Wolf at the door, p.1
Wolf at the Door, page 1
Contents
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Epilogue
More From the Author
Wolf at the Door
C. A. Hall
Copyright © 2022 C. A. Hall
Cover and interior design by C. A. Hall
This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any way, including information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author.
Chapter One
The first time I saw the she-wolf, I was five years old. God only knows why my father decided to take me on a hunting trip, but as he guided me through the frozen terrain, I found myself veering toward the back of the house.
Only a few years old herself, the she-wolf studied me from underneath the holly, her silver-blue eyes barely visible behind the leaves and snow. If she hadn’t blinked, I wouldn’t have seen her at all.
Fortunately, my father was so busy talking about the local wildlife and how to track it down that he never noticed the wolf following several feet behind us.
Fourteen years had passed since I last saw my father, and out of all the times I’d gone up as a kid, it never snowed.
Until now.
White flakes swirled outside my peripheral vision, making the road almost impossible to see as I continued up the mountainside. Leaning over the steering wheel, I peered at the path ahead of me and took the turns as slow as I could.
I should’ve waited.
As much as I wanted to get this over with, risking my life wasn’t the best of ideas. The roads were narrow, steep, and the few guardrails they had wouldn’t have saved me from slipping over the edge at all.
No wonder my mother hated bringing me up here.
With a steep hill on one side and a sheer drop on the other, turning around would’ve been impossible. So I kept going, urging my Tercel forward a little more.
I eased around one bend, then another, making good progress until my car came to a grinding halt.
“Oh, come on.” I blew out a breath and white-knuckled the steering wheel while gently pressing down on the gas.
The Tercel’s tires spun, gained a bit of traction, then slipped right back to where we’d started.
“Great. Just great.” Now what am I supposed to do?
I couldn’t go up, couldn’t go down, and the last campsite I’d seen was over twenty miles away.
I should’ve planned things better, but I honestly didn’t think it would snow. It was the beginning of October, for crying out loud. The most we got this time of year was a dusting or a few centimeters at most.
Knowing better than to sit on the side of a winding hill, I turned on my fourways, made sure the emergency brake was on, then got out of the car. The wind pushed at my back, biting at my skin as I tucked a tendril of dark hair back into place.
The world out here was foreign to me, empty, and quiet. But that didn’t mean I was alone.
In fact, as I continued up the hill, I felt as though I was being watched. Not by the cardinal, mind you, but something else.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” I took a shaky step, then stopped. “My car’s stuck,” I said. “I just need to get up the road, then I’ll be out of your hair.”
There was only one thing that lived out this way. One thing I knew for sure. There were no houses, no rest stops, and no cabins outside of my own. Because that’s what it’d come down to. The cottage was mine if I wanted it, but I’d already lined up a buyer, so this was my last chance to see it before it got torn down.
“I know you can hear me.”
No one answered.
I wasn’t sure what I was hoping for. A hunter? A kind stranger, perhaps?
My wolf?
My heart skipped. She wasn’t my wolf. Not only that but there was a good chance she wasn’t alive.
Someone’s definitely there.
Glancing over my shoulder, I searched the trees for movement, a fluorescent vest, or a pair of silver-blue eyes, but as expected, nothing was there.
“You’re paranoid.” I clenched my jaw, shoved my hands inside my pockets, then kept going.
A bird darted in front of me, its vibrant colors catching my eye as it flew from one bush to another. Laughing if only to myself, I turned a circle, then stopped. Someone watched from afar, their face hidden behind a deer’s pelt with ears that were rigid and worn.
“You shouldn’t go screaming around like that,” the stranger said, her voice just loud enough for me to hear. “You’ll get yourself killed. There are a lot of wild animals out here. Especially now that it’s cold.”
“Which is why I’m here,” I said without moving from where I was. This was someone else’s territory. I didn’t want to intrude. “There’s a cottage up this way. Do you know of it?”
The woman glanced up the bank, then back the way I came. “I know if it, yes. Been there once before.”
“The little girl–”
“Wouldn’t be so little now.”
“No,” I said with a nervous laugh while keeping my head down. “I guess not.”
The next time she spoke, she was closer than before. “I’m glad you’re well, but this area isn’t safe for humans right now.”
“I just want to see it one last time. My father–”
“Is of no interest to me.” This time, her eyes were cold. “None of them are.”
None of them? “Who do you mean?”
“Those who blindly take from our world.”
Hunters. “I’m not here to take your land or your food. I just want to say goodbye.”
The woman stood across the road, her face a mix of emotions I couldn’t read. Seconds later, she rushed next to me, grabbed my hand, then pushed me into the snow.
“Don’t move.” She pressed her hand below my neck, holding me down.
Minutes passed, and she still wouldn’t let me go.
“If I had a gun, I’d–”
“Quiet!” she hissed, her breath warm on my neck. “Okay, you can get up now. Patrols,” she explained as I dusted myself off. “I understand why you’re here. The others do not. I’ll take you to this cottage and watch through the night, but tomorrow, you go home.”
I nodded as I honestly didn't know what else to say. With night closing in on us, she stepped beside me, then guided me to a path on our right.
No roads go there. It was something my mother had said before I left, but I never thought it would be this overgrown.
“Was he ill?” I’m not sure why I asked, but remembering the cabin from my childhood compared to what it was now, I couldn’t help but wonder if something had been wrong.
The woman paused at the very edge of my father’s property and eyed the house. “Lock the door once you’re inside,” she said as I took out my keys. “Don’t let anyone in, and don’t go out.”
“But I need to–”
“Stay inside.” Her voice was firm. “I’ll come back for you in the morning.”
With that, she turned on her heels and left, vanishing into the snow as though she were from a dream.
The cabin door was warped, its knob practically rusted through. What happened to you? I wondered as I slowly stepped inside the house.
The door creaked on its hinges, putting me on edge long after I’d closed it behind me.
The cabin was small compared to today’s standards, but with a fireplace in the living room and a kitchenette by the entryway, it suited my needs just fine. There was even a room in the back, which was where I used to sleep as a kid and where Dad stored his extra clothes.
Carved logs made up the rafters above my head, supporting a roof of crushed stone, clay, and wooden shingles. I remembered my father changing them once, removing the loose ones while replacing them with those that were freshly sealed.
It was a lot of work, but it never seemed to bother him. Not even during a long storm.
“This really was your home,” I said as I imagined my father standing in the entryway. It was where he took up most of his time when he wasn’t making food, sleeping, or working on the fire.
Back then, I hadn’t realized the lengths he went to to stay here, far away from his family. But now, as I walked around and looked at the interior, a part of me felt as though I should’ve visited him more. My mother stopped bringing me up when I was a teen because, according to her, I had more important things to do.
As for my folks, they met years before I was born. Back then, there were more cabins and land to go around. Mom’s family stayed at a campground down the way, putting her and my father in the right place at the right time as they crossed paths fairly often. They met up again the following year. After that, they wrote letters. One thing eventually led to another, but my father couldn’t leave his home.
By the time my mother realized she was pregnant, it was too late. She decided to keep the child, all while knowing my father would never leave his hill.
“You stubborn old bat. You could’ve been with her. You could’ve grown old with her.” Instead, he chose a life of solitude, far from the emergency services that could’ve saved his life.
A hunter had found him several weeks ago beside the stream, starved. Mom said it was a blow to the head that had killed him, but now that I was here, I wasn’t so sure.
It could’ve been anything, but as I looked out the front window at the she-wolf prowling along the edge of the property, I realized the wolves weren’t my concern. They might not have liked one another, but my father never hunted them, not even after all of the tales he told. And for that, I was forever grateful. I still needed to sell his house, but at least I wouldn’t have to take out my revenge anytime soon.
It wasn’t until I opened the front door to gather some wood for the night when I realized what went wrong.
The wolves are hungry. The she-wolf might not have said as much, but I could tell by her lithe form that there wasn’t enough food to go around.
“He gave up his life for you,” I called out to the darkness. “To protect you.” To protect the wolves and to keep them from harm.
My heart stuttered. I choked back a sob, then went back inside and locked the door.
I’ll get some wood later.
Chapter Two
I woke to sunlight streaming in through the living room window and someone banging on my door. At first, I couldn’t remember where I was, but after rubbing the lines from my face, I recognized my father’s couch and smiled.
The sofa groaned as I turned onto my back. Giant cobwebs hung in the rafters above. No spiders, though. Which was a huge relief. Otherwise, I’d be out the door.
The knock on my door came again, soon followed by a frustrated growl.
“Hold on.” My voice cracked at the end.
“You’re going to be late.”
I rolled my eyes, then went in search of my phone. “It’s not even six o’clock,” I said as I squinted at the screen. “Come back in a few hours.”
When she didn’t say anything, I figured she got the message, then slowly stretched out on the sofa. My body liquefied, melting against the couch cushions as every part of me started to relax.
“I’m not an alarm clock you can turn off.”
“What the hell?” I sat up and covered myself with my coat which had somehow ended up on the floor.
The she-wolf stood outside the living room window, her arms crossed in front of her chest with her golden hair covered in snow.
“You mind?” I was pretty sure I hated her now. “I asked for a day,” I said, rubbing my face while closing the blinds in front of the window.
“And I told you you had until the morning. Your car’s waiting down the road.”
“Still stuck, I assume.”
“My father and uncle took care of it. You’ll be on your way soon.” She jiggled the handle on the front door.
“Haven’t you ever heard of boundaries? Manners? Asking politely, perhaps?” Not that it mattered. I still wasn’t ready to go.
I needed breakfast. Coffee. A cold shower. Something to snap me out of this nightmare.
“You humans and your useless rituals.” The sound of wood splintering was my only warning as she opened the door.
“Seriously?” I fumed. “You’re actually going to do this? You’re going to toss me out because I’m on your territory.” I used air quotes, but at this point, she probably had no idea what they were for.
“My father could’ve sent someone else.” She didn’t move from where she was, watching me as I walked from the living room to the kitchenette to get some water. “He was going to come here himself–”
“And I would’ve treated him the same way.” My voice was ragged, my mind overwhelmed. “He’s the alpha of your family, right?” When she nodded, I continued. “Well, my father was mine. So, when you lose your father, I hope another pack doesn’t jump on your territory, demanding you leave before you’ve had a chance to say goodbye.”
The she-wolf stepped back as though she’d been slapped. “I–” She paused, then let go of the door which could barely stand on its own. “You have an hour.” Fire burned in her eyes as she walked out, carefully closing the door behind her.
“Are wolves always this rude?” I asked loud enough for her to hear.
As expected, she didn’t answer.
My morning went to shit after that. No matter where I went or what I did, I was constantly looking over my shoulder. I couldn’t even take the photos I’d come to get because I was too busy watching for the she-wolf, another from her pack, or her dad.
“If my father was able to stand his ground here for the last thirty-five years, then so can I.”
I should’ve been able to, anyway. But as I walked to the stream to turn on the pump, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
“Don’t rush me.” My voice didn’t sound nearly as commanding as I would’ve liked. “After tonight, this is all yours. Be respectful, will you? Or do wolves not follow their own set of rituals?”
“We do,” a deep baritone said.
I froze.
“You’re a lot like him. Your father.”
I sucked in gulps of air as I waited for the stranger to step into view. He paused across the stream, wearing a deer pelt much like the one I’d seen on the she-wolf the day before.
“Should I be flattered now?” I asked without meeting his gaze as I did my best to push as much strength into my body as I could.
My legs shook. My heart faltered. I’d been through worse debates than this, and yet, my body felt like it was going to shut down.
The wolf tilted his head to the side, then put one foot in the stream. “No. Though you have upset my daughter.”
“I won’t apologize when she’s the one who woke me up and knocked down my door. Is this how you treated him? Like a lesser animal?”
“No.” His voice dipped. “I respected him. We all did.”
“Then why are you in such a hurry to get rid of me? I don’t have a gun. I’m not a hunter. I don’t track or kill. I’m not a threat. I just want to say goodbye.”
“We knew your father and his intent. We don’t know you.” He closed the distance between us, stopping right in front of me with the frigid steam halfway up his calf.
“I could say the same thing about you. My mother knows where I am. She’s come up this way before.”
“So if you go missing, a party will come looking for you, is that it?” A ring of gold formed around his irises, but as soon as I saw it, it was gone. “How much time do you need?”
“A few hours.”
The wolf cocked an eyebrow at me, then turned away. “You have until dusk. Though you might want to hurry. Another storm is on the way. Your car isn’t built for this kind of terrain. We got it turned around, but we can’t get you down the hill. That’s on you. The nearest emergency facility is–”
“I know. I have a time limit. A small window to get home. I get it. Are you done now?”
His shoulders slumped, if only for a moment, before he fixed his posture again. “Yes. Be safe, Alison.”
Alison. No one had called me by that name in a long time. “It’s Ali now.”
“Ali.” He glanced at me one last time. “Take care of yourself.”
I watched him long after he’d gone, ignoring the fact I’d turned on the pump or how there was probably a pool of water collecting on the kitchen floor.
When I was sure my legs were strong enough to get me up to the house, I turned off the pump, then ran for the door.
Time to go home.
After taking a handful of pictures to give to my realtor, I gathered the few items my father had and carried them to the car. The broken door was a problem. No doubt the wolves would force their way in and take whatever I left behind once I was gone.
“It doesn’t matter,” I mumbled as I got in my car. “I have everything I want right here.” I touched the box I’d placed on the passenger seat, then concentrated on the road ahead.
As I did, I couldn’t help noticing those looking at me from behind the bushes, snow, and tall pine. Just as I was about to go, I searched for one wolf in particular, but the one with the silver-blue eyes wasn't there.
