“There’s no bathroom,” I moaned with dismay as I stepped out onto the front porch after inspecting the inside of the cabin.
“There’s an outhouse,” Kenzie offered as she climbed the small set of steps that separated the porch from the dirt patch where she’d parked the SUV. “There’s electricity and running water, though.”
“The lap of luxury, eh?” I chided with a mixture of amusement and irritation.
Kenzie gave me a look of chagrin, “I guess I neglected to ask about a bathroom. It’s a good lesson in never assuming.” Heaving a sigh, she added, “The weather’s lovely and we have that huge lake just up the road. It looked like a healthy body of water. We can bathe there and, like I said, there’s an outhouse.”
“It’s fine,” I assured her. “I was just a little taken aback, that’s all.”
“Some people’s idea of heaven doesn’t match up with ours,” she chuckled.
“Ideally, heaven would have a toilet and a shower, but, if I recall, he said it was almost heaven,” I joked, with an emphasis on the word, almost.
“Oh, well. If he said almost, then he’s in the clear,” she noted as she picked up her bag and headed inside. “Tell me that we at least have our own rooms.”
“I took the one in the back since I didn’t know what ungodly hour you might decide to head out to do this tagging stuff,” I informed her.
“Smart,” she said over her shoulder as she disappeared through the doorway of the closest of the two bedrooms. After quickly depositing her bags just inside the door, she returned to the main room that consisted of the kitchen, dining area, and living room and took a good look around. “It’s pretty rustic.”
“I like it,” I admitted. “Step outside and take a minute to really look around and you’ll understand Oscar’s claim. This place is fabulous.”
We walked out onto the porch and took in our surroundings with eyes and minds that were no longer concerned about bathrooms, showers, or where we were going to sleep.
Our expressions reflected the awe and appreciation that we were experiencing for the beauty of nature that enveloped us.
The cabin was at the end of a mile long dirt drive that wound its way up the side of a mountain until it reached a clearing. There, in the middle of the clearing, was the small, two bedroom, one-hundred year old log cabin.
Noting how deep into the woods that the cabin was, I made mention of how impressive it was that Oscar’s family was able to get the electric company to run electricity to it. It was then that Kenzie admitted that the electricity was provided by a gas generator that was located behind the cabin and needed to be started.
Instead of dulling my appreciation for the place, it actually increased it. I’d spent years fantasizing about staying in a place like this with the bare necessities at my disposal, but I’d never had the opportunity present itself. Before moving to Freedom, I’d associated with a circle of friends whose idea of roughing it was going downstairs in the hotel for a continental breakfast and I’d not had the guts or the drive to initiate such a stay on my own.
With the late afternoon sun behind her, a slight glow that resembled a halo framed Kenzie’s head as I looked at her and said, “Thank you.”
Surprised, my good friend asked, “For what?”
I spread my arms wide and enthusiastically said, “This. Thank you for this.”
She chuckled. “Don’t mention it. Now, what do you think? Should we get that generator running and unpack the food?”
“I have absolutely no clue how to operate that generator,” I confessed.
“I didn’t think you would, miss fancy pants,” Kenzie said with humor. “Lucky for us that I’m part tomboy. I know my way around a generator, a hatchet, and a campfire.”
“Praise be,” I mockingly bellowed.
“Ha,” Kenzie said as she placed her hands on her hips. With a curt smile, she said, “Just you stick with me, kiddo. I’ll make a tomboy out of you yet.”
I rolled my eyes as I placed my hand over my chest and said, “Be still my heart. I can hardly wait.”
After taking a moment to enjoy the humor, Kenzie headed for the generator while I proceeded to unpack the food and supplies that we’d brought. When I came upon the wine, I opened a bottle to let it breathe for the length of time it would take her to return from setting the cabin aright with electricity.
The sound of a vehicle coming up the long dirt drive reached my ears long before Oscar’s jeep could be seen through the thick foliage covered landscape. Kenzie was just coming around to the front of the cabin after successfully mastering the generator when I joined her on the front porch to greet our host.
Parking his jeep next to our SUV, Oscar lept out of the vehicle wearing a smile and an outfit the shouted camouflage. From his hat to his jacket and his pants, he blended with his surroundings to the point where I doubted I’d be able to spot him if he left the clearing.
“Wow!” Kenzie said with enthusiastic delight. “That’s some getup.”
“Don’t be jealous,” he teased, “There’s one for you in my jeep.”
“Seriously?” she squealed with mocking delight. “I’ve always wanted to dress like the forest.”
“Tease all you want,” he replied. “You’ll thank me after a day or two of tracking.”
Kenzie’s face grew somber as she asked, “Is it that difficult?”
He shrugged as he said, “It can be, but being invisible helps.”
“What about your scent,” I asked. “Even being invisible won’t help if they smell you.”
Both surprised and impressed by my insight, Oscar turned to me and said, “That’s a good question. We have a special perfume to wear.”
“Eau de wolf, I assume,” Kenzie said with a sarcastic sigh.
“Wolf what?” I suspiciously asked as all kinds of crazy thoughts flitted through my mind as to how they’d produce a wolf scent. I hoped it didn’t involve blood or the like. It was at that moment that I realized that I was associating blood with Oscar. Of course, I quickly rationalized it by remembering that he was a veterinarian. “Where do you get wolf scent?”
“It comes from their scent glands,” Kenzie explained. “It’s like their personal calling card.”
“Yes,” Oscar nodded, “It helps, but also can be dangerous because it’s not only how they identify a wolf, but it’s how they can tell if you’re part of their pack or part of a rival pack.”
“What happens if it’s a rival pack?” I asked while thinking that I probably already knew the answer.
“It can get hairy,” Oscar replied.
“Speaking of packs,” I continued. “Don’t they travel in packs?”
“They do,” Kenzie offered.
“How do you plan on tagging a pack?” I asked with concern. “You’re just one person.”
“There are what we call lone wolves,” Oscar explained. “They’re low on the totem pole and will sometimes be so mistreated that they leave the pack and go it alone. They’re who we’re wanting to study. We want to see if they remain alone or if they eventually find a new pack.”
“That doesn’t sound easy,” I observed.
“That’s why they’re paying us the big bucks,” Kenzie chuckled.
“Oh,” I said with a hint of surprise. “I actually forgot that you were being paid for this. It’s so nice out here that I forgot that we’re technically here on business.”
Oscar moved closer to me as he said, “So, you like my little piece of heaven?”
“I’d like it more if it had a toilet and a shower,” I chided, “but it’s beautiful beyond description.”
“We have an outhouse and the lake over there is fresh and ready for bathing,” he said with enthusiasm.
“That’s what I said,” Kenzie interjected.
I looked from Kenzie to Oscar and then back again. They really were birds of a feather. I thought about the type of couple they’d make and decided that they were well suited for dating. Not only that, but it was clear that they had extremely fond feelings for each other. What I couldn’t understand was why neither of them made an effort to take it beyond friendship.
“I want to thank you for having the foresight to get the place cleaned for us,” Kenzie said as she put the last of the perishables into the refrigerator and closed the door.“Yes,” I added, “I thought we’d be spending our first few hours getting it livable. It was a pleasant surprise to see it so neat and clean.”“I’d like to take the credit,” Oscar admitted as he sat down in one of the overstuffed chairs in the living room section of the great room and accepted the wine glass that Kenzie offered him, “but it wasn’t my doing. Noah uses this cabin a lot. He never knows when he’ll be able to come or if he’ll arrive in the day or the night so he has a cleaner from the nearby town come in biweekly to make sure it’s all up to snuff. The man hates dust.”“That explains why I didn’t need to prime the generator to get it going,”
The brothers had walked off into the woods to have their conversation. Since I hadn’t watched them leave, I had no idea of the direction they’d taken.“I need to use our trusty outhouse,” I said when my legs finally felt usable again. Heading out to the porch, I surveyed the clearing before asking, “Do you happen to know where it’s located.“I’m assuming it’s hidden behind the building,” Kenzie offered. “I didn’t see it when I was starting the generator, but I wasn’t looking for it. My guess is it’s back there.”“It’s a bit odd to hide an outhouse, isn’t it?” I asked with mild annoyance.“Do you really want a shithouse sitting in plain view of the cabin?” Kenzie asked with amusement. “Not to mention what happens when the wind kicks up.”“Egad,” I said with a roll of my eyes as I step
The male voices sounded distant as I slowly regained consciousness. It took my head a moment to clear enough for me to realize that I was being carried by one of them and he wasn’t being particularly cautious about jostling me about.Confused and uncertain of what to do, I kept my eyes closed while I focused on the words being passed back and forth between the two brothers.“I can’t believe you brought them here just before the full moon. What were you thinking?” snapped Noah.“I had no choice,” Oscar defensively said. “I’m on a time crunch. Kenzie’s the only one I could find to help at the last minute. When she asked to bring Lisa, what was I supposed to say… no psychics allowed?”“It’s bad enough that she’s psychic and could pick up on something, but she carries a touch of the bloodline,” Noah complained. “It’s faint, but I could smel
After directing Snow to settle in front of the fireplace at the far end of the great room and making sure that everyone was seated in a comfortable position in preparation for the talk, Noah was the first to break into conversation.Focusing his attention on Kenzie he said, “I’m aware that you and my brother go back some years.” When she nodded, he continued, “He thinks very highly of you which is why we’re trusting you with something that’s been held secret.”“Not just from you, Kenz. From everyone,” Oscar quickly interjected.“I see,” Kenzie said in a slow and thoughtful manner. “Is this a secret that I want to know or should even know?”“I’m not sure you’ll want to know it, but you definitely need to know it,” Oscar replied.Kenzie looked at me and said, “What about Lisa? I’m assuming she needs to hear this se
After raiding the outhouse that was in the opposite direction from the one I took when searching for it and placing the contents they’d removed from it in a hefty pile over the spot where I’d urinated, Oscar and Noah said their good-byes. Kenzie had been given last minute instructions and had audibly vowed to start out first thing with the intention of getting the job done in record time. Oscar vowed the same.That night, I slept very little. Every sound in the night made me jump. With the moon on the verge of being full, it was bright enough for me to see the cabin’s surroundings without the aid of a light. I periodically peered out of the window to search the tree line for a man who was really a werewolf come to steal me away.I was still awake when I heard Kenzie clambering about the kitchen in an effort to get going for the day. It was obvious that she wasn’t a morning person. I’d neglected to bring a robe
I relaxed on the porch and enjoyed the cabin’s natural surroundings for an easy hour after watching Kenzie adjust her backpack as she hiked off into the woods to begin tagging duty. She was right about the weather. I’d shed my sweater almost immediately upon returning from using the outhouse. Sitting on the porch while reveling in the sensation of the faint warm breeze that caressed my flesh and feeling the heat of the morning sun on my face as it climbed higher over the treetops was so fantastic that I’d actually forgotten about Oscar and Noah’s outrageous werewolf claims.I’d also forgotten about Snow.It wasn’t until I was floating on my back in the clear lake water and spotted him sitting on shore near my clothes that I remembered the wolf. He looked so majestic as he sat watching my every move that it was almost breathtaking. Seeing how proud and tall he held himself also made me feel more at ease a
With both of us lost in our own thoughts, the silence during Noah’s and my trip off the mountain was acute. With my mind tortured by what had happened to me, I paid little attention to the drive or the time that it took.When he pulled down a long, narrow drive that was lined by ancient and massive looking oak trees that mingled with balsom fir and white pine trees, I forced myself back to reality.Positioned in the middle of a clearing that was circled by a thick mass of the same species of trees that lined the drive, his cedar sided house looked lonely, but majestic. The lawn was well manicured, but void of any shrubs or flowers. Since he was a busy man, it didn’t surprise me that he’d kept the landscaping simple to care for.Having met him at his rustic cabin and noticing the weathered cedar siding on the house, I was surprised to see how technically advanced his furnishings were. Being a fan of antiques and old homes, the d&eacu
Dr. Mitchell Blake was a small, wiry man in his mid-fifties who looked like a perfectly normal man. Had I not known that he was one of Noah’s pack, I’d never have guessed it. Then, I never would have thought Noah to be a werewolf either. The good doctor’s appearance helped to lessen the trauma that I experienced at having to expose myself to a stranger for an intimate examination. His mild mannered politeness also didn’t hurt.“You’re torn in two places,” he informed me after completing my internal exam. “They aren’t excessive, but I’m going to give you a cream to insert for the next few days. It will help to accelerate the healing process.” As he turned his back to me and searched the cupboards for the medication that he wanted to supply me with, he added, “No sex until I’ve examined you again in two weeks.”“No worries there,” I said with a tr