“In next room. Devil wolf keeps watch over her. Come, I will show you.”
“Thought doctor was bear,” Katarina said.
Yana chuckled. “Waylon is bear.”
Katarina frowned. “I am confused. Is daughter of bear safe with devil wolf?”
Yana shrugged. “Devil wolf is what all bears call Stewart. They bow to him like prince.”
Katarina’s eyes widened. “This I must see.”
“Devil wolf boy is very handsome, sister. He does not look like his mother or father. With golden hair and blue eyes, he looks like an avenging angel.”
“Stewart is adopted child. Do not look with lust at that one. He is young child still, no matter what his body has become.”
They walked down a small hallway. In the room, a boy sat at a girl’s side. He was reading from a book while the girl smiled tiredly at him.
Yana giggled softly behind her as Katarina leaned against the doorjamb and crossed her arms. “I come to meet devil wolf and all I see is boy who wishes to be wolf. Where is this alarming creature everyone talks about?”
Stewart grinned and closed the book. “Dad told me they were bringing you back. I’m glad you got away from the bad guys.”
“Da. Me too.” Katarina unfolded her arms and walked to the bed. The girl scooted over so she could sit. She patted the girl’s leg, then lifted a hand and put it on Stewart’s shoulder. “You did good, Stewart Longfeather. Many grown wolves would have faltered. Be proud you did not.”
Stewart nodded. “I’m not a wolf. I’m something else.”
Katarina stood. “I am wolf who has hugged many bears today. I am not afraid. Show me this thing you are. We will face your beast together.”
Stewart sighed. “I can’t. I haven’t been able to shift again. I don’t know why.”
Katarina returned to her perch on the bed. “Your body still recovers. It is like that for all the first time. Do not worry. Your inner beast will return. Beast is sleeping to get stronger.”
Stewart stood and walked to hug the Russian alpha. “Thank you for everything.”
Katarina patted Stewart’s back like his mother probably would if she were here. “Your mother is here in town meeting with bears. Your father stopped to get your siblings.”
“Oh, great,” Stewart said, sighing in resignation. He sat back down in his seat and covered his face. “They’re going to hate me.”
“For being devil wolf?”
“No,” Stewart said. “For rushing ahead of them. Waylon said I looked about eighteen now. The main wolf healer here agreed with him.”
“And how is head keeping up with growth?” Katarina asked, pointing to her temple.
Stewart knew he could be honest with her. “I feel confused all the time. I don’t feel as grown up as I look.”
“That is good news for you,” Katarina said.
“Good news?”
She nodded. “Confusion means your mind works very hard. When confusion leaves, you will know yourself again. This is also wolf thing. So no worrying for a while.”
Stewart nodded as he thought about it. He hoped Katarina was right. His senses went on full alert as Kent walked boldly into the room with Aggie trailing behind him. Stewart stayed where he was and waited for them to speak.
Aggie walked by Kent and smiled at Stewart. “You grew up to be very handsome.”
“Thank you—I think,” Stewart replied, laughing when his sister hugged his arm.
Aggie stared back at the girl in the bed, who was boldly staring at her. “Is this the girl you’re trying to save?”
Stewart nodded against his sister’s head. She was still so tiny. “Her name is Terra, spelled like Terrain. She’s getting a little better every day. Your cure is working, but slowly.”
Aggie giggled. “I found something else that might help, but I need to talk to her healer first.”
“That would be Waylon. He’s a bear,” Stewart said.
Aggie gasped. “One of your bears? The ones you saw in your vision? The ones Mom and Dad rescued?”
Stewart nodded. “Waylon’s nice. You’ll like him. He’s very smart. He was an EMT studying to be a doctor when he was human. He knows lots of things about helping people heal.”
Yana cleared her throat. “I can take smart little sister to see bear healer. I know where Waylon hides from wolves.”
Aggie giggled at Yana’s story. She looked at Kent and narrowed her eyes. “Don’t glare at me, Kent. You know I have to help them.”
Kent sighed and stared at the wall. “Okay, but I don’t like this. We’ve all been apart too long. Things need to get back to normal soon.”
Aggie patted her bossy brother’s shoulder as she passed by him to leave. “You can’t control the world. Remember what Dad said on the drive here. We each have to find our independence.”
“I remember,” Kent said with a growl. “Go. Do what you have to. I’m fine.”
Aggie scooted by her bossy brother and smiled at Yana. “Okay. I’m ready to meet the bear healer now.”
After they left, Stewart looked at his brother who was half his size. He lifted his hands in the air. “Everything Dad told you is true. I change into a freak and look like this. Go ahead and tell me how bad it is. I know you want to.”
Kent walked closer. He looked at his brother’s worried face. “Do you think the same thing will happen to me and Aggie?”
“Yeah… I’ve already seen it happening in my dreams,” Stewart mumbled as he dropped his gaze. “Except Aggie and you both get to be actual wolves.”
Stewart looked up when his brother’s smaller hands pressed on each of his legs. The light pressure made him chuckle. Kent lifted an eyebrow at his new deep voice. Stewart shrugged. “I didn’t ask for this, you know. It just happened. One day it will happen to you too.”
“I’ll tell you what I think. Your voice sounds mature like Dad’s and you look almost his size. I better look as handsome as you do when I change or I will be really mad,” Kent said. He pushed away from his brother and stood back to look again. “Aggie and I missed you, dork face. Things weren’t the same without you making your lame jokes. I guess you really are the funny one in our family.”
Stewart laughed at his brother’s reluctant admission. He was the only one in the room who knew how huge it was for Kent to admit anything. “I missed you too… shorty.”
“Low blow,” Kent said, socking his now giant brother in his giant arm with his smaller fist. He grumbled when Stewart didn’t flinch. “So what kind of freak are you?”
Stewart sighed. “I honestly have no idea. I haven’t been able to shift again. Katarina says the beast in me is sleeping to get stronger.”
Kent turned to look at the Russian she-wolf who’d been silently judging their reunion. “I hope you’re right, Comrade Volkov. If you’re not, we’ll all get to listen to Stewart complaining about not being a wolf for the rest of his life.”
“I am alpha, tiny brother with rude manners. Being alpha means I am always right, except when I am wrong. Then I am more wrong than anyone else because alphas make big mistakes. Do you understand what I am saying?”
“Yeah… I get it. My dad already gave me that lecture.”
Katarina grunted at him. “Real alphas know things without lecture. They must think of their people and be understanding as well as strong. I am reason Stewart turned into freak. I order your compassionate brother to save daughter of bear and made him obey me.”
Kent tilted his head. “Wow. Then you’re probably the reason he grew so fast too.”
“Nyet,” Katarina denied. “He was mostly grown when we went to see bears in great state of Colorado. The shift came because his inner beast wanted to help him do what had to be done. Shift is natural thing that no one controls. It happens when destiny dictates. That is the way of shifting wolves.”
“Huh,” Kent said, pondering her words. “Will you yell at me and order me to do something? I should have been the first to shift. I’m the alpha siblin
g. Maybe if you yell at me, I’ll catch up quickly.”
Katarina hid her grin behind her hand as she lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “If you beg nicely, rude boy who thinks he is alpha, I might consent to yell at you.”
They all turned when the human girl in the bed started giggling.
Relieved to hear Terra laughing, Stewart used his now greater strength to pull Kent to the bed. “Terra, despite his size, this is my older brother, Kent. He’s my alpha, and he hates to be laughed at. I’m not allowed to do it, so maybe you can do it for me.”
Terra weakly pushed her hair off her face. “You have the craziest family, Stewart Longfeather.”
“I know, but I’m stuck with them,” Stewart said sadly.
He chuckled at the glare Kent turned his way when Terra laughed until tears streamed down her cheeks.
When Stewart’s alpha brother rolled his eyes in disgust and turned to leave, Katarina stood and pulled Brandi’s little shit starter along with her. “Come. We take walk and discuss alpha things. You have much to learn before destiny finds you.”
Behind them, she heard Stewart laughing—probably because he remembered her saying the say thing to him.
“Now we talk. Why are you so angry?” Katarina asked as they exited the building.
“Who says I’m angry?” Kent challenged.
“No one has to say it. You hide nothing with your glaring eyes and frowning mouth. I suppose this is normal for child your age. You are lucky your brother and sister tolerate you.”
Kent grunted. “They have no choice. It’s part of our family rules. And I’m not my age, you know.”
“Da. I hear explanation from your brother. It still sound like science blah-blah and more blah. In the end, it is lame excuse. If you want to be real alpha, you must find reason for anger and fix it.”
“You want to know why I’m angry? Fine. I hate not being in control. I want to make all the decisions. I’m the smartest, the oldest, and I’m the alpha.”
Katarina laughed. “So now we hear truth. You want to be dictator.”
“Hey… that’s not fair,” Kent said, shocked at her logic.
Shrugging, Katarina nodded to the chuffing bears quietly stalking them as they walked. Laughter was universal as well. “This truth probably seems very unfair to boy who wishes to be dictator. To other wolves, though, having free will to live their own life is reasonable expectation. Your current attitude destines you to be the kind of alpha that a pack will kill off.”
“But what if my decisions were all perfect and reasonable? People would love me then.”
Katarina snorted. “How can you claim to be smart? You have many, many delusions. No one loves ruler who doesn’t allow freedom… and no one is perfect. Alphas are leaders. Their purpose is to make life good for their people. Learn these things before you grow up and get killed for your fascist tendencies. Trust me, I know much about such rulers.”
“I get the Russian historical reference. I’m not stupid. Were both your parents alphas?”
Katarina stopped walking. “My delicate mother was simple wolf who helped healer in pack. My evil dictator father killed my mother long ago and is alive today helping those who kidnapped me. As only good alpha in my family, I should have killed him long ago. Now I have to fix biggest mistake of my life. My father thinks he is perfect, but he is not. Everyone hates him.”
Kent nodded as they started to walk again. “I don’t want to be considered evil. I’ll have to think about what you said.”
Katarina nodded as she fought not to laugh. “Good. You think long time. It would be sad if your mother and father had to kill you for their great shame of letting you oppress your future pack. Your brother and sister would mourn you for a couple days before they went on to live happy, fulfilling lives without dictator brother making them feel embarrassed and unsure of all they do. It is good you reconsider this now. I am glad we had this talk.”
“Well, that’s one of us,” Kent said sarcastically, kicking at the ground as he walked.
14
After delivering Kent to his mother and reporting on Aggie and Stewart’s occupation with helping the bears, Katarina gave up trying to be useful. She walked to the edge of the village and to the pack’s guest lodge. Yana had chosen rooms for both of them the day they’d arrived. While she’d been captured, Yana also had unpacked her meager things into drawers.
Unpacking was a kind gesture, but it was not the one that had her rubbing her chest to ease the emotion building there.
A small jar stuffed full of wildflowers—or pretty weeds—sat proudly on top of the chest. How could such a thing not make a she-wolf smile? She would die before she let her father near her sister again.
Hearing sounds coming from one of the other rooms in the lodge, Katarina wandered out to search for the source and found Ariel sitting at a small desk working on her computer.
“Greetings,” Katarina said from the doorway.
Ariel turned. “Hi. Come in and save me from myself.”
Laughing, Katarina walked into the room and sat in the remaining chair. “This is like sitting on rock,” she complained, squirming in the hard seat.
“I believe the word for these furnishings is spartan.”
“Nyet. Word is cheap—too cheap to make pillow for ass comfort.”
Ariel chuckled at Katarina’s bluntness as she rubbed her nose. There was some strange scent wafting from Katarina. “With Reed back, I get a break from being the substitute alpha. His people are very needy.”
Katarina waved a hand at the desk and computer. “Is that relaxing?”
“Without Matt around to entertain me in other ways… yes. I talked Jon into giving me a blood sample. The constant chemical activity in him is amazing. I’ve been comparing that activity to Matt who’s a natural wolf and to me as a hybrid full of nanos. Jon and his people are far more like Matt than they are like me. The Crane siblings really were geniuses.”
Shaking her head at Ariel’s science talk, Katarina remembered what Brandi has said. She needed to change the subject before she started a fight with the alpha who helped save her from Travis. As she searched for a safer topic, she groaned a little at her level of tiredness. It hurt her brain to think. “I am not used to so many people. I can be fixer when needed, but I find such things boring. I would be lazy alpha.”
“Lazy? Are you kidding? You’d make a great alpha. You’d be your charming Russian self and cleverly shame people into doing the right things.”
“Shame? I think not,” Katarina denied with a chuckle.
“Lecture. Shame. Make them feel guilty in a mother kind of way. It’s all the same thing, isn’t it? In the end, you show them that they can do things even when they think they can’t. That’s a talent,” Ariel said with a laugh.
Katarina thought about it. “I will say nothing to counteract praise. Critique is probably fair.”
Grinning over the Russian alpha’s quick concession, Ariel shook her head. “It wasn’t a critique. It was me saying you have a good way of getting people to take responsibility for themselves. Reed’s pack is still living like they’ve lived for centuries. The years his grandsons ran this group regressed them further. They need someone to drag them into this century. I know that’s not something Reed wants to do. After the attack here, though, I think they’re all starting to see that change must happen.”
Katarina sighed. “Poor Temptation. His peaceful village is no longer peaceful. His body is young, but his soul is still old.”
Ariel lifted a shoulder. “Maybe someone will step up soon to relieve him. In the meantime, this pack needs to make more money so they can afford better security measures. No one on this globe is as isolated as they believe. Technology has seen to that.”
Katarina nodded. “Maybe visiting bears can teach them to live smarter. From what I saw in their village, bears are resourceful. Lowest house in Bear Central was much better than Russian alpha’s home. The bears make goods and sell them to local places. This
is honest living, I think.”
Ariel nodded and smiled. “Bear Central?”
“Is Brandi’s name for bear village. Agent Nano Wolf name everything.”
“Agent Nano Wolf,” Ariel repeated, laughing at Katarina’s irked expression as much as her words. “Brandi and Gareth may seem a little gung-ho in their agent stuff, but they take every shifter’s best interests into consideration in all they do. I’m glad the bears came here. I’m sure Reed’s people will come out of their homes eventually.”
Katarina snorted. “Oh, I fix that already. I petted Jon in bear form and then all bears want turn. Then everyone pet bears. Now bears are no big deal.”
Ariel giggled. “Perfect. I thought Reed or I would have to order them to socialize.”
Katarina lifted a shoulder and let it fall. She could feel herself fading. “It is good instinct for wolves to fear bears. Fear good for whole village right now. Bears are not afraid of attackers returning, and this is lucky thing. Everyone needs to keep watch. I learned hard lesson about dropping guard.”
“Agreed,” Ariel said as she rose and went to her sole piece of luggage. She dug a bag out of it. “Catch,” she called as she tossed it at Katarina. “It’s seal jerky. I don’t like the idea of eating them, but I have to say they are delicious. Seals are plentiful along the coastline and Alaska natives—the humans—harvest them conservatively for subsistence.”
“Spasibo,” Katarina said, opening the bag. She was ravenous. She’d been ravenous since she escaped her kidnappers. She drew one out and took a big bite. “Umm… very good.”
“I know,” Ariel said with a smile. “I don’t eat it often. Got to keep my human guilt under control. Moose jerky is almost this good. I bet Reed’s people make their own.”
“Umm… so good,” Katarina said again. Using all her willpower, she stopped eating and closed the bag. “I save rest for Yana. My sister missed me. I missed her too. Having family is still strange for me.”
“Why? At least you’re sisters by blood with Yana. That’s a pretty natural connection. I’m here to help Reed because he’s like a father to me. I miss Brandi when she’s gone, and Heidi now that I’m here and she’s back home. It’s hard for me to remember that the four of us were strangers not so long ago. I still haven’t adapted my newly created family,” Ariel said.
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