“Beau, come on. We need to get inside.” I’d never been afraid of wolves before, but with so many tracks and them hanging so close, I couldn’t ignore their presence any longer.
Beau’s eyes locked on the darkness of the forest, at something I couldn’t see, and he wiped another tear from his cheek. “Beau, let’s go pl—”
A black wolf stood in the shadows, ice on his fur coat, twinkling from the lights above. It hung his head low, and its eyes were so yellow they were almost glowing.
“Elle,” Jackson cautioned as he stepped up beside me. “Let’s go, Beau,” he said calmly, his eyes also locked on the wolf.
More glowing eyes came into focus behind the black wolf. “Jackson,” I breathed. He lifted Beau into his arms and took a slow step back, taking my hand in his.
The wolves didn’t move as they watched us retreat slowly back to the cabin with the others. Not for the first time, I wondered if it was possible the animals could be sick too.
Chapter 42
Jackson
The cabin was cramped with nine of us, and more bodies meant more heat. The kids didn’t seem to mind, but I was taking layer off after layer, and Elle was down to her t-shirt, though as usual she’d kept her gloves on.
I’d decided I like that random quirk of hers; she didn’t get grossed out by blood, which there was a lot of when you worked outdoors or raised kids, and she didn’t shy away from hard work or uncomfortable conversations with them like I did. Elle didn’t even complain when the heat was too high and I could see the sweat on her brow. She was selfless, and the gloves were a reminder she wasn’t perfect and I appreciated that about her.
“Dinner’s ready,” Sophie announced and handed Elle a bowl and roll to pass around. I grabbed one of the stumps we’d brought in from outside and claimed a spot next to the couch. I was a big guy, but I didn’t need much.
Another howl, more distant this time, met my ears. They’d persisted since we’d gone inside. Del, Jade, and Took seemed to think it was strange, but nothing to be overly concerned about, but I had a knot in the pit of my stomach that tightened every time I heard it.
Thea had gotten over her fear in the early months when they’d first started in Slana. Whitely wasn’t a place where they had to worry about wildlife as much as out here in the open with nothing to keep the animals in or out. The wolves never bothered Beau, and his fascination with them worried me. He kept getting too close, and they were growing more ballsy.
“Here you go, Del,” Elle said, handing him a bowl of soup and a warm roll as he sat on the couch beside Jade. “Caribou stew, made from ingredients from your winter garden, of course,” she explained. “And the rolls, heated to perfection, are from ours.” She winked at him.
He accepted his bowl and roll with wide, hungry eyes and a nod of thanks.
We’d brought all of our food back in the truck for safekeeping until we got back on the road.
“What’s Del short for?” Beau asked, pulling out a seat for Thea at the table beside him.
“Delmont, but don’t you bother calling me by it,” he said. “Delmont was my father, and I’m not as old as that, yet. So I won’t answer.” He smiled at Beau.
“I was named about my dad too,” Beau said proudly. “But Beau isn’t short for anything.”
“It’s a good name,” Jade said, blowing on a spoonful of soup.
“And, it fits,” Sophie added, handing me a bowl. “It means handsome in French.”
“You’re French?” Thea asked, running her tongue over her red lips. Either she was hungry enough to brave the steaming stew, or she was more resilient than I thought and didn’t care in the slightest.
“My mom is—was,” she amended. “Or, I guess my grandma was.” There was a moment of silence as reality settled in around us again.
It was likely that everyone we ever knew who was not in the room with us was now. We were the only ones left that were.
“Why am I not surprised?” Alex smirked, merriment in his eyes that broke up the thick silence.
Sophie’s pale skin flushed, and she looked away. I couldn’t figure those two out, but then I wasn’t sure I wanted to. Raising an eyebrow I looked away.
Elle handed Took his bowl last, then sat at the table beside him. He sniffed the steam that rose from it. “Smells edible,” he said in his cantankerous way, though he was only giving her a hard time.
“Oh, stop it, dad,” Jade chided.
“Sophie made it,” Elle said. “So you’re safe.” She winked and brought the spoon to her mouth.
“Yes, it’s delicious,” Jade told her. Sophie blushed and glanced around the room. “You did a great job.”
“No,” Elle clarified. “I stirred that’s it.”
“Elle helped,” she said[K103].
“What does Sophie mean?” Alex asked.[CM104]
She laughed. “Wise, I think. Nothing romantic or even French. It’s a Greek word or something.”
“What about you, Elle,” I asked, suddenly curious. “What’s Elle short for?” I’d never wondered until now.
She gave me a sidelong look, and I knew it would be a good story.
“Eleanor,” she said reluctantly, and dipped a part of her roll in the broth.
“You don’t you like Eleanor?” I asked, wondering why her brow crumpled.
“Who said she doesn’t like it?” Del asked. “Sometimes we just like nicknames.”
She inhaled a deep breath and straightened. “I was named after someone I don’t like all that much,” She admitted. I hadn’t expected her to say that.
I ate a few spoonfuls, almost hot enough to burn my tongue, but damn good.
“Took was a family name too,” Jade explained. “An ancestor I’ve never met.”
“Me either,” he said. “We named Jade after my wife’s favorite color. She loved the spring.”
“Yes, spring,” Elle practically sang. “I can’t wait for it.”
“Jet had his father’s middle name,” Jade said. Though she smiled, there was sadness in her voice and brought a heavy silence over the room. She cleared her throat. “Jackson, you look like a man who knows a bit about the Alaskan heritage. Who were you named after?”
[105]“It’s no fascinating [LL106]story,” I told them, even though I was glad to have a piece of my mother’s family still. “I was named after my grandfather, he was a fisherman in Sitka. He was one of the last people in my mother’s village that still made his own boats with cottonwood he stripped and split.”
“That’s remarkable isn’t it? I can’t imagine having such a skill.” Jade wiped her mouth with a cloth napkin. “Was he able to teach you?”
“No.” I sat my empty bowl down and rubbed my hands over my thighs. Being in the confined space with everyone’s eyes on me was something I was barely getting used to with the six of us, but five sets of eyes had become eight. “My mother died giving birth to my sister and my dad moved me to Anchorage where he was from. I didn’t get to learn much more after I was nine.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I still fish with willow branches from time to time, like she taught me, and can build a screaming fire.” I smiled, proud of what I could do, but hoping it outshone the sadness too.
“Both important skills if you want to live out here,” Del said. “We’ll have to get some fish while you’re here. Maybe show the kids what it used to be like growing up out here before everything was at your fingertips.”
“We’ll do that.” I was eager to actually. “We’ll do that.”
“After hunting,” Took groused. “That herd is on the move. They will be gone soon and we could use more Caribou.”
“Yes, after,” I agreed.
We sat in companionable silence while the adults finished their dinner. The wood in the stove crackled, and I watched the kids play with their food[LP107], like we couldn’t see them, but I let them be. Their silliness entertained Took, maybe reminiscent of his youth, and they were carefree, which I envied.
The wolves howled again, and Elle plopped a final bit of roll in her mouth. “Maybe they want the meat in the smokehouse.”
“Maybe,” Del said, “but it’s never been an issue before. Cottonwood has a strong odor to most animals. Bear will alert us if they get too close.”
Jade looked at me, her brown eyes fixed and thoughtful. “You said yourself everything was different now, since the outbreak.”
I shook my head, following her line of thinking. “Not with the animals. Well—” I frowned. “I don’t think animals were infected.” I looked at Elle.
“I’ve been wondering the same thing,” she said, setting her spoon in her bowl.
“Del.” Jade looked at him. “Should we put Bear in the shed for the night?”
Del nodded. “If it will make you feel better, we will. Just to be safe.”
I recalled the wolf tracks by the Expedition, but said nothing. It would do no good to bring it up when everyone was already on edge.
“Can we get dogs when we get to Hartley?” Beau asked.
Elle glanced at me then cleared her throat. “Well, we’ll have to see. We don’t know what we’ll find there. They might have dogs already that you can play with.”
“I thought you were heading to Whitehorse?” Took asked. “What’s Hartley?”
“Uh, Hartley Bay is in British Columbia. There’s a safe zone there, a community with other survivors like us. We’re parting ways in Whitehorse.”
Elle and I had talked about our plans a hundred times over the past weeks and it never felt uncomfortable to think about until she said it out loud. “Why are you parting ways?” Took asked, confused.
“Dad, it’s not really your business.”
He shrugged. “What? I don’t understand.”
Elle’s eyes darted to mine, and she smoothed out the napkin in front of her. “It’s just the plan,” she said. “Jackson has friends he’s meeting up with, and we’re going where there are kids for them to play with, and a community to keep us safe.”
Took shook his head and lifted his shoulder. “Okay. Whatever you say.”
“Actually,” Jade said glaring at her father. “I was thinking you stay here a while longer, for a few weeks at least, until Elle heals up and the roads are safer.” She looked pointedly at Elle. “It will give you all some time to get your things in order—find another truck and whatever you need for your trips.”
Elle stared at Jade, and I watched Elle. It was a good idea, in fact, I was relieved they’d offered. It meant we didn’t have to rush to get back on the road.
“That’s really generous of you—” Elle began.
“I insist.” Jade stood up from the couch and patted me on the shoulder. “Anyone want more soup?” She walked over to the stove, her bowl in her hand.
“We could use the company,” Del admitted as he leaned forward. “And the distraction.” He glanced at his wife humming as she ladled another spoonful into her bowl.
Elle smiled, but it was forced and her cheeks were red. She stood up with her bowl to head to the washbowl, biting her bottom lip.
I gently grabbed her hand as she passed. “Is everything okay?”
Startled, her eyes darted to mine and then to my hand on hers. She pulled her fingers from mine with just enough urgency to send a message loud and clear. I felt an unexpected blow of annoyance.
“Yeah. Everything’s fine.”
“Jackson,” Jade said. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d love to hear more about your childhood in Sitka.”
Elle stood at the washtub, staring at nothing in particular. Somehow, I’d crossed a line, one I hadn’t realized I was even close to stepping over, and yet it felt like I had. And that her dismissal stung, made the guilt even more deplorable.
Chapter 43
Elle
“Time for chores,” Jade called as she stepped out of the house, a smile lighting her eyes. The kids and I finished donning our outdoor clothes as she slung a .22 over her shoulder. It was small but packed a mean enough punch to scare any critters away. Being naked of my gun, I was relieved, and even if Jade was sweet with round cheeks and a big smile, she could be a mama bear if she needed to, I could see it in her eyes.
“Can we go hunting?” Beau chirped, eyeing her gun. “Alex showed me how to drive the snow machine.”
“Not today. They have them on their hunting trip.” She opened Bear’s kennel so he could run free. “Besides, we have something far more important to do today and it doesn’t require us leaving our own backyard.” She winked at me. “We’re collecting wood.”
The kids were more than happy to stay with the Ranskins for a while longer. I was less content, however, even if I knew it was irrational. Staying with them was the best possible outcome, but it made me uneasy knowing there was still so much they didn’t know about us.
“Now, who’s pulling the sled? It needs to be someone strong and—”
“I can do it,” Beau said, trotting over to the discarded black sled by the door.
“Thea you can wrangle Bear in,” she said, handing Thea a leash. “Now, do you see that patch of trees up there on the hill? That’s where we’re going. Keep a sharp eye out for lynx and wolverines, they like to hang out around here because of the hares and foxes.”
“Okay,” the kids said in unison, as if wolverines and lynx were akin to raccoons and other everyday backyard critters.
“Lead the way.” She flung her hand out like she was releasing the greyhounds, and happily, Beau and Thea made their way up the hill, their shorter legs struggling in the snow, Bear barking and hopping along with them. When Thea stumbled, Beau helped lift her up.
“They get along well,” Jade said after a few silent moments.
“Ha! Yes, they do, mostly. They have their days.”
“Do you have any siblings?” Jade’s eyes flicked from the children to the snow in front of her.
“I did. A sister.”
I nodded. “I’d gone to check on her and found them instead.”
“Well,” Jade said, despondent despite the love and smiles she hid behind. “I’m sorry. I know none of this is easy. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for all of you, for the kids, especially.”
It was definitely a lot to take in, and it still was. “We still know so little. I don’t think we’ll ever know the cause or what it did to us.” I imagined a history book a hundred years from now, but instead of a thick binding with endless text, colorful imagines of the bad guys versus the good filled the pages, and I smiled to myself. “Sophie thinks we’re all different now, after getting sick.”
“You mean the madness?” she clarified. “I thought it was only some survivors?” Jade’s gaze fixed on me, I could feel it like it was the rays of the sun, warm and beckoning on my face. She had a silent curiousness about her that made me wonder if she somehow knew everything already and was waiting for me to catch up.
“Yes. It is.” It was all I could bring myself to say. “I wonder what the rest of the world looks like now. I imagine colonies of people banding together, the government reinstating power and order, and I keep thinking one day soon a helicopter will fly overhead and I’ll feel that grand sense of relief that it is all over. But five months is a long time, But in my bones, I know that if it was going to happen, it would have already.”
“It still might,” Jade said optimistically as she scanned the wooded hillside for dangers. “It still might,” she said more quietly. I wondered if a part of her hoped for that too.
Jade and I continued the rest of the trek in silence, listening to Beau and Thea chatter about the squirrels and hares that left footprints in the snow.
“Why can’t we see any?” Thea asked, glancing back at us. Her nose and cheeks were rosy, and her braids bounced against her puffy jacket as she jumped through the snow. There was nothing subtle about that girl, and I loved her for it.
“Because you’re scaring them away with all your talking and jumping,” Beau told her. “Plus, we look like
aliens to them.”
“And we’re big,” she added.
Beau looked her over. “You’re not big.”
“Yah-haw!” she retorted, glaring at him.
Jade sighed. “Is it strange that I enjoy hearing them bicker?”
I smiled and shook my head. “It helps things feel normal.”
“I can imagine,” she said, thoughtful. “Having you all here brings a sense of life that we haven’t had around here in a very long time.”
“I’m just sorry we had to bring with us so much bad news too.”
Jade shrugged, white air huffing from her deep breath as we crested the hill. “It’s better we know. I hate to imagine Del heading into town to see what’s happened to the world all on his own—to find Jet the way he was . . .”
“I know,” I said, and reached for her shoulder. I squeezed softly, wishing there was a way I could help, but I knew she had to wonder and grief in her own way. “I—” I froze, staring at the wolf prints in the snow.
Jade followed my gaze. “They’re old prints,” she reassured me, but they didn’t look old. At least, not old enough to put my mind at ease. I wanted to reach for my pistol but I wasn’t wearing it. I couldn’t shoot it with one hand and hit a damn thing. Another reason I was useless.
“It’s just up here,” she said, walking more quickly. “The winds are stronger on the hill,” she explained, pointing to the branches and twigs covering the ground. “They break easily under the weight of the snow, frozen to the core.”
We all peered up at the overhanging branches that covered us, at the blue sky that peeked through them. I’d gotten used to being hot all the time, I’d had to. Everyone else needed to stay warm and I couldn’t walk around in a t-shirt out here without people thinking I’d lost my mind. But despite the way my clothes clung to my body in the sweltering heat, I shut my eyes and let the sun warm my face. “I missed you all winter, my friend.”
“I miss the swimming pool,” Thea said.
“It’s winter,” Beau pointed out.
The Darkest Winter Page 23