Big Red and the Little Wolf

Chapter 10

Kodi Pov

“Not bad for an old man,” I commented on Lyle’s most recent hit that landed in my gut. I threw a punch of my own, but it never landed. He avoided my fist by ducking to the side.

“This old man’s still got it.”

We were currently sparring outside of the cabin. Though the cabin was so remote that anyone rarely passed by it, we still preferred to do our sparring in the back. The land wouldn’t be described as spacious as the cabin had been built alongside a stretch of woods, but it was sufficient room for sparring purposes.

“You must be dreaming.”

His attacks against me increased. I dodged a kick to the side, pushing his leg down with my forearms. After ducking beneath one of his swings, I managed to get a few jabs in at his torso.

“That would be you.” He spun himself lower, kicking my legs out from beneath me. When he stood to his full height, he put his hands on his hips and looked down at me where I laid flat on my back. “Is this the time when I pinch you?”

I shook my head, sitting up. My uncle’s shirt collar pooled with sweat and his breathing was labored. He may have been more strained these days to do everything he used to, but he had maintained his physical fitness over the years and was still hands down the best hunter I knew.

Lyle offered me his hand, which I took to help myself get back on my feet.

“If you’re confident in your abilities, why aren’t you out in the woods with us fighting those monsters?”

Lyle shook his head before we began to walk towards the cabin. “Those days are over for me. There are years of experience between us that helps me outmaneuver you in training, but it’s been time for the next generation of hunters to take over for a while now.”

I opened the back door of the cabin, letting Lyle inside first. We then made our way to the kitchen where he pulled bottles of water out of the refrigerator. “Your advice to move in from the south was genius. We could use somebody out there who’s familiar with those woods.”

Lyle tilted his head back, emptying his bottle until it crackled and deflated in his hand. He then leaned his forearms on the granite counter where he stood across from me. “I haven’t taken you on a hunt since your training days. The training wheels have been off for a long time, Kodi. Besides, it sounds like you four managed all on your own this time around.”

“It could’ve gone better if Brady hadn’t torn his stitches. They’re still giving Zane a hard time, but he stepped up and helped me get a kill.”

“See? The best way to gain experience is by doing it yourselves. Scouting and hunting in this area has been difficult for you lads, but it’s forcing you to learn how to work together.”

I nodded, finishing off my water as well. Everything Lyle said was right, as usual. He had experienced his own growing pains when he was brought up as a hunter. This meant that anytime something wasn’t going my way, Lyle had a story I could learn from. While hunting with family could bring them together to make the best memories, it didn’t come without its challenges.

As soon as I was old enough to start training, Lyle would tell me about the days he would hunt with my mom and Aunt Theresa to motivate me. Hunting with them had always been second nature to him. They had each other’s backs and often knew how to look out for each other without hesitation. Things, however, grew complicated once my dad entered the picture. Suddenly, the way the siblings had always done things no longer appealed to my mom as she looked at my dad to take the lead. Eventually, my mom and dad became partners in all their hunts and in life. Lyle never blamed them for branching off on their own, but he couldn’t help but miss the days he could hunt with my mom, especially now.

“We have years to get our s**t together, Lyle,” I tried once more. I could understand why Lyle had no desire to get back to the woods, but it never hurt to have an experienced hunter calling the shots. It had been a long time since I had seen him in action,and I missed those experiences with my uncle who practically raised me after I lost my parents. “What about one last time for old times’ sake?”

“Not gonna happen.”

“At least I can say I tried.” I stepped around the counter, tossing the empty water bottle into the kitchen trash. “I’m going to get myself cleaned up before I head to the pub.”

“Are you working there tonight?”

“No. Just meeting up with the lads.”

“Have fun then.”

I offered him a nod before walking past him to the bathroom. Though Lyle showed more strain during our training, he wasn’t the only one who broke a sweat during hand to hand combat.

As soon as the water of the shower came rushing out of the faucet, I grabbed myself a towel and washcloth from the closet. It only took a couple minutes for the water to heat up. One thing Lyle never liked to let me forget was how cold the water was in this cabin when he was growing up. While he did a majority of the work to make this cabin more than a bunch of logs, I had helped him over the years renovate the place so we could enjoy some of the benefits of modernity.

After a quick shower, I walked to the laundry room with a towel wrapped around my waist. My red hoodie was still waiting for me in the dryer. Since I usually wore it hunting and every day of the week, I was constantly washing it. Though I could do without the frequency of laundry, it was worth it to have that piece of my dad with me every day.

As soon as I was fully dressed, I shouted to Lyle that I was leaving. I didn't know where he was as I stepped out through the doorway, but it gave me comfort to tell him goodbye. With how dangerous my occupation was (the hunting, not the bartending), one could never be too certain when there would be a final goodbye.

I hopped in the truck, making the short drive to the pub. The clock read a little after the time we said that we would meet, but there was no rush. Nathan and Brady rarely ever made it right on time.

Before I even entered the pub, something seemed off to me. It wasn’t until I opened the door that I was able to understand exactly what wasn’t right. In a place that should smell like freshly brewed ale and the body odor of burly men, a strong scent of lavender struck my nose. Drawn to the source of the fragrance, I noticed a petite brunette, who I had never seen before, wiping down a recently vacated table.

I took a step towards her, wanting to know who she was and how she had found her way here. My attention was soon pulled away as Nathan and Brady called me over to their table that was in the opposite direction. As tempting as it was to ignore them and talk to the new girl, I figured I would have time to talk to her later. Though her perfume overwhelmed my heightened sense of smell, I had a strong notion that I wouldn’t mind drowning in it some time.