20

I grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned her to the ground, moving on top, letting my sure and slow movements please her as I reached deep into her with my stiff dick. Sliding into her was like sliding into an exquisite oil. I kissed her as I neared climax, letting my mouth stifle her loud moans.

She dug her nails into my back and wrapped her thighs around my hips as she came. I released myself into her, and then, weakened after this much exertion, collapsed on top of her, panting madly.

“Holy shit,” Alice said between trying to catch her breath.

“Listen,” I said as I lay next to her, my hands on her chest. I could feel her heart beating underneath. “I meant what I said that day. I mean it now. I do love you.”

“I love you, too. It took me this long to see it,” she said, gazing into my eyes. “When the wolves had me surrounded, I didn’t think about my mom or my sister. I didn’t even think about myself. All I could bring myself to think in those moments was you. What would happen if I never got to see you again? It took me nearly losing my life to realize how much I care for you.”

“What does this mean for us? Aren’t you still worried that being with me will potentially kill me?” I asked, worried.

“I mean, you’ve saved me twice now. Once against a whole pack of wolves. And another time just now. I think you can take care of yourself. And me. I trust you. Maybe we can save each other. Maybe I don’t have to run away from you to save you. Maybe…”

I didn’t let her finish her sentence. I had heard enough. I closed my lips around her lips, kissing her for a long time to let her know that I agreed. Maybe we would save each other.

11

Alice

My apology to my mother was swift and sincere. It turned out that being in a life-threatening situation did more than just clear up my feelings for Brandon. After Brandon dropped me home and left a trail of hickeys on my neck, I forced myself to empathize with my mom as I walked up the steps to my house.

The woman was right. She had been playing the role of both parents all this time. The fault was my own. I had lashed out at her. She had always been ever so patient with me, especially when my mind had gone to shit back in Chicago.

When I entered the house, I headed straight to Mom’s bedroom, and before she had a chance to say anything, I just hugged her. In that hug, I poured everything that I had never said, everything that a good daughter was supposed to say. I hugged her tight and wept on her shoulder, apologizing profusely for what I had said, for how I had behaved.

“What’s gotten into you?” Mom asked when she finally broke herself free from my embrace.

“Well, it took a long walk for me to realize what a bitch I was being,” I said. “Sorry I drank with my friends. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“I just don’t ever want you to think that I’m not enough for you. I am here, aren’t I? I stayed. I put up with everything. I raised you, loved you… I will always love you. So … yeah, I guess what I’m trying to say is, it’s okay. Forgiven and forgotten,” she said. Then, chuckling, “And let’s just get one thing straight, I’m not a wolf. I’m a homo sapien. Human being. Kingdom Animalia. Class Mammalia. Order Primate. Did I get that right? Why’d you ever think that I was some sort of … wolf?”

I laughed with her. She really had no idea.

“Where did you run off to?” she asked as I lay down on her bed and rested my body.

“Well, I raced off into the woods and that’s all I will say on that matter,” I said.

“Fair enough. Next time you do go out there, take the hunting rifle with you. The sheriff warned me there are actual wolves there. Maybe that’s where you got the idea,” she said.

“A hunting rifle?”

“Yes. I bought a Winchester. It’s in the cabinet by the door. You know, where we keep the shoes.”

“Does Elma know?”

“Elma is not old enough to know. Elma will know when Elma can get a license. Speaking of that, you’re going to get a license for a hunting rifle before I let you use that,” she said.

“I’m sorry I caused a scene at dinner. I’ll heat up some leftovers and eat them in my room like a raccoon,” I said, kissing my mother on her forehead as I left. “And … we’re cool?”

“We’re cool,” she said, smiling at me wearily. “A mother always forgives.”

“Mom,” I said, standing in the doorway. “There’s someone I would like you to formally meet.”

“Is that gentleman perhaps the perpetrator of those godawful hickeys on your neck?” she snickered.

“MOM!” I groaned as I raced out of her room, embarrassed.

 

   

Having finally given in to my true feelings and having accepted Brandon meant that I was taking a huge risk at his expense. Our being together could potentially mean that he could die. Could was the key word here. However, when I was with him, I didn’t think of that. Actually, when I was with Brandon, I never thought of anything other than his presence around me.

Cheryl, Lacy, and Bethanie were all dropped jaws and bewildered eyeballs when they saw me and Brandon walk in through the school doors, holding hands. Things got so intense on the first day of school that they even did a whole section on me and Brandon dating in the school newspaper.

The coach from the football team called us both inseparable, gravely informing us that being in a relationship should in no way impact Brandon’s regional match performance. It took an hour of convincing for the coach to give us his blessing.

That wasn’t the only blessing we wanted. Right after the first day of school, Brandon took me to the reservation.

“I want you to meet them properly this time around,” he said.

“You mean properly as in after we’ve become official?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s what I mean, duh,” he said as we drove up to the reservation.

When Brandon was around me, I felt protected. Even when he wasn’t, such as when I was at home in bed late at night, I could feel that he was looking over me. When I confided that to him, he said, “Well, it’s because of the bond we share. If you believe that sort of thing. From now on, you’re going to feel closer to me. The same goes for me. We’re linked, soul sister.”

“Eww, that sounds so incestuous,” I laughed as we headed into the reservation.

“We were wondering when you’d show up,” Father Thomas said. He was at the gates, tending to the herbs that grew in the mini-garden by the entrance. “I take it this time around you’re not going to begrudge us a little hospitality?”

“I’m so sorry for last time,” I said, blushing red. “It was all a bit too much for me. I was scared.”