Howl Read online

  Howl

  By Annalise Grey

  Copyright 2011 Annalise Grey

  Smashwords Edition

  Discover other works by Annalise Grey at Smashwords.com

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to others. If you would like to share this book, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return to Smashwords.com to purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is dedicated to Sissy. Happy birthday, finally.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1 - Early Spring

  Chapter 2 - Additions

  Chapter 3 - Grounded in Reality – or not

  Chapter 4 - Particle Physics in action

  Chapter 5 - Undercover

  Chapter 6 - In Dreams

  Chapter 7 - World apart

  Chapter 8 - Daniel

  Chapter 9 - Balancing Act

  Chapter 10 - Complication

  Chapter 11 - Unwanted

  Chapter 12 - Some Legends refuse to die

  Chapter 13 - Decisions

  Chapter 14 - Too much to ask for

  Chapter 15 - The rapid pace of Change

  Chapter 16 - Reminiscences

  Chapter 17 - Spinning Wheel

  Chapter 18 - Usurper

  Chapter 19 - The Animal within

  Chapter 20 - Darkness lies ahead

  I do not belong here

  among grating brick walls and soulless streets.

  My eyes reflect the stars

  shimmering in obsidian night

  and the scent of the forest is heavy on my skin.

  ~Early Spring~

  It began, inconsequentially I thought, when I went hunting before a blizzard at the end of March. They say March is supposed to come in like a lion and out like a lamb but this month wasn’t living up to its folkloric stature. Looking back, I should have taken it as a warning; a cosmic sign of trouble brewing beneath the blanket of peacefulness that covered my life.

  I had eaten my fill of small game and was just about to head back when I was caught off guard by the smell of caramel and spice wafting through the threadbare branches of black cherry, oak, and maple. My nose instinctively jerked up, leading my eyes to the source of the smell: a hiker coming out of his tent not fifty yards from where I made my last kill. I hadn’t been hunting in almost a month. The intense enjoyment of chasing my prey stole all of my focus and I hadn’t caught the scent of a human nearby nor had I seen the tent until it was too late.

  Hadn’t this human noticed the steel grey clouds rolling in like crushing waves, or felt the chill piercing the air? A vast and terrible storm was brewing around us. Why was he not at home, sheltered and warm?

  I know he saw me. As quickly as I came into his sight I ran off in the opposite direction.

  My human consciousness faintly echoed an admonition to me. You were seen.

  We’re supposed to stay hidden, far off the trails. But with the snow coming I had placed my bet that no one would be out hiking. I was wrong. I was also wrong in assuming that the hiker who spotted me had either passed through Kane or, more likely, died from being buried in the thirty inches of snow we received from that snowstorm.

  Three days later I drove to my older brother Thomas’s part-time work at the National Forestry and Wildlife Research Center. Thomas was a veterinarian in our hometown Kane, Pennsylvania but he collaborated with Wildlife Conservation Officers at the research center on wildlife disease prevention and treatment. I always enjoyed my visits to the research center, however infrequent they were, because the building and people seemed to radiate a passion for the woods I loved so much. It was like being united by a common interest. It was little surprise that my brother took so much pleasure from his work there.

  The day I went to the research center changed everything. I made my way down the hall to Thomas’s office but was stopped at the closed door by an unfamiliar voice.

  “I’m telling you Thomas, I know what I saw. This wolf was huge; massive, in fact. Way too big to be a standard wolf. Its legs were solid, heavier set, and longer. This thing’s head probably came up to about my shoulders. And the jaw was different, slightly elongated yet broader, too.”

  “I hear what you’re saying Jaime but I’m telling you, wolves don’t get that size. At least not without large doses of steroids!” Thomas’ voice was definitely strained although he was desperately attempting a joke. It must have fallen on deaf ears.

  “Everyone says there are wolves around these forests. Once in a while people call in to report hearing them. I just didn’t think they were this size.”

  “That’s because nobody ever sees them. In fact, when was the last time someone even reported a wolf sighting? Maybe 10 years ago. I wouldn’t worry about because they’re not a threat.”

  “I wasn’t worried until I saw one. But now that I have….”

  “Listen, even if these wolves are the size you say-” Thomas cut in.

  “I told you, I know what I saw Thomas! This was no ordinary wolf!”

  The very angry tone unsettled me. Nobody spoke to my brother like that. Thomas was highly respected in the research center. Whichever wolf this guy had seen running in the woods must have given him quite a fright for him to speak so harshly to my brother. This was not good news for us.

  “I’m just saying,” Thomas spoke softly, clearly trying to placate this guy Jaime’s anger. “Even with wolves of this size, they are of no concern. If they were, we would be seeing a lot more of them especially considering their size. They certainly wouldn’t consider us dangerous. They could just roam free to do whatever they please. But they don’t. And you need to consider, if you make a big deal about this the higher-ups will be out here in a second to check the veracity of your claims. If there is any proof of their existence, nobody in town is going to be comfortable with wolves of that size roaming around. The poachers will come out en masse and it could become a huge mess. That is something I really don’t want to see.”

  “I understand that people in town will be worried about their safety if they find out about these animals.” Jaime began again. “But you have to consider that it is our job to study the wildlife in this forest. Maybe we should be tracking them, at the very least, just to monitor their population.”

  “Yes, Jaime we probably should.” Thomas’ voice gave the slightest hint of a crack. “But wolves can have territories that span hundreds of miles and you know that. For all you know it could have been a wolf from a pack up in Canada. Or a lone wolf passing through; something you won’t ever encounter again. And I hate to be the money-minded one but remember that we’re already short-staffed because of budget constraints. I honestly don’t know where we will get the funds to pay for more tracking equipment or man hours to chase after something so elusive that it has only been spotted once in a decade.”

  There was silence for a moment. Leaning a little closer to the door, I heard Jaime’s heart rate slow a bit.

  “Alright, but you have to promise me something. If you get any reports, any more sightings, anything at all, you will tell me. I really don’t feel comfortable with my researchers and the rangers out there if there are wolves of this magnitude roaming our forests.”

  Thomas sighed. “Sure thing Jaime. Just don’t have your rangers going and looking for trouble either. Call me sentimental but I’m an animal lover. And in my professional opinion, these wolves probably want to stay as far away from us as we do from them. I don’t want to hear about any of them being followed for study and certainly not hunted. We will leave them alone.” I caught a hard note in Thomas�
�� voice that ended the conversation.

  Thomas’ footsteps turned my direction. Suddenly aware that I was lurking just on the other side of their clearly heated discussion, I quickly walked back a few steps. The door to Thomas’ office swung open.

  “Oh, Sophie! What brings you here?” Thomas had certainly heard me coming. I was sure he knew that I had heard the conversation and that he was trying to keep his tone lighthearted.

  I waved his lunch bag in front of me and forced myself to smile. “Kate called and requested that I bring you lunch since you forgot yours. She knows you won’t stop working to eat unless lunch is staring you in the face.” I handed him the brown paper bag and coffee thermos.

  Thomas raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips at me, signaling me to continue this façade until we were out of Jaime’s earshot. “Well, I knew I married her for a reason! Do you want to join me or does Mom need you back soon?” I was just about to answer when the man Thomas had been arguing with, Jaime, appeared at his side.

  “Is this your sister? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt it’s just that I haven’t been able to meet any of Thomas’s family yet, though I hear about them all the time. I’m Jaime Robertson.”

  A scent…caramel, spice, and earth enveloped my senses as memory of that day came rushing back.

  The hiker from the woods.

  The realization hit me that I was the wolf he was just telling my brother about.

  Oh no….

  Thomas was covering for me, not a lone wolf. Gavin, the Alpha, or leader of our pack, would surely be pissed at me when he found out.

  “Sophie Matthews. It’s nice to meet you.” I managed to say, trying to regain my composure.

  “Nice to meet you too, Sophie.”

  My legs seemed to detach themselves from the floor in the instant Jaime smiled. His eyes were a beautiful bright blue and seemed to light up with a secret fire that I immediately yearned to know more about. His mouth was perfectly shaped; his smile was broad and seemed to radiate warmth around him. Even his dark green ranger jacket played up the color of his mousy brown hair which was short but tousled. Very much like a model in a magazine although I doubted the man in front of me cared much about his hair. I had only caught a brief glimpse of him in the woods and that was nothing compared to him standing in the doorway. Just an arm’s reach away….

  Thomas had told me about this guy Jaime who he worked with in the lab a few days a week. Jaime, from what my brother had told me, was brilliant in the lab and dedicated to his job as lead research ranger. He called Jaime ‘John Wayne with a medical research degree’. I was instantly impressed and fascinated by the stranger in front of me. More than that, I wanted him. My body went slightly numb as I realized how much I was drawn to Jaime.

  Thomas cleared his throat, effectively cutting off my musing and brought me back to reality. I shook my head a little to clear the eddy which was desperately trying to pull me down as I took in Jaime standing so close to me.

  “So Thomas, you said you are going to eat lunch?” Jaime asked. “Mind if I join you?”

  “That would be great.” There was a slight strain in Thomas’ eyes though his tone was light.

  “I’ll go grab my lunch.” My gaze intently followed Jaime as he walked down the hall and disappeared behind the last door on the left.

  “Sophie.” Thomas whispered in my ear, too low for anyone to hear. “Hello?”

  “What?” I looked at my brother, realizing he was speaking to me.

  “Calm yourself or you’ll have to leave.”

  Thomas was Gavin’s Second which meant that he had authority. My face burned as I the realization hit me that Thomas understood why I was acting spaced out. I couldn’t keep acting like some love-struck kid. Not over a human. My black boot laces were suddenly intensely interesting to me.

  Get a grip. I scolded myself.

  Jaime’s footsteps walked back toward our direction and stopped beside me. A tiny electric current ran through from my core out to my fingers and toes, making my heart pounded a little harder. I shifted my weight and played with my coat zipper in the hopes that my movement would help cover the sound of my heartbeat. Thomas was sure to hear it and that fact was alarming.

  It’s not like I had never met handsome men before. I volunteered at Thomas’s office when they would do free pet clinics on Christmas weekend. Tons of men would bring their dogs and ferrets to the clinic. None of them had this effect on me. For a split second I thought I might be losing it.

  Thomas took my blaringly loud and yet non-verbal cue to move on. I caught just a shadow of a scowl on Thomas’ face as he led the way to lunch. I followed wordlessly. Thomas led us to the first floor solarium where several picnic tables were permanently set. The sparkling golden streaks of sunlight danced through the floor-to-ceiling windows along the back wall of the solarium. Even when the weather outside was bone-chillingly cold, the solarium was cozy and inviting.

  “So Sophie, you are Thomas' younger sister, right?” Jaime asked me as we sat down at the middle table.

  I tossed a quick glance at Thomas who nodded almost imperceptibly.

  “Yeah, I just turned nineteen at the beginning of March. Thomas, Lorelei, and Gavin are the triplets.” I said.

  “Triplets, that’s incredible. And you have a twin, right? Or am I thinking of someone else?”

  “No you’re right. Tristan is my twin. We also have a younger set of brothers – Kylin and Ethan. They are fourteen.”

  “That’s pretty amazing that your mom had so many sets of twins and triplets. That must be some sort of record.” Jaime grinned and glanced at Thomas who just smiled back and chewed cheerfully on his sandwich.

  “That’s possible.” I laughed a little too loud and fast for my liking. I took a moment’s pause to regain my composure before speaking again. “Multiple births are just extremely common in our family.”

  “Chips?” Thomas put a small bag of chips in front of me.

  To keep me busy, no doubt. Emboldened, I refused to take the bait.

  “What about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?” I asked before giving in to the chips laid before me. It was so hard to look at his handsome face and not stare. I had to force myself to glance every now and then at the food Thomas and I were sharing.

  “I have a younger brother named Chris. He’s in college in Boston studying philosophy. We’re very different, obviously.” Jaime took a bite of his sandwich.

  I was burning to know more about Jaime but I had to try really hard to conceal my craving for information. Would I dare force my hand with Thomas and ask Jaime something else? I glanced at Thomas. His ears twitched ever so slightly. The muscles in his jaw were set taught though the corners of his lips curled in an expression of outright pleasantry. No human would have picked up on his ruse. I decided to keep my mouth shut.

  My wish was secretly granted after Jaime swallowed. “I can only imagine what it would be like to have such a large family. You must have always had fun having so many playmates around growing up. And to hear Thomas talk about your family, you all must be really close. I envy you both for that.” Jaime’s bright eyes shifted to Thomas and back to mine, making my stomach jump as I caught his attention again. “My brother and I are as close as we could be considering that he is five years younger than me. Also, I don’t get to see him as much as I would like because he’s so far away in school.”

  Jaime’s cell phone rang just then, cutting him off. He glanced down at the number and turned off the ringer. “I’m sorry. I have to take this.”

  He quickly grabbed what was left of his sandwich and stood up. “It was really great meeting you Sophie. Feel free to bring Thomas lunch any time.” He gave me one last brilliant smile and walked away, the cell phone to his ear.

  Sorely disappointed, I watched him go out of the corner of my eyes.

  “He’s human.” Thomas’ tone was low and edged with warning.

  “So is your wife.” I shot back.

  “Tha
t’s different and you know it.” The sharp points of his canines glistened in the sunlight. I lowered my ears and eyes.

  Without another word, I left Thomas at the table. The three miles walk to our house went by faster than I anticipated, since I was lost in my own thoughts for the majority of it.

  At home that night, Gavin spread the word around about the sighting. He didn’t know who was spotted since Jaime never gave any real identifying information about the wolf in question. It may have been a passing wolf from another pack for all he knew. But either way, it was made very clear to all of us that we were to take the utmost care to stay far off the trails and roads.

  “It’s for all of our safety.” Gavin reminded us. “We mustn’t raise any suspicion.”

  A dull ache formed inside my chest as I thought about Jaime and Gavin’s order. No good would come of getting too close to a human. I was a line-walker and our two worlds were eternally separate.

  This will pass. I told myself.

  ~Additions~

  By the beginning of June I had almost completely forgotten about Jaime. Early summer was the busiest time at my house so there was plenty of work to keep me occupied. The diversion helped immensely.

  We had a greenhouse and an outside garden that needed to be cleaned, weeded, remulched, and so on every year. Any dead branches and trees had to be felled for firewood and maximum sunlight. Maintaining the garden and surrounding area was enough to keep us working from dawn until dusk. Not to mention everything that went on inside the house.

  Mom would have us work on spring cleaning everything. Curtains were taken down and washed. Bookshelves and cabinets repainted, if needed. Old clothes were torn up into rags or repurposed into quilts and pillows. Old, broken furniture was fixed or new were made. The list went on and on.

  The Matthews family has always taken a lot of pride in our home and land. Our yard was vast and rocky but well manicured with flower beds around a concrete patio at the front of our house. Herb gardens flowed like a sweet smelling river on each side of our small pebble path leading from a gravel driveway. Nothing in our yard or house was pretentious or over-the-top. Simplicity and functionality ruled our land.