Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance (20 page)

more isolated existence and I think they are being persecuted

because of that."

166

Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

by Lorraine Kennedy

Jessup had been silently watching their exchange, but now

he cut in. "Laura, I shot at those things last night, and I'm

telling you they were no ordinary animals. Now, I'm not

saying those people are some kind of spooks, I'm just saying

there is something not right about this."

Laura said nothing. She could think of no words to defend

Justin. Reason and logic didn't seem to apply any longer.

Jessup gave her a reassuring pat on the back. "Go find

your man, Laura ... and put your doubts to rest ... one way or

the other. Then do what you feel you have to do from there."

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Kenny tried to

intervene.

Jessup held up a hand to stop him. "She's a big girl,

Kenny. And I think if they were going to hurt her ... they have

had every opportunity do so already." He motioned to the

trailer. "It's not like there is anything to do here. I think this

is one that Duccini's going to have to quit." Jessup didn't

seem too disappointed.

Laura sat in the idling truck and peered at Justin's cabin.

After several moments of limbo, she warily looked to the

Beaver Creek road.

Would he be there?

Maybe. His bike was parked on the side of his cabin, so he

could not be far.

Before she lost her nerve all together, Laura put the car in

gear and started down the road. Coming to a halt in the town

circle, she knew that Beaver Creek was still deserted. But

there was one person sitting in the grass of the town circle,

busily whittling away on a piece of wood.

167

Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

by Lorraine Kennedy

Leaving the truck, Laura closed the distance between

herself and the elderly Indian. Soon she could see the pipe

that he was working on. There was a beautiful image of a wolf

carved into the wood.

"Excuse me, sir." Laura's raw nerves lent a high pitch to

her voice.

The man turned his wrinkled face in her direction and

Laura was shocked to see that he was blind.

She bit down on her lip, almost afraid to ask about Justin.

Chiding herself for letting their spook stories get to her, Laura

asked, "I was wondering if you might know where I can find

Justin Gray Eagle?"

He slowly shook his head, as if he were trying to

remember for sure.

Laura let out a sigh of frustration. "Thanks anyway."

Her eyes began scanning the town hoping there might be

someone else she could ask. There were only three small girls

playing jump rope in the street. The thought crossed her

mind to knock on a few doors, but she suspected that she

would get the same answer from anyone here.

Simultaneously, she heard a dull thud and felt sharp pain

crawl up her leg. The old man had struck her with the long

pipe.

"
Puta
! It's too late for you now. You can never turn back!"

The man's lips were moving, but it was not his voice, it was

that woman's voice.

Laura backed toward her vehicle, her eyes never leaving

the bent over form of the man. Wasting no time, Laura had

the truck started and was spinning tires as she shot forward,

168

Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

by Lorraine Kennedy

slowing only when passing the little girls who played in the

road.

Giggling, the girls continued singing and jumping in

rhythm.

"One, two, the moon means food

Three, four, he's going to eat some more

Five, six, the blood runs thick

Seven, eight, it's too late

Nine, ten, he's a beast again."

Laura's hands shook violently. Her grip tightened, turning

her fingers white from lack of blood.

The voices followed her, haunting her long after she had

left them far behind. Once she felt that she was far enough

away to feel comfortable, Laura pulled to the side of the road.

Her tears came in torrents.

"Please don't let them be right!" she cried.

More than her next breath, right now she needed Justin.

She needed to feel his arms around her, and to hear him tell

her that they were wrong.

An explosion of thunder sounded in the distance, rolling

through the hills like a buffalo stampede. The western horizon

was painted black with vicious clouds. Goose flesh rose on her

skin and she began to tremble again.

Tasting blood, Laura became aware that she had been

biting her lip so hard that her teeth had tore at the soft flesh.

She eased the truck back on the road. There was only one

other person that might be able to tell her what she needed

to know.

169

Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

by Lorraine Kennedy

Lost in thought, Laura had little memory of driving to the

Sweet Water Mine, but the sight that greeted her caused her

to bring the Bronco to a sudden stop. Terror clutched at her

throat, but she knew she must fight it.

Dewey Hughes was on the ground, struggling with the

large cat. Its jaws clamped tight around his calf, Dewey

kicked furiously with his other leg.

Laura laid on the horn, hoping to distract the animal. It

worked long enough for Dewey to get to his trailer and

through the door.

But that seemed to deter the animal only slightly. Now it

circled the structure, looking for a way in, waiting for him to

come out. The image of Kenny's car spurred her into action.

She didn't doubt that sooner or later the animal would rip

through the flimsy material of the trailer.

Too frightened to think, Laura was operating on instinct

alone. Leaving the safely of her truck, she picked up a rock

and hurled it at the huge jaguar. She missed, and the cat

didn't even turn in her direction.

Picking up several more rocks, she began throwing them in

earnest. There was a thud and a roar. The animal turned its

attention to her—now she would be its prey. In her haste to

climb back into the car, her shoulder hit the door, slamming it

shut. She pulled on the door handle but it was jammed.

There would be no time to try and get it open. Her only

chance was to run.

It was ten feet away, now nine. Laura turned her back on

it and ran. She looked back at the snarling commotion behind

her, and tripped.

170

Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

by Lorraine Kennedy

The ferocious fangs of a large wolf sunk into the cat's

haunches. The jaguar roared its fury. Razor sharp claws

swiped at the wolf and there was a yelp, but the wolf kept

coming. Its vicious jaws tore at the cat's flesh.

Grasping at her chance for escape, Laura scrambled to her

feet and ran for some cliff formations straight ahead. If she

could just find a place to hide in the rocks, and if it rained,

just maybe they would lose her scent.

Climbing the sharp, jagged rocks, she dared not look back.

Laura found a very little cave—the size of a small closet.

Crouching inside, she held her breath.

A shadow loomed over the entrance.

Laura knew she was dead. Closing her eyes she awaited

the razor-sharp teeth that would rip the meat from her bones.

Something had her wrist, pulling her from the shelter. Her

eyes flew open and a scream tore from her throat, echoing

through the small rock canyon.

At first, she was too terrified to see him. It was after he

shook her that she came back to reality, only to wish that she

hadn't.

Justin stood before her in naked splendor—hard muscles

rippling beneath copper skin.

But his eyes!

Laura gasped for air.

He peered at her through eyes of yellow fire.

Again her terrified screams ripped through the silence of

the canyon. She struggled frantically to free herself from his

death grip, but he only tightened it.

171

Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

by Lorraine Kennedy

"Laura, stop!" His words were more like snarls and served

only to frighten her more.

She kicked and clawed like a trapped animal but he

wouldn't budge.

"Laura, please stop. Let me explain." His voice sounded

more like his own and his eyes were changing to that familiar

golden-specked brown.

She had stopped fighting him, but could not cease her

trembling. Justin took her hand and led her further into the

rocks until they came to a large outcropping, overlooking the

Sweet Water Valley. His steps faltered, and Laura noticed the

blood oozing from his shoulder.

"Let's sit here." He pointed to the edge.

Laura's eyes were still wide with fright. A layer of

perspiration glistened on her face. She struggled to form

words, wanting to tell him that he was bleeding, but she could

not find her voice.

Justin mistook her effort to speak for revulsion and

anguish burst across his features. "I know you don't

understand yet, but you will. I will help you to understand."

He brushed her lips softly with his.

"Laura...." he paused, searching for the right words.

Turbulent black clouds now smothered the sun, and an

eerie wind moaned through the rock canyons. Justin's hair

was tossed about, making it seem as if it danced upon the

winds.

Even in a state of shock, his masculine beauty amazed her

and against her will she felt her body responding to his

nearness.

172

Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

by Lorraine Kennedy

Lowering his eyes from the sky, he gazed upon her face. "I

don't think any of us really know what we are or where we

came from ... but there are legends, stories that our elders

tell the children on long winter nights."

Justin waited for some kind of response but there was

none. Laura continued to stare at him in wide-eyed

astonishment.

"I'm sure you know something about shape-shifters. In a

way ... that's what we are, but there are differences.

"The shape-shifter is a human taking the form of an animal

for a short period of time, usually through a form of magic."

He continued. "With us it is different. We are born to be

what we are. We can love and hate like any other man but,

we have the instinct of the wolf. We are born with the nature

of the beast. We are the animal spirits in flesh."

Snapping out of her daze, Laura realized this must be

some kind of a joke. She narrowed her eyes. "Justin, you

know as well as I do that what you are talking about is

impossible. I do not like being the object of someone's joke. I

think you are playing a game to scare our people off."

She tried to get to her feet, but he reached up and pulled

her down, hard. His eyes were stone cold and she knew that

she had made the mistake of angering him.

Though spoken softly, his words were laced with stinging

fury. "It's true that I want the company you work for to

disappear, but I'm not making up stories to help this happen

or to frighten you. I am not a liar!"

"Just how do you expect me to believe such a crazy story?

I do not believe that anyone can take the shape of animals,

173

Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

by Lorraine Kennedy

or anything else for that matter. That is just a bunch of old

folks' wishful thinking."

"Would you like me to again demonstrate my abilities?" His

words were growls and his eyes had taken on that luminous

yellow sheen.

Laura backed away. The conclusion that she had imagined

some kind of transformation in him was fading rapidly.

"Now will you listen to me?" He had returned to normal.

She nodded. Any words that she had been ready to say

were now gone.

"Long ago, a Lakota band ventured far from their

traditional territory to winter in the Rockies near a place

called the Shadow Mountains. The local tribes knew this to be

a sacred place—where only spirits dare to dwell, but these

Lakota knew nothing of this." He paused to let her digest

what he was telling her.

"In this camp was a girl by the name of Night Blossom,

whom everyone thought might be a little touched by the

spirits." Justin motioned toward his head.

"Night Blossom began to act even more strangely than

usual. Some say she was simple minded, others say she had

the second sight, but whatever it was, she never questioned it

when voices began to call her out into the night. She followed

them deep into the forest."

"Each night she would follow the voices, listening to their

chants, and singing, dancing by the light of the moon."

"On one of these nights, out of curiosity, several warriors

followed her. Night Blossom led them to a place unknown to

174

Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance

by Lorraine Kennedy

man. A place called the
Outerlands
, where there was a city

known as
Coyopa
."