hold the binoculars steady as she followed the progress of that dark shape. It was her wolf, all right. Sometime in the past hour she’d started thinking of him as hers.

Sure enough, he moved cautiously in the direction of Jake’s cabin. He looked ready to bolt at the slightest threat. Jake should be there. Anger simmered at his laissez-faire attitude toward this creature.

Neither totally wild nor totally tame, the wolf was caught in between worlds and needed human protection. If Jake wouldn’t provide that, then she would. Filled with righteous indignation, she watched the wolf slink up the steps to Jake’s deck.

Still no Jake. Was he relaxing with a beer while an injured wolf, desperate for shelter and care, crept into his cabin? What an insensitive idiot! The creep didn’t deserve the wolf’s loyalty, but the animal probably gave it without question.

As she watched, the wolf reached the sliding door and nosed it open. Then he slipped quickly inside. Rachel lowered the binoculars and stood.

She probably shouldn’t storm over there right now when she was furious with the arrogant bastard. But she was going to, anyway. She couldn’t let that wolf spend another night under the roof of a man who cared so little.

She stopped in the kitchen for a couple of candy bars, which she began eating on the way out to her truck. So she’d confront him while she was angry and on a sugar high. So what? That might be the best way to deal with someone as obtuse as he appeared to be.

Sometime during the drive around the lake, as she finished off the second candy bar and tossed the wrapper onto the passenger seat, she remembered that Jake was the guy who had been her first customer. That sale had jump-started her career. She was grateful for that, but bastards could do good things without realizing they were doing them. She thought Jake fit in that category.

Jake wasn’t her concern, anyway. She was focused on the wolf and how she would get him away from Jake and into her truck. If Jake was tired of taking care of the wolf, then her job would be easy. Well, maybe not if she approached him in a belligerent way.

Any hope that he wouldn’t be there, which would excuse his lack of concern for the wolf, vanished as she pulled up beside his truck, which was parked beside his cabin. He was there, all right, and likely had been inside his comfy home during the whole sorry drama. Meanwhile his pet wolf had feared for his life. Apparently Jake didn’t give a damn.

By the time she tromped up his front steps, she was spitting nails. He had a noble animal under his care, and he wasn’t paying the least attention. She hoped he was prepared to turn the wolf over to someone else, because she was ready.

She knocked on the screen door and got no response. The interior door was closed, so she opened the screen and pounded on the wooden door. Still no answer. She wasn’t about to leave without having a conversation with Mr. Jake Hunter, so she banged louder.

“I know you’re in there, Jake!” she called. “And I’m not leaving until you open the door! I want to talk about your wolf!” She’d raised her fist to pound again when the door swung open.

Jake stood there in a pair of sweats and nothing else. As always, he looked amazing. If she hadn’t been so enraged about his behavior, she might have enjoyed the sight.

Apparently he’d had some accident recently, though, because a series of red welts marked his left side. And his nose was bruised. Maybe he’d been in a fight.

She looked into his green eyes, so like the eyes of the wolf. When she’d gazed into his eyes three years ago, they’d been warm and full of interest. Now they were like chips of green glass, cold and hard.

He said nothing. Not hello, or come in, or even what do you want? He just stared at her as if hoping she’d take the hint and leave.

Well, that wasn’t happening. Mr. I Have a Great Body and I Know It was going to answer her questions. “A wolf let himself into your house a little while ago. Where is he?”

Jake’s expression didn’t change. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, yes, you do! You’re keeping a wolf, either full-blooded or a hybrid, on your property.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Look, I’m not going to report you for it, so you don’t have to lie. Reporting you is the last thing I want to do. I’m not worried about what would happen to you, but I don’t want that wolf confiscated, or transported somewhere. Polecat Lake is his home, and he deserves to stay here.”

Jake met that speech with more stony silence.

“Just tell me this. Are you planning to turn him over to a zoo or a sanctuary? That’s the only thing I can figure out, since you were so hot to get rid of my carving. If you’re giving up custody of the wolf, then you probably didn’t want the carving that looks exactly like him, either.”

He studied her for a moment longer. Then he sighed. “Ted Haggerty always said you have an incredible imagination. He must be right if you imagined that you saw a wolf waltz into my house. There’s no wolf here. There never has been a wolf here. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some things to do.” He started to close the door.

“Don’t you dare dismiss me!” She stepped over the threshold. Let him throw her bodily out if he had the guts to do it. “The wolf is not a figment of my imagination, and you damned well know it. Where is he?”

With a shrug that made all those yummy muscles flex, Jake stepped back. “Go ahead. Look around. Maybe this wolf”—he used air quotes to emphasize his mocking tone—“crept into my house without my knowledge. Maybe he’s hiding under the bed. Search the place if that will make you happy.”

“See? You know he likes to hide under the bed!” She was determined not to be distracted by all that bare skin. And where had he picked up those welts, anyway?

“Any frightened creature dives under a bed.”

“If you think I won’t look there because I don’t want to seem crazy, forget it.” She stormed past him. God, but he smelled good.

One quick glance around his combination living and dining room, which looked similar to hers in both layout and furnishings, convinced her that a large black wolf wasn’t there. She noticed that the kitchen had a pocket door like hers, so she walked in there, thinking she might find a water dish and a food bowl on the floor. He wouldn’t have had time to hide every bit of evidence.

The kitchen yielded nothing of interest. No food or water bowls. No dirty dishes in the sink. Either the guy was neat or he ate out a lot.

With one last survey to make sure she hadn’t missed any telltale signs of a wolf in residence, she left the kitchen and started for his bedroom. He came walking out of it, pulling on a plain white T-shirt.

She appreciated his decision to put on more clothes. After all the times she’d ogled his naked body through her binoculars, she had difficulty ignoring the up-close-and-personal view. This visit was about wolf welfare, not her infatuation with Jake’s physique.

“I want to look in your bedroom.”

He stepped aside and swept an arm in that direction.

“Thank you.” Keeping her mind on her mission, she walked in. The bed, of course, was sinfully enormous. It was probably one of those super kings, which a man of his size needed.

A comforter in shades of green covered the thick mattress. He’d stacked four pillows against the rustic wooden headboard. An image of him sprawled naked on that magnificent bed popped into her rebellious brain and wouldn’t leave.

“Don’t care, don’t care, don’t care,” she muttered, hoping she could make it be true. Dropping to her knees, she peeked under the bed. Empty. Damn it! She’d wanted to catch him in the lie.

Pushing herself upright again, she turned to find him leaning in the doorway, watching her. “Did you let him out again? I sure hope not, because he’s wounded, or did you miss that little fact?”

“Sorry, but I haven’t seen a wolf around here, wounded or otherwise.”

She hated the way his direct gaze affected her, making her doubt what she’d seen with her own two eyes. “He’s big and black, with green eyes. He fought a grizzly last night, I’m pretty sure to save me, and the bear raked her claws down his side.”

“A wolf attacked a bear to save you? That sounds like something out of the tabloids. Are you sure that’s what happened?”

“Of course I’m sure! I kept him overnight because I was worried the wounds would get infected. But I let him out tonight, and he came around the lake and opened your slider. I saw him do it.”

“How could you possibly see such a thing?”

“I watched through my binoculars.”

His dark eyebrows lifted. “Are you in the habit of watching my place?”

Dear God, now she was blushing. She felt the heat in her cheeks and glanced away. “No, not really.” She wasn’t good at lying when she was face-to-face with someone. “But tonight I was worried about the wolf.”

“Now I’ll tell you what really happened.”

“Oh, because you know?” She retrieved her indignation and pulled it around her like a cloak. She didn’t have to wonder where he got that bruise on his nose. Somebody had probably punched him for being so damned arrogant.

“The explanation is pretty obvious. You became very attached to this wolf, which supposedly saved you.”

“Yes, I did, and it absolutely saved me!”

“Whatever. Anyway, after you let him go, he headed into the hills, like any self-respecting wolf would do. But you desperately wanted to see him again, so when a cloud overhead created a shadow on my deck, you convinced yourself the wolf was here in my house.”

“That’s not right.” But the wolf was no longer in his house, so she’d have a hard time contradicting his story. She’d told Lionel to go home, so she was the only one who’d watched the wolf go through the slider. And she was famous in Polecat for her active imagination.

“You can continue to think what you like.” He pushed himself away from the doorframe. “But if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.”

“Why did you give Ted that carving?”

He looked straight at her. “Got tired of it.”

Ouch. Well, she’d asked him after all. She couldn’t complain if she didn’t like the answer. “You could have sold it for a lot of money.”

“Didn’t want the hassle. Are we done here?”

“Yes.” She’d taken about all the insults she could handle for one evening. “We’re so done.”

“Good.” He walked into the living room and opened the front door.

She couldn’t get through it fast enough.

“Have a nice night,” he called after her.

Spinning around, she let go with a parting shot. “I know you’re connected to that wolf, and somehow I’m going to prove it.”

“No, you’re not. Good-bye, Rachel.” He closed the door.

She wanted to yell in frustration. But that wouldn’t accomplish anything and might startle any wild creatures nearby, including, perhaps, the wolf in question. Climbing into her truck, she pulled onto the two-lane road. Instead of going back the way she’d come, she drove slowly the other way and peered into the woods.

“Are you out there, wolf?” She tried to tune in to his mind, but all she got was static. After being the most real thing in her life for twenty-four hours, he seemed to have totally disappeared.