Chapter 13
The week passed by monotonously. I hadn’t heard from Haven but I wasn’t about to call him inquiring about it either. As much as I liked him I didn’t want to give him the power to affect my emotions. I couldn’t afford that kind of uncertainty. Even with Anne, who was family, I was unsure where my roots were; I felt weak and insignificant in a large, lonely and threatening world.
While I ruminated over life I looked down and noticed I was plucking lint from the throw pillow, enough that colored pieces of fabric had fallen like snow and collected on Anne’s cream-colored flokati rug. I knelt down to pick up the pieces and saw that dark was descending earlier than usual. I had to get ready.
I felt indecision creep into my thoughts. I wondered if there was something wrong with me. Instead of going out with Amber and Reece, I wanted to stay home with Anne and enjoy our weekly tradition of making baked ziti and individual pumpkin cheesecakes. In the last several weeks we established a routine of cooking and baking together, amicably at that. She would make the cheesecake and while it was cooling she would combine sugar, water and whipping cream in a large pot until the taffy colored mixture bubbled into a thick caramel sauce. I would boil the pasta, fry the ground beef and assemble the salad. Sometimes we would talk, other times we would listen to music, which ranged from classical to pop.
After dinner we would watch a movie or play a card game. The ritual had become commonplace in the last month and I began to look forward to the normality of it.
Tonight however, Amber and Reece had talked me into going out and meeting up with some acquaintances from Gunnison. They said there wasn’t much of a plan but that they usually got together at one of the campsites and would chill around a fire. That seemed odd to me in light of how cold it was, fire or not, but I agreed to go.
Anne was on the phone when I came downstairs. I scooted past her to the entryway where I zipped up my white down coat and wrapped a red scarf around my neck. I pulled on matching red gloves and tucked my jeans into my worn-out boots, which had seen much better days. I heard Anne giggle and looked up as she said goodbye and closed her phone.
“You look happy,” I observed, noting her flushed expression.
“That was Jericho,” she murmured, smiling again. “He was calling to ask me to dinner tomorrow night.”
“Guess he liked the cupcakes, huh?” I knew full well that Jericho had been quite taken with Anne, enough that he had warned Reece to be on his best behavior around me. “Are you going?”
“I told him I would let him know tomorrow,” she said, a mischievous smile gracing her face, “But yes, I intend to go.”
“You’re making him sweat!” I blurted out in amazement.
“Like you said, I had to get his attention. The rest was up to him.” She winked at me as she passed by and simultaneously we both heard the blare of a horn.
“Can’t they come up to the door?” Anne asked disapprovingly.
As if she had been heard, a knock followed. Anne, with her hands on her hips, watched as I opened the door to see Reece standing there.
“Sorry about that,” he said to Anne. “We were just playing around.” He gestured to Amber who was waving from the front seat.
Smiling but shaking her head, Anne turned to me. “Well, I’m sure you’ll have fun but please be safe, and Willow…you know what time to be home.”
After we said our goodbye’s I picked up my tin full of homemade candy and followed Reece outside. As we approached his truck I saw that Amber was beaming with excitement. Once I was settled in back she pointed to the small cooler next to me. “Our contribution.”
While I briefly looked at the cans of coke and the bag of chips, Reece slid into the driver’s seat and checked to see if we were ready.
After a twenty minute drive we pulled off from the main road and onto a single lane dirt road. In the distance we could make out the flickering of lights. At one point some branches brushed against the side of the truck, startling everyone except Reece who wore an amused expression as Amber and I giggled and teased each other for being so skittish. When we drew near we saw there was quite a gathering already and while there were a couple of familiar faces, I didn’t know anyone else.
After parking we gathered our folding chairs, candy and cooler and headed to the picnic table where all the food and drinks were kept. I knew people were watching but I didn’t feel comfortable looking at anyone. I felt a hand on my arm and heard Reece say, “Don’t worry. They won’t bite.”
A smile touched my lips. “Their bite is not what worries me.”
Reece stopped and was about to say something when he shook his head and chuckled to himself. Holding my chair I followed Reece to where Amber had set hers up. She was already mingling but I drew inward, wondering why I seemed to diminish in a crowd. Reece sensed my hesitation and stayed with me. After sitting down I began to look around. Amber was talking with an Asian girl I recognized from school. She was with another student, her boyfriend probably since his arm was around her waist. There were a few girls huddled together by the fire where they were roasting marshmallows. They laughed as one caught on fire. Some young men were behind them. The shortest, a stocky but very fit young man with black hair, was staring at the pretty red head who was concentrating on cooling her marshmallow by blowing on it. The fire warmed her pale skin and danced off her tight red curls. I didn’t mean to stare but I found her lovely to look at. Her eyes briefly met mine and she gave the faintest of smiles; my face lit up in return. I also noticed a group of three who were clustered together near some trees. They were all wearing dark hoodies and were talking amongst themselves. Their faces were shadowed in darkness and one was smaller than the others. I felt Reece leave my side and watched as he went and retrieved two sodas from the cooler. While he was returning Amber stopped him and he began to chat with her.
Feeling self-conscious as I stood by myself, I began to fidget and brushed my bangs out of my eyes. I directed my attention back to the trio and felt my heart leap as the one leaning against the tree with his hands in his pockets lifted his head enough that the fire disclosed his chiseled features. It was Haven and he was looking right at me but his expression was blank. I dropped my eyes and noticed that his companions had turned to look in my direction and I briefly made out Lacey’s face but didn’t recognize the other one. I was too shy to stare so I turned to look for Reece who caught my glance and came my way with Amber by his side. Ridiculous, I scolded myself. Here I was, almost an adult, and I couldn’t even be alone amongst strangers without needing someone to make me feel secure.
Reece handed me a soda while my thoughts raged. It had been several days since I had seen Haven and I thought we had a great time together and then nothing. He must not have been interested and I didn’t want to worry about it or question myself further. I decided to put him out of mind and concentrate on my friends who seemed happy to be with me. And yet, I could feel his eyes on me and as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t bring myself to look back.
At one point Amber and I went to the table to gather some goodies. We picked up napkins and paper plates and while she used a fork to pierce a hot dog, I picked out a large, soft pretzel. Someone had brought melon cubes on skewers and another had set out a plate full of brownies. Satisfied we had enough we returned to our chairs and ate around the crackling fire which every so often spit in the air with a sizzling hiss. Periodically I would meet Haven’s stares and before my nervous habits could give me away I would turn and engage someone in casual conversation, anything to keep from wondering.
As I ate the last melon ball I heard Reece laugh out loud. “Enjoying that are you?” He was talking to Amber. When I looked over he threw his head back and laughed again. Amber had his full attention and she was shaking her head as she looked at him. That’s when I noticed she had just eaten the last of her hot dog. She looked over at me and rolled her eyes and I laughed with her.
Moments later Reece switched places with Amber and sat down next to me. He pulled me towards him in a friendly hug. “Doing okay?” He asked. I assured him I was fine. That’s when a young man whistled and loudly announced, “It’s that time again.” While he spoke a girl began passing out candles and matches. She approached the trio but one of them lifted his hand and shook his head. The girl walked back to the circle, made her rounds and sat back down.
The young man explained the rules of the game and said by the time we were done telling our tales, all the candles should be extinguished. I leaned in front of Reece until I got Amber’s attention. “I don’t know this game.”
She shook her head in agreement, “I don’t either.”
“You there…” a voice thundered.
I looked up to see the young man gesturing in my direction. Feeling a sudden flush of embarrassment at having been singled out I remained silent.
“Why don’t you start,” he challenged.
“I don’t have a story to tell.”
From across the fire a female voice interjected, “Everyone has a story.”
“Well I don’t.” I sounded as irritated as I felt.
From my side Reece pulled his hands together as he spoke, “I’ve got one.” Leave it to Reece to rescue me! Crossing my arms across my chest I bent my head to look at the dirt, all the while wishing I was better at social situations. I looked up through the fire and saw that Haven was watching me. His face was as severe as ever. Through the shadows of the trees and the shade of his black hood I could even see that his eyes had softened. What was he thinking? I could not figure him out. Warm one day, cold the next. Close one day, distant the next. His actions were nothing but divergent. I looked down again, this time feeling a flush from the inside rather than from the fire before me. Amber reached behind Reece and nudged me. Reluctantly, I lit my candle and Reece followed with his until all the candles in the circle were gleaming.
“The Bible says, ‘We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places’. While I’ve always been led to believe this refers to angels and demons, I was also told that there are physical forces with abnormal powers, some meant for good, others meant for evil.” Reece paused and looked around the circle.
Someone snorted, “Oh great a Bible thumper! Are you a right winger, too?”
The redhead with the hypnotically dancing curls flashed a look of censure towards the rude dissenter and spoke up. “Interesting tale; but if the spiritual forces you speak of are angels and demons, what are the physical ones?”
“Republicans and Democrats,” someone chortled, drawing a sharp jab from the girl next to him.
Reece was grinning at no one person, obviously not affected by the opinions of others.
The redhead kept looking at him, expecting an answer. “That’s an interesting myth,” she said politely. “But it’s not a personal story.”
Feeling just as intrigued I put my hand on his knee and whispered in his ear, “If you’re willing, I’d like to know more.”
I could feel him tense up and not wanting to pressure him I withdrew my hand but without looking my way he reached for me and returned my hand to his knee, creating conflicting emotions within me. His hand on mine felt warm and protective but the rest of me felt tense and unsure. Why was this happening? Why couldn’t I be more decisive and better suited to just one person rather than feel such a tug-of-war between two people, one of which didn’t even seem to appreciate my presence like the young man sitting beside me – the one covering my hand with his. Why did everything have to be so complicated or was I the one making it so?
I continued to muse while Reece picked up where he had left off. “JC was fifteen when he went on a summer camping trip with his dad at Uwharrie National Forest in North Carolina.”
“Loser,” Someone stated, this time being hushed by more than one person.
Reece didn’t acknowledge him and his hand gripped mine tighter than before. I flinched from the change in pressure, tilted my head and caught a glimpse of Amber whose face was tight and uncharacteristically pained. Remembering her words of affection for Reece, I pulled my hand away and began adjusting my red scarf. The last thing I wanted to do was alienate a friend. I looked up to see Haven watching, his face was just as taut as Amber’s. I looked away quickly. What was it to him?
Reece’s words drew me from my thoughts. “JC and his dad spent a day hiking and set up their tent near a stream. It was nearing midnight when the howling started. At first unnerved they eventually relaxed and decided that if they felt threatened they would retreat to their car and leave. That’s when JC’s dad told him that a few months before he had been a part of a hunting party that had tracked and killed two wolves - an alpha male and alpha female. According to his dad, the mated pair had killed a beautiful young woman, and to keep others safe, had to be hunted down.”
Reece’s voice trailed off while he stared into the fire. I looked up to see that everyone was waiting with rapt attention. The red-head stared, almost as if she were stunned. Someone coughed, as if to politely prompt Reece to continue. I looked for the source and found it in the attractive dark-skinned man who was holding the Asian girl close to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and was holding one of his hands. She too was looking into the fire and the way her body molded to her partner made me wonder what that kind of harmony must be like and if I would ever know such trust.
Reece’s voice interrupted my thoughts once more. “The howling stopped completely and was replaced by an unnatural silence. Even the stream seemed to give pause. At that point JC felt something was really off and told his dad they should go to the car immediately but his dad said something to the effect of, ‘It’s nothing to worry about,’ and in the minutes that followed all hell broke loose.”
Just then someone’s phone rang and nearly all the girls screamed, drawing chuckles from most of the guys.
To my surprise, one of the trio spoke from under the veil of darkness, his tone was deep and his voice firm. “They were something more than wolves, weren’t they? The woman they killed was different, too.”
He emerged from the darkness just enough that I could faintly make out his face: prominent cheekbones and fair eyebrows that were arched above his piercing eyes – eyes that seemed to reflect the fire in its ferocity.
Reece acknowledged him by nodding.
“I’m not sure about the woman but the wolves targeted JC’s father. JC and his dad had been backing up to the car very slowly. JC’s dad was in front of him acting as a human shield. The wolves emerged from the cover of trees but didn’t charge. They sauntered forward, as if they were stalking.”
Reece shook his head, as if this were a personal memory of his.
“JC reached the door first and his dad ordered him to get in. That’s when the wolves charged, pulling JC’s father from his grasp. JC watched helplessly as the wolves thrashing bodies concealed from him the horror of his father’s death. It was over quickly but JC remained, unable to leave his father behind. I can’t imagine the terror and the grief he must have felt as he stayed locked inside that car waiting for the wolves to leave and the sun to rise.”
“Wolves don’t normally hunt people down,” a brunette said.
Reece shook his head in polite disagreement. “These wolves were different. They didn’t stalk for the purpose of food, they stalked to kill.”
I was surprised that the next question came from me. “What happened to JC?”
Reece turned his head in my direction and his eyes seemed to wink. “He stayed in the car all night. The wolves paced, they sat, one jumped on the car to look through the windshield, but they left him alone. By the time dawn broke they left the small clearing. JC waited until he was sure they were gone and then he went out to retrieve his dad’s body and drove for help.”
In the moments that followed there were no more questions and as a range of tales were whispered among the circle, candles were extinguished until just a few remained. I felt Reece leaning towards me. I wanted to ask him if the story he told was about his father but I didn’t want to pry. If it were true then no wonder Jericho looked like a man scarred over time. My thoughts took me to my dreams and I wondered why wolves played a significant role in them.
One of the trio had asked Reece if they were something more than wolves and Reece had confirmed that fact, but if the wolves were something of legend why did they stalk and kill a man? Was it because he had helped to kill an alpha pair? And what of the wolves, especially the champagne colored wolf that visited me in my slumber?
My thoughts were interrupted by the rumbling of several engines as they came down the dirt road. While most everyone looked towards the road, I looked up to see that the trio appeared tense. They began to confer amongst themselves as the rumble grew louder.
Motorcycles. Another trio. Haven looked from them to meet my gaze. He said something to the others and in a matter of seconds he was standing in front of me. His stance forced Reece to rise almost immediately, followed by me. Haven looked from Reece’s stone cold face to mine but before he could say anything one of the riders dismounted. His dark brown hair was straight and shoulder length. He was neither handsome nor unattractive. His leather jacket was tight against his slender form and unlike the rest of us, he wasn’t wearing any gloves and I wondered why he didn’t appear to be cold.
“Well, well, well,” he said looking around.
He spotted Haven and a cunning grin began to form. Haven turned back to me, extending his hand, “Come with me.”
Hearing this from several feet away the rider turned his attention our way. Without even speaking to his two companions, they all strode towards us. I looked from one to the other. They were about the same size and shape – tall and trim and each had an overwhelming air of arrogance about him. Reece took my arm and Haven stood in front of me, blocking my view. Irritated, I pulled away and moved enough so that I could see.
“They’re not friends,” Reece said, still reaching out to me. “We’ve never seen them before.”
“Don’t let us break up your soiree,” the rider insisted as he spread his arms wide.
Turning to Haven he looked him over and said, “It’s been a long time. Too long...”
Haven’s face was that of marble.
I had been so focused on the three riders I didn’t even notice that Haven’s companions had joined us. Without staring I gave them the once over. The one standing to the right of Haven was a tall blonde. He was the one who had spoken earlier but his dark hood continued to conceal most of his face. Lacey stood at the end and they were all facing down the riders.
Spotting me, the rider with shoulder length hair raised his eyebrows and turned back to Haven. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
When Haven didn’t respond he inclined his head towards me and told the others, “Look who we have here...there is no mistaking that face is there?”
Haven seemed to draw up in height, his jaw stiffened, and no one laughed, joked or responded.
The space around us was so restless you could cut the tension with a knife. I couldn’t understand why everything seemed to be dependent on what these uninvited riders were going to do. No one was talking, no one was even leaving. Everyone was waiting. I couldn’t stand it. I wanted to pack up and leave. Lifting my eyes to meet the amber colored ones inspecting me I introduced myself.
“Willow,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “We were just leaving.”
He attempted to move closer to me, still staring into my eyes, but Haven and the others inched together, creating a barrier.
“It didn’t look that way to us,” one of his companions sneered.
I shivered as he looked me up and down. Unlike the others, he had shaved his head and a large tattoo, which resembled a triple moon, cascaded around the back of his head. His liquid gray eyes were inspecting us and rested longer than necessary on me.
“Well, we were,” Amber spoke up. She took my hand and dragged me behind her before I could protest. As I brushed past the rider I heard his intake of breath and realized he was reaching out to touch me when he was blocked just as fast by Haven who grabbed his arm and thrust it away.
“Easy,” the rider with the moon tattoo said. “Don’t give me an excuse.”
Slyly glancing at me for the briefest of moments he turned back to Haven and lifted his dark lashes as if he were about to share a secret.
“She is a sweet one isn’t she?”
Methodically he licked his lips, causing Haven to flinch in anger. The rider with the moon tattoo looked at me again before glancing at the other riders.
“Looks like the scouts were right.”
The rider with shoulder length dark hair grabbed both of his fists and all was silent for a moment. They looked as though they were talking without speaking. Shuddering, I tucked my chin into my scarf and walked away with Amber by my side. I had no intention of staying around to be a part of some freak show and I was bothered by all the weird behavior.
“Wait,” I said, stopping suddenly. “Our chairs.”
Amber prompted me to keep walking. “Reece will get them.”
When we reached the truck I sensed him before I heard him. I looked over my shoulder to see Haven standing just inches behind me.
“What now?” I demanded to know, not caring if I sounded rude.
I found his behavior rude, not to mention confusing. In fact, the entire night was just that.
Haven took hold of my arm and guided me away from Amber who was pretending to mind her own business.
“Let’s talk.”
He pulled his hand away from my arm and looked down at me. I stood there impatiently, with my arms crossed. “I’m listening.”
“You’re not making this easy,” he said. “There are things we should discuss.”
“So where have you been?” I asked. “You know how to get in contact with me and you wait until now to reach out to me? Did anyone ever tell you that you have awesome timing?”
He walked a few steps forward, backing me up until I was almost resting against a tree.
“I can’t be your friend,” he said as he placed his right hand on the tree by the side of my head.
He gazed at me until I felt forced to look away. I was uncomfortable but at the same time I was inflamed. How could that be? I tried to create space between us as he had the physical advantage. My attraction to him was maddening but I didn’t want him to know it. And that was the problem. I was hiding my feelings. I was a hypocrite. People shouldn’t be left to wonder how another person feels about them. They shouldn’t have to guess where they stand but I couldn’t bring myself to speak what I was thinking.
I turned my attention to him. “What do you mean?”
“It means what you think it does,” he said, causing the blood to rush to my cheeks. He clearly had all the advantage and that knowledge both frustrated and pleased me. I knew I couldn’t trust myself around him so it was best to put some distance between us.
“I should be going,” I whispered as I attempted to move past him. “And what makes you think I need a friend anyway?”
“Stop running,” he demanded, putting his other hand on the tree, blocking my passage.
I didn’t know why but I began to panic. Was it the truth in his words or the fact he could read me so well? I spotted Reece who was carrying all our chairs and I called out to him, “Reece, are we leaving?”
I heard Haven chuckle. “Very well Willow.”
He dropped his arm, letting me pass. “We’re not finished though.”
I looked back at him but said nothing more.
“What was that about?” Reece asked as he looked in Haven’s direction distastefully. “Could he have been any closer to you?”
“We were just talking Reece. So, what happened back there, who are they?”
“Who knows,” he shrugged. He put the chairs in the back of his truck and when he saw that I was waiting for further information, he sighed. “No one knows Willow. They aren’t from around here but they don’t look like they’re up to any good.”
“And people fear what they don’t know...”
We both looked up to see that Lacey had been listening all along.
As if on cue to diffuse an awkward moment Amber called out to Reece and I watched as he walked over to her. They stood in front of the truck and talked in hushed voices.
“Haven likes you, you know.” Lacey’s dark eyes were looking at me longer than necessary.
“Oh,” I said flatly, suddenly regretting how stupid it sounded.
“Reece too,” she added. “How can one girl get so lucky?”
Lucky? Yeah right. I was an orphan. I didn’t know where I belonged and the only best friend I ever had was a dog.
“New blood,” was all I said.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked.
“I’m new here. There is always interest at first.”
“You underestimate yourself,” she said.
“I think most of us do,” I retorted.
We both heard the engine and turned to see a rider approaching. The only thing that identified him was his dark hoodie. He was wearing a black helmet and motioned for Lacey who left my side without saying goodbye. I watched as she climbed on the back of the motorcycle. She was putting her helmet on when she nodded in my direction. That’s when I heard him.
“Ride with me,” Haven announced.
I turned to stare at him. “You didn’t even ask so what makes you think I’d say yes?”
“I’m asking,” he said.
“Look,” I started. “I came with my friends and I intend to leave with them.”
“Where’s your sense of adventure?” He asked.
I felt the sudden urge to leave, or run away as he had put it. He was waiting for me to reply so I walked towards the door of Reece’s truck. “I don’t have much of one.”
Haven moved in so close that I could feel a spark of adrenaline and I enjoyed how alive it made me feel.
“Life is too brief to be scared of taking risks,” he informed me. “Especially the ones that have the chance to make you happy.”
I looked into the trees and said nothing. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “When was the last time you were happy?”
I didn’t have an answer.
“What’s going on? What’s the plan?” Reece asked as he and Amber came around to stand with the two of us.
I looked at Haven and attempted a genuine smile. “I appreciate the offer, I do, but I’m staying with Amber and Reece. It would be rude not to go home with them.”
Hearing me, Reece opened the side door, “And we are leaving now.”
He obviously stated that for Haven’s benefit and not mine. The two stared each other down.
“Willow?” The interruption came from Reece.
Haven glared at him before looking down at me, “I’ll see you soon...”