Night Wolves: Volume One

Chapter 2

2

Charlotte lounged on the porch swing of Boone and Ann’s home, nursing a beer that had gone warm from being in her grasp too long. After dinner seemed an appropriate time to head over to see what Wyatt was up to, but she hadn’t made it off the porch yet.

The front door opened, and Ann stepped out.

“I thought you said you were going to stop by Wyatt’s,” she commented.

Charlotte straightened. “He didn’t mention a time. If I’m early I don’t want to have to sit around.”

“That’s a bull excuse if I ever heard one.” Ann crossed the porch and leaned against the railing, facing Charlotte. Though Ann was her mother within the pack, she didn’t look old enough for the job. Her careless brown hair and eyes had a youthful sparkle, and aside from making sure Charlotte stayed fed, she wasn’t the typical mother-type.

Not that Charlotte knew what a mother would be like at this age. She met Ann’s accusatory stare and crumbled. “What if he’s trying to do that whole ‘courting’ thing?”

Ann made a soft, thoughtful sound. “I didn’t think he’d dive into your little pool of suitors.”

“I don’t know for sure, but what else could it be?” Charlotte emptied her beer and crumpled the can. “Damon had joked this would happen. I didn’t believe him.”

Damon’s words echoed in her memory. A fresh new face couldn’t help but garner attention, he’d said. Especially a beautiful one.

“Tell me those boys aren’t acting up and pressuring you?”

“There’s no pressure. A few polite requests to get to know me, but mostly I feel like they just… place themselves around me.” It wasn’t exactly t*****e. She’d dated before, but the men of her pack were on another level. The mere scent of them perked her blood, and they all had levels of the feral mystery that had captivated her when she first met Damon.

But Damon is the max in wild s*x appeal. Talk about dialing it past eleven.

Charlotte stared at the crushed tin she held. “I thought the whole ‘mating for life’ situation would mean most guys would hang back. Is this attitude a lupine thing or a pack thing?”

“I couldn’t really say. The Bronze pack is the only one I know. But I suspect it’s just us.” Ann reached out and took the can from Charlotte. “If you aren’t interested in all the attention, why haven’t you made things official with Damon?”

Charlotte met Ann’s sly smile. “There’s nothing,” she mumbled. “I mean, yeah he and I got close, but since we returned, it’s fine. We’re friends.”

“I remember when Boone and I were just friends,” Anne replied with a smirk.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “I get it. And I know that I should just see where we stand, once and for all. Every time I start to ask him about it, the conversation just goes—” She stopped herself. Although Ann wasn’t her real mother, things had taken an awkward turn. “Nevermind.”

“I’ll take a guess and say you never had any deep relationships before,” Anne said gently. “Connecting with another person can be profound. It can also be uncomfortable.”

Charlotte smiled and slid from the swing. “Something like that. I, uh. Guess I should go.”

Anne’s eyes twinkled as if she knew all the secrets Charlotte kept, but she said nothing.

Charlotte hurried away, not slowing until the cabin was a speck over her shoulder. Without fail, each time she tried to tell Damon she wanted to get closer to him, she chickened out.

She’d never had that problem before, but Ann’s guess was right on the dot. Boys had come and gone, but the relationships were incredibly shallow, revolving around physical attraction or just combining s*x and mutual interests. There were few fluttery heart moments. Truthfully, she didn’t want them.

And I bet if I’d asked, Ann would have said it’s a lupine thing. Internally wired to only get butterflies for a compatible male. Human men need not apply.

A trailer appeared to her left and she headed towards it until she noticed the sparkling fake gems of a wind chime. She looked around, seeking out something without the typical adornments of a mobile home. After a few minutes, she found Wyatt sitting on the back of an old blue truck. He waved and hopped down.

“Hey there, stranger,” he said brandishing his usual grin.

“Hey.” She met him at the truck. “I think the truck stands out more than the trailer.”

He glanced over his shoulder. “It does that. But I guess I wasn’t thinking. I just got the thing, sometimes I forget about it.”

“Not too many cars around here.”

“It’s a sign of my optimism. If I end up travelling, I’m not a fan of bikes.” He walked her to a small table to the side of his trailer. “Wait here a moment? I’ll go grab your gift.”

She sat in one of the folding chairs and nodded as he disappeared inside. When he emerged, he held a book with a small red bow taped to the front.

His brow wrinkled for a moment before he handed it over. “Either this is going to be sweet or lame, and I’m sorry if it’s the latter.”

The bow covered the title of the book, but once she carefully pulled it free, she grinned. Flowers and leaves decorated the cover. The Guide to Modern Herbs and Medicine. She flipped through, not reading but processing her thoughts. “Gardening?”

“You’ve mentioned how important it is to commune with nature.” He shrugged. “I get it. You want to connect to the life you’ve found. And watching you… everything seems to fascinate you.”

Looking at the glossy book cover, she considered the thought he’d put into the gift, feeling guilty for not noticing him before.

While she was trying to find her place, apparently, he’d been right there with her. They’d rarely spoken to each other, but she’d spent most of her time socializing in groups. He was there, paying attention. “It’s sweet. Definitely.” She met his warm gaze. “I always wondered if I had a green thumb. It’s like you read my mind.”

“This is more than about planting seeds. It goes over what plants can be used to heal. Is it presumptive to think that would interest you?”

“Presumptive? More like psychic. Since I found you all, you’ve given me more than I could have imagined. I keep wondering how I could repay the kindness.”

“You don’t owe us a thing. But if it called to you, it would be incredibly helpful.”

“It’s something that I’d like to learn, but I don’t know the first thing about any of it. I probably can’t even tell basil from nightshade.”

“Will you give it a try?”

“Of course,” she promised.

If they weren’t sitting, she’d have hugged him. Most of the pack had trade skills or picked up odd jobs in town. The nearest town mistakenly thought the Bronze pack was a gypsy settlement, and the confusion was in their favor. It meant that the neighboring citizens didn’t question their pack’s seclusion, at the very least.

But Charlotte didn’t have years of experience doing anything that could earn her money, nor did she want to work with humans now that she’d learned she wasn’t one. His understanding of what she was looking for surprised her.

“Since you’re here, join me for a drink?” he asked.

She nodded. “I’d like that.

He disappeared inside again, and when he returned slid a dark bottle her way, saying, “It’s cheap but it’s stronger than your average beer.”

She lifted it and clinked it to his. “Cheers,” she toasted. The beer didn’t taste different, not that she was a connoisseur. Staring at the label, she mused aloud, “I used to get annoyed at parties. My dates were usually drunk before I was buzzed.”

“I’m sure you were still fun.”

“Eh. Hard to say.” She studied his smile, reminded that they were heading in the direction of talking about dates and her past, things that she didn’t want to relive. “So, besides scaling trees, what else does your training entail?”

He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his cheek, seeming to think. “Probably more than I could list, to be honest. Becoming a runner requires a lot of an individual.”

“I’d love to know. It’s not in my cards, but still,” she urged.

“Alright.” He took a quick swig from his bottle and rested it on the table, tapping his thumb against the neck. “Before I can start missions, I must prove myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. Not everything can be trained for. I have to capitalize on the strength and speed I have naturally. It’s not just about having them, I have to know every way to utilize them to my advantage.”

“I understand that. Damon’s told me about how it can be dangerous alone. Sometimes it’s about running, sometimes fighting. But mentally? Spiritually?”

“You may not be able to get this, but for most of us, being away from family and friends, from pack, is like missing a part of one's heart. That tests us. Some lupine are exiled or may choose to abandon their pack, and usually, that can lead to madness. Sometimes violence. Without the pack's guidance, some are drawn to hunting humans under the wolf moon.”

“That’s awful.”

Wyatt nodded. “When I say mental strength, I mean my own. When I speak of spirit, I mean my wolf. Even though we are one, we experience moments individually. It’s not enough that I can handle the isolation. My wolf has to be independent enough to not panic when there is no comfort to be found.”

“Another hole in the lone-wolf logic then… if our wolves panic.”

“Nah. Our wolves tend to handle everything a lot better. That’s almost the problem. If one side of me is panicked and the other is calm, balance vanishes. The wolf could take over.”

“Would that be so bad?” She leaned back and stared at the sky. “My wolf seems to know what she wants, better than I do.”

“The wolf in you would rather not be walking around like a human. It’s not unusual for it to break free, so to speak, and run wild.”

“Fair point.” She pondered the implications of that but didn’t press further. “Damon said you would probably be joining him soon. Doesn’t that mean you’ve passed?”

“Not quite. I’ll be joining him when he’s headed far enough away for my final trial. He’ll lead me out, away from any major city. I have to survive a month and find my way back.”

Charlotte’s eyes widened. “A month?”

“I’m not worried. It’s not like I haven’t spent time away before.”

“I was more thinking about how I probably wouldn’t last a week by myself in the middle of nowhere.” She shook her head and sipped her beer. “This is about as wild as I can handle. I can do the cozy little cabin. I can handle being an hour away from stores. I can even handle the insane number of bugs that sneak into my bedroom. But much more than that, I don’t think I’m built for.”

He chuckled, and his broad shoulders lifted in a weak shrug. “You’re probably stronger than you think, but yeah. Being a runner takes a special level of crazy, even for us.”

“Seems like an important job though.”

He sipped his beer and watched her for a moment. “Is that why you’re curious?”

“Yeah. It’s just another aspect to learn about,” she replied.

“Right.” He pushed his now empty bottle across the table. “Do you happen to know where Damon’s next mission is?”

She shrugged, wondering if she could tell him. “Is it supposed to be a secret?”

“Nah. If it was I wouldn’t ask. It’s more like… Damon’s the type to let me know last minute. Catch me unprepared.”

“In that case, it’s up north, by the border. Quite the journey. I guess it’ll take a few days just to get there.” Finishing her beer, she leaned forward, ready to hint that she should head home. Wyatt was good company, but it was late given that she’d only gotten a few hours of sleep.

“North? The Sun pack tends to migrate along that border. I wonder if we’ll cross paths.”

“The Sun pack?”

“Surprised he didn’t mention them to you. One of the few Asian packs. Roots from China, Yunnan I think.” He furrowed his brow. “I realize you aren’t sure where you’re from, but I assumed he was checking any…” His voice trailed off.

With no idea where she was from, Charlotte didn’t even know her genetics. Chinese was certainly a possibility. “I bet he didn’t mention it because he didn’t want to get my hopes up. I would’ve asked to go. He would’ve had to say no.”

“He probably could’ve told you anyhow.”

Yeah, he should have. She smiled, hiding her frustration. “It’s okay. But it’s time for me to head home. Not enough sleep, you know.”

He rose and held out his hand, which she took to stand despite it seeming an unnecessary courtesy. “I can walk you home.”

She glanced back over her shoulder. The sun had set, but she’d become used to her night vision since leaving the city. “I’ve got it. It’s not far, and it’s safe, I know.”

His crooked grin had returned, and though his lips twitched as if he’d come up with a protest, he stayed quiet.

After grabbing the book, she shifted awkwardly on her feet. She stepped forward and gave him a quick hug. “Have a good night, then.”

“You too.”

The leaves crunched under her feet as she marched off into the night, holding her gift close to her chest. She hadn’t asked all the questions she wanted of Wyatt, but there were always other nights. He’d given her plenty to think about in the meanwhile.