Wolf Moon Chapter One

Chapter One

          The rain came down in a heavy downpour, hitting the ground in a rhythmic tempo in unison to the beat of pounding horse’s hooves. The stinging rain pelted Mena’s body with relentless force, forcing her to bury her head into her horse’s mane as she drove her mount forward with grim determination. The wind rushed by, her blond curls plastered to her head, her jeans and t-shirt soaked, but none of which mattered. What mattered most to her was getting to the finish line first. She had just one more rider she had to pass ahead of her, to overtake the lead. She would not lose this race.
          This was her last chance to show her skill, the last chance she would have the opportunity to taste this kind of freedom. The money meant nothing to her; the thrill of the race is what fed her soul. Her racing skills were well-known to be far superior to most in the area. She worked hard to earn her reputation but lately the challenges grew far and fewer. Most, who knew her, wouldn’t waste their money on a challenge they knew they couldn’t win. Once in a great while some poor sucker would take the bait, especially those new to the area. It should have been a easy win except she didn’t anticipate he’d be so good.
          She had only one chance to overtake him and it was around the next bend. She refused to give up her throne, her legacy to some stranger from nowhere. She urged her horse into high gear. She saw the horse and rider, moving just behind him, then next to him galloping side by side. Just as she was about to pass him, his horse slammed into hers. She caught the flash of a smile as she fought to keep her horse balanced, dropping a few horse lengths behind. The bastard, if he wanted to play dirty, so would to. With grim determination, she moved back up behind the stranger, regaining lost ground quickly. The trail ahead suddenly dropped off to a steep embankment. One minute the horse was there, and the next it was gone.
         Myra smiled, braced herself for the rapid, sharp decent ahead. Her smile quickly disappeared as she went over the edge and found herself having to avoid the flying hooves of the horse rolling over and over in front of her, the rider nowhere to be seen. She gave a sigh of relief when she came to the bottom unscathed, but she couldn’t say the same for the challenger’s horse. The animal lied motionless at the far edge of the trail, dead; its head twisted the opposite way giving evidence of its snapped neck.
         The poor animal, it took a special, well-trained horse to compete in challenges like this, otherwise this was the outcome. A senseless waste of a fine-looking horse, she thought to herself.
          A low moan directed her attention to the bushes where she saw a shadowed figure rolling around in the dirt. The race was hers to win, she just had to continue riding but her inner sense of morality wouldn’t let her. She may have her faults, but she wasn't coldhearted enough to leave an injured person behind.
          She could hear the approach of the other riders in the race. “Damn it all.” She muttered as she headed towards the now unconscious man. “Uncle Ray is going to kill me.”
          He was young, in his twenties she guessed, as she bent over the man’s body. She’d certainly call him good looking as well, despite the small scar on his right cheek. His thick crop of short black hair only enhanced his ruggedly handsome Native American type features. That confirmed it, wasn’t from around here. She’d never forget such an appealing looking man.
          She called her horse over, cued the mare to lower herself to the ground and pulled the man up onto her back, jumping up behind him as her mare got back to her feet. All hopes of winning this challenge fled when several horse and riders galloped by in a blur. While her horse had speed, she’d never catch up to everyone else with the extra weight.
          “What the hell happened! “ Uncle Ray yelled as she pulled her horse to a halt near the trailer. “And who the hell is this? “
          “Stop your bitching and help.” She ordered him and he reached up grabbing the man off her horse, lying him on the ground. “I nearly ran him over. His horse took a spill. I couldn’t just leave him. ”
          “You should of. Do you know how much money we lost? You cost me my new flat screen television.”
          As she dropped out of the saddle, she caught sight of a familiar sports car pulling in alongside all the other vehicles. “It’s going to cost us far more than that.” She muttered, and he looked in the same direction.
          “Oh shit.” He cursed, quickly getting to his feet. “I think maybe I’ll go and look for someone who can take care of the boy.”
          “Chicken shit.” She yelled after his disappearing form. She’d go right with him if she had the choice rather than face the wrath and fury of her father alone.
          “ What in the hell is going on in that head of yours!” her father yelled, sending people scurrying out of his way as he staked towards her. Any celebration going on with the one who did win was suddenly cut short by her father’s extremely pissed presence. This was his land, his territory; he had say what happened in it. His twenty-one year old daughter, riding in a challenge race in the darkness of the night in the back country was not something he’d approve of.
          “I’m going to kill your Uncle for allowing this. Get that horse in the trailer now!”
          While duty told her to submit to his anger, the rebellious daughter of a clan leader refused to bend. She met him at the back of the trailer, giving him a hard stare of her own. “I am not a child father.”
          “With your actions tonight I beg to differ. You went against my orders Mena. I said no more racing!”
          “If you’d let me race in the festival I wouldn’t have to sneak around like this would I?”
          She yelled back, holding her own, but it was futile to argue with her father, he always won but her defiant, independent streak wouldn’t stop her from trying.
          “We will not discuss this here. Now get the horse in the trailer!” he all but yelled at her. She thought for a split second on ignoring his order, but she knew it only increase the punishment she certainly was going to get for this little stunt.
          Uncle Ray appeared right at that moment, looking fearfully apprehensive and keeping his distance from her father. Wisely so, her father was furious.
          “Everyone took off when Alex came arrived. I couldn’t find anyone who’d tend to the injured boy. He’s taken a pretty good knock to the head. ” Uncle Ray said, drawing her father’s eye to the boy in question. “Guess we are stuck with him.”
          “He was racing?” Her father demanded in a low, dangerous tone. She knew it well, far more threatening than his usual yelling. He was keeping something more from her, but in his present mood, he wasn’t likely going to tell her what.
          “His horse took a dive and died in the fall.” Mena said, moving around her father to kneel down next to the man. He grabbed by the shirt collar and hauled to her feet, shoved back towards her horse. “Get your horse in the trailer and then get in my car.”
          “I can ride back with Uncle Ray.” She said until he spun on her.
          “You will get that damn horse in the trailer, and do what you’re told and I mean now!”
          Giving a heavy sigh of irritation she snatched her horse’s reins and pulled her mare towards the back of the double horse trailer, listening to her father talking to her uncle.
          “I told you about these races!” he yelled at Ray.
          “Don’t blame Uncle Ray.” Mena said, leading her horse into the trailer and climbing out the escape door after tying her in. “I made him come here.”
          Her father stood and turned towards her as she headed to the back of the trailer to close the trailer door. “You made him?” he ground out. “Go ahead, tell me how you made a Wendigo three times your size, far older and stronger then you, do anything against his will?”
          She glanced at her Uncle who in turn gave a keep your mouth shut look. Of course, he didn’t want her father to find out he used his credit card for 1-800 sex calls. He’d find out eventually, but her Uncle was planning a trip to Vancouver to visit her aunt around the time the bill would arrive.
          “What does it matter? It wasn’t his fault ok.”
          “It’s not okay and we will continue this later, but right now, Ray get that man over to Jacksons. The last thing I need is one of Thompson’s sons dying in my territory.”
          “You know who this man is?” she asked, instantly intrigued.
          “You...” he pointed to her.” Get in my car.”
          “Why can’t I ride with Uncle Ray?”
          “You’ve tempted my patience enough Allemena Sue Wade. I will not have you riding in a vehicle with a strange Wendigo. Now move your ass.”
          She gave a short laugh. “Are you kidding me, really father? Are you saying you’re trying to protect my virtue?” She demanded, hands on hips, staring him down yet again. “Do you honestly think I am still a virgin?”
          Uncle Ray laughed but quickly dove to pick up the young man when her father sliced him a look which gave no doubt of his feelings. Her father spun around, grabbed her by the shirt and dragged her towards his car. He shoved her in the passenger side, slammed the door and moved around the driver’s side, getting in himself.
          She waited for him to resume his tirade, but he didn’t. He drove in silence, not saying a word until he pulled up in front of the garage. She reached for the door handle, but he stopped her.
          “You are all I have left of her Mena. Why do you think protecting you is so wrong?”
          The sadness in his voice brought on a measure of guilt, but not enough to detour her from her own feelings. “You want me to live in a prison.”
          “It’s for your own good.” He said. “You take to many risks. You are more human Mena then Wendigo. You may have your mother’s gift to commune with nature, but that won’t save your life against a Wendigo who wishes you harm.”
          “Do you honestly think mother wanted me to live like this, like a prisoner in my own home?”
          “Your mother was stubborn and reckless which in the end cost her, her life.” He countered.
          “No father, mother knew how to truly live.” She snapped angrily, grabbing the door handle again and getting out of the car. Her father followed. “Maybe if you hadn’t tried to control her so much she might still be alive today.”
          It was a hurtful thing to say, but she was too angry to care. She stormed into the house and through the house, passing her Uncle Jay on her way.
          “You should have been back an hour ago for supper.” He told her as she stormed by.
          “I’m not hungry.” She grumbled, slamming her bedroom on her way in. Moments like this she missed her mother most. She’d never let her father get away with the crap he was pulling since her mother passed away.
          She threw herself on the bed, grabbing the photo off the nightstand on her way. The smiling face of her mother peered back at her. She ran her thumb over the glass, marveling at her mother’s blissful, happy expression. She wasn’t stunningly beautiful, but there was something more in her expression that far suppressed superficial beauty. Life radiated out of her blue eyes, and when she smiled time just seemed to stop. How she missed her.
           A knock on the door swung her back around as the door opened. “I didn’t say come in.” She snapped.
          “Don’t cop an attitude with me.” Uncle Jay snapped right back. “I brought you your supper.”
          “I told you, I’m not hungry.”
          “Well I didn’t spend half the day in the kitchen for nothing. Now sit up and eat something. ”
          Heaving another heavy sigh she did as her Uncle asked, she set her mother’s photo down and grabbed the plate of roast and potatoes.Meanwhile, Uncle Jay glanced at her mother’s photo before saying.  “There is no doubt you are your mothers daughter.”
          “If that were true then I wouldn’t be kept locked away. I’d be doing things my way, not his.”
          “Do you think it was easy for your mother? She fought your father all the way up to the day she died.” He said with a small smile. “She had a strong spirit, a Wendigo unlike any other. When she died the entire Wendigo nation grieved her passing.”
          “I know the stories. She helped stop Wendigo uprising and was the first female Wendigo to be elected to the council of elders. That’s exactly what I am talking about. She lived her life; she didn’t let him keep her locked up in this house, waiting for death.”
          “Stop right now!” He scolded with a click of his tongue. “Your father took Myra’s mother's death very hard. One can spend their whole lives searching for their true life mate and never find them. It's not something one just gets over. If not for you I think the animal in him would have taken him over. If something happens to you, I don't think there would be any coming back for him. Keep that in mind when you are foolishly risking your life in these challenge races.”
         “What else is there to do around here? After mother died he forced us to move deeper into the forests even further away from any decent form of civilization. At least in Terrace I had some form of life.”
          “You know we were starting to draw suspicion. Everyone around us ages but we don't.' He said. 'I’m almost 65 but in human years I'm over 100. I don't care how much plastic surgery a person gets, no one can look as good as I do at 100.”
          True; Uncle Jacob was a handsome man which was why she found it difficult to believe he hadn't found his life mate. Unlike Uncle Ray, Uncle Jay was more reserved when it came to the opposite sex. He was far from celibate, but he was choosy on who he courted. Uncle Ray on the other hand, cared less. As long as they had two legs and breathing, he was interested.
          “I know that but why can't I live on my own? As father points out every chance he gets I am more human than Wendigo, including aging like a human.”
          “Yeah, let me know when you wake to the world of reality.” He laughed, patting her on the shoulder. “Your father will never allow it, besides I thought you'd be happy to move into a new territory. A whole new group of young Wendigo men in which you might just find a life mate.”
          She snorted in response. “Run that by father and see how far you get.” She muttered, taking another bite of food. “The man would have to be a eunuch before he'd consider letting me have a man in my life.”
          “Don’t be so dramatic.” Uncle Jay laughed. “You are special and he wants to make sure whoever becomes your life mate knows that.”
          “Special? You mean human.”
          “No I mean special Mena. Your mother was unique, the beginning of a new generation with in Wendigo society. You are her daughter, against all odds, born human, but yet you feed off the energy around you like she did, making you as unique. Never has a human been born with Wendigo gifts. You may never experience more than that and then again your powers could be lying dormant.”
          “I’m a freak of nature you mean.” She grumbled. “If he'd allow someone to turn me none of this would be an issue.”
          “Bite your tongue!” He scolded her. “It nearly killed your father as well as your mother when he turned her. He’d never consider putting you through that. Humanity is a gift our kind isn’t afforded. Be grateful for the gift of humanity you were given because once it's gone, you can never get it back.”
          “The way I look at it seems more of a hindrance then a gift.” She muttered.
          “I am proud of my heritage but to be human offers a freedom we will never experience. We wouldn't be forced to remove ourselves from the human eye, to live in seclusion so attention isn't brought onto our species when we do not age like the humans around us. And then there is our thirst to hunt, to kill. Always having to bind the animal within us, to control the beast in human presence. You remember that every time you think of humanity as a hindrance.”
          Like her father, her Uncle was so old school. There was no reasoning with him just as there was no reasoning with her father. One day she'd be out of this prison and neither would have a say in anything she did.
          “How come I never heard of the Thompson clan?” She asked before he could leave. He turned around looking surprised.
          “They live north of the Tahyesco River in the Tweedsmuir Provincial Park. They mainly keep to themselves except to show up at the gathering grounds for the race every four years. Why?”
          “Cause I was racing against one of them tonight.”
          Understanding flooded his eyes. “Yes, the boy Ray took over to Jackson's. Your father use to do business with Eric Thompson, the clan leader, but I've never met them. I heard they are impressive riders, about as good as our clan.”
          “So why haven't they competed in the races?”
          “They used to when you were younger and likely would still be had your mother still been around. You know as well as I do how political the elders can be. The Thompson clan, neither have the resources or the standing to be recognized by the council.”
          Memories of her mother ranting about this exact point suddenly came to mind. Her mother had fought hard to make the choosing process for the races fair to all Wendigos, not just those the elders favored. Jay was right, if her mother still lived she might have actually had a chance to race. Now with her mother gone, the elders reverted back to their old ways. Hell would freeze over before she ever had a chance to race now, not without her father's support. Especially after what happened tonight.
          She took a bite of her food then paused. 'Ray and I are going to pay big for what happened tonight aren't we?' She asked, considering it was Uncle Jay who her father went to in assigning punishment.
          “You and Ray went beyond pissing him off today.” He said in the doorway. “Let's say you shouldn't make any plans for the next few days and plan to be up early in the morning.”

****

          Light poured in from the open window to the right of the bed Aaron woke in. He squinted against the brightness, while a stabbing pain pounded in his head. Last thing he remembered his horse took a dive, sending him flying but not before his horse struck him with a hoof during the fall. The small, unfamiliar room continued to spin as he turned to sit up on the edge of the cot size bed. As he waited for the dizziness to stop, the door opened and in walked skinny, gray haired man.
          “Good you're still alive.” The old man said as he shuffled towards the bed. There was no gentleness in the man's boney hand as he grabbed him by the chin, forcing his head up so he could look into his eyes. “Your eyes are still dilated. You shouldn't be getting up yet.”
          And he shoved his shoulder, pushing him back into the bed. His inner instinct told him not to fight this man, he'd have no chance. Old or not, this Wendigo was far stronger than he looked.
          “Where am I?”
          “My home. My name is Jackson, and you were brought here two days ago with a very large bump on your head.”
          His brow furrowed in thought. “Jackson? You're not Jackson Smith, the elder of the high court?”
          The man smiled sadly. “Maybe at one time but I succeeded my position to my eldest son. I rather prefer to think of myself as Jackson Smith the healer.” He said as he tucked in the covers around him. “It seems you know a great deal about me.”
          “Not a great deal only what I heard. I mean your advances in genetic engineering are legendary. I've read a few case studies that are still kept in the hall of records. I am impressed by how far you had come in isolating and mutating the rabies gene that lives in the Wendigo blood.”
          Obviously he took this old man by surprise but he quickly hid his expression. “So you're a geneticist are you?”
          “Hardly.” He laughed. “I like to read a lot is all.”
          “Well it seems you know a little about me, but I know nothing of you, except what Alex Wade told me. Your one of Thompson's boys. Which one?” He was indeed surprised, and Jackson laughed as he said. “You should be grateful Alex Wade brought you here instead of ripping out your throat for putting his daughter at risk.”
          That's right; it was all coming back to him. “I'm Aaron, Eric's youngest son.” he said with a frown. “Where is my horse?”
          “I'm sorry to say the horse didn't fare as well as you. If not for Mena, you would have died as well. “
          “Mena.” He said rather than questioned.
          “Yes, Allemena Wade. You likely would have been trampled to death if she left you where she found you.”
          Allemena Wade certainly wasn't what he expected. Everyone within the Wendigo nation heard of her mother, Myra Wade so when he finally met the daughter of this legendary Wendigo, he found himself not at all impressed. She was short, not overly attractive but not homely either, just average. Most in his situation wouldn't dare face down with Alex Wade or any member of his clan, but he wasn't most everyone. He did things his way, not his fathers and sure in the hell not Alex Wade's. It was a dangerous game, but a gamble he was willing to take considering what was at stake. He just prayed he didn't end up pushing things too far.

****

          Mena carefully closed the trailers divider door trying not to startle the three yearlings huddled in the far back. Once the yearlings were in Simon and his younger brother Kyle started leading up the riding mounts, loading them up side by side into the stock trailer. Both Simon and Kyle while twice her age yet the youngest of the clan, except for her of course. Simon with his short black hair and Kyle with his shoulder length red hair, both in their prime. When her mother passed away, Simon took her under his wing and continued to teach her everything she knew about horses. He was her mentor, a suburb horsemen with skills she was only on the edge of discovering.
          Simon handed off the lead rope to her mare first, Simon's horse, Jacob's and her fathers. They were taking the yearlings to Jackson's and would have to haul them part way and then travel the rest of the way on horseback. While she would have rather stayed home with her Uncle Ray, Uncle Jay quickly shot down that notion, acting on her father's behalf saying; “Yeah, when hell freezes over.”
She still felt the reminder of the week's punishment in her aching shoulders. Uncle Jay had put her to work from sunrise to past sunset each and every day doing all the farm chores. She had it easy compared to Ray. He ended up clearing all the large boulders from the north pasture, by hand.
          After spending the week serving out her sentence under Jacob's unforgiving hand, Uncle Jay told her Jackson wanted to see her for a checkup. Her father trusted no one but Jackson as the clan's personal healer. Normally she'd be irritated by the whole ridiculous idea, she was in perfect health but Jackson may have some news shed been waiting to hear about her mother. Besides, she couldn't wait to see her friend Michael. He was a close friend, someone she had grown up with, confided in, trusted with her deepest secrets.
           “Mena, go tell your father were ready to go.” Jacob told her.
          She almost refused but knew she'd be pushing her luck. Her father was still mad at her; she didn't need Jacob angry at her to. She was a subordinate, meant to follow orders to one of higher rank.
          She found her father in his bedroom, seated on the bed, holding her mother's locket in his hand. A wave of guilt washed over her in lieu of the obvious pain in his aged features.
          “Uncle Jay has the truck loaded.” She said, stepping in the room. He closed the locket and shoved it into his pocket. He hadn't talked to her ever since the night of the challenge race after she had all but accused him of being the cause of her mother's death. Her mother died in a riding accident which made what she said even more hurtful. She wished she could take back what she said.
          “I'm sorry for what I said, about mom. I was angry.”
          He didn't look at her as he grabbed his duffel bag and his voice was cool and distant as he spoke. “I’ve done all I can do for you Mena. I believe this rebellious nature of yours proves you’ve far too much time on your hands. I thought long and hard about this and realized that you left me with only one option.. Your mother was just as wild and reckless before I met her, but once she settled into her role as my life-mate she realized what was most important to her. I am hoping you will realize the same, so I’ve decided to find you a life mate.”
          It took a moment for her to realize her father was serious. The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. “Like hell!”
          “You will obey me on this!” He exploded, fixing her with an impassive stone faced expression.
          “You told me you'd never force a union on me let alone with a Wendigo!”
          “I don't know what else to do with you!” He all but yelled back at her. “You want out of this house so bad, well this is the only way that’s going to happen.”
          “So you're pawning me off like an object, to a Wendigo you never even met!”
          “Who said I haven't already picked someone?”
          He caught her off guard again, forcing her to take a step back and think about what he just said. “Who?”
          “You will find out soon enough.” He said standing. “This is for your own safety.”
          “Oh please, explain it anyway you want to try and justify your decision as nothing more than trying to get rid of me.”
          “I am not doing this to get rid of you. I am protecting your future.”
          “No, you're doing this to punish me.” She snapped back angrily.
          “It's time you grow up and start acting like an adult.”  He said with a growl of warning not to push him further. “I want to hear no more talk about it.”
          “But...”
          The growl he let out was one he often saved for Ray, never on her. She responded by dropping to her knees, bowing her head submissively. As clan leader, he had the final say in any of their lives, including hers. If she had any chance of convincing him this wasn't a wise idea, she had to try and get back on his good side. Much to her surprise she felt his hand on the top of her head, stroking her hair.
          “Do not think I came to this decision lightly Mena.” He said softly. “You are the remaining joy in my life but you were right, it's selfish of me not to allow you to live your own life outside the boundaries of our territory. Contrary to what you believe, I will not just abandon you to a stranger. Not until I know you are settled safely in your new life.”
          Settled? Wasn't that a laugh? From one prison, to another. At least in her father's home she wasn’t forced to preform mately duties of consummation. Not that she was adverse to the opposite sex, but the thought of rolling around in a bed with a crinkled old, homely looking Wendigo filled her with revulsion.
          Myra rode in the backseat of the extended cab, listening to Jacob and her father talking about business. When they finally pulled the truck to a halt at the dead end of the old logging road, Mena climbed out of the cab first, eager to stretch her legs before the two-hour ride up to Jackson's place. The only way to reach Jacksons place was on horseback. He led a secluded life; much as her father forced them do now.
Mena hung back from the others with Jay riding alongside her.
          “So how long have you known I was being forced into slavery?” She asked Jay when the others were further ahead.
          “Just this week.” He answered keeping his eyes averted from hers, giving away his guilt. “I only knew his intention Mena, but he has not told me who he has chosen.”
          Like that made it all okay. “So everyone knew but me? How entertaining for all of you.” She spat out.
          “No one else knew before today. It was what your father wanted.”
          “And what father wants, father gets.” She mumbled angrily before kicking her horse into a gallop and flying by them all to take the lead. She didn’t want to be around any of them at that particular moment.