People stopped to watch them as they passed by, their looks making it clear that Akala was an unknown presence in their community.
“They can smell that you’re not wolf like us,” explained Nashoba. “It wouldn’t be safe for you to be here alone, but they accept you because you’re with me.”
“Is it dangerous for me to be here?”
“It would be if you came alone and uninvited. While some of us choose to venture out into the world, this is a place of refuge for our kind. Haley and I must constantly keep our behavior and speech in check when we’re in town or dealing with non-shifters, but here we can speak about anything and shift at will.”
As if cued to illustrate his point, three naked young boys sprinted out from between two cabins and ran across the path, shifting into wolf cubs and tussling with each other before scampering off into the woods to continue their play.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to seeing that,” said Akala, shaking her head as though she thought it was all a dream that would fade at any second. “Am I the first human you’ve ever brought here?”
Nashoba chuckled softly. “No, not by far. There are many who’ve known about our kind throughout the ages, and in recent years that circle has expanded considerably. There are those who trade with us or have come as mates to one of our kind. There are other women here who’ve married into the tribe.”
“Oh.” Akala thought about her future in a place like this. Would she take care of her young shifter children and dutifully cook dinner for Nashoba if she went through with the marriage he was looking for? She couldn’t stomach the idea of giving up her writing career to become someone else’s wife.
“We should meet the elders,” said Nashoba, guiding her to the longhouse in the middle of the village.
The long wooden building was smoky and dark after the bright afternoon sun, and it took Akala’s eyes a while to adjust to the smoky interior. Here and there she saw men and women resting or working on small tasks like stitching a blanket or preparing herbs for drying. On the far end of the building was a low fire with tendrils of sage-scented smoke that drifted up towards ventilation holes in the the roof. Around this fire sat three old men and one old woman.
“Elders of the Choctaw tribe, I present to you Akala Templeton,” said Nashoba. He motioned for her to step forward. “I formally request that she be welcomed in this place, and offered sanctuary and protection as befits a guest on our land.”
“We welcome this woman as a guest on our lands,” said and elder with a shock of long black hair with a thick white stripe running through it. “Let it be known that she is under our protection.”
Akala didn’t know how to respond, so she performed and awkward half-bowand mumbled her thanks.
“I see a bright spirit in this one,” said the old woman. “Although she muddies herself with self-doubt, this woman would make an excellent mate for you, Nashoba.”
“I have seen that same bright spirit you speak of, Elder Cressima.” Nashoba half turned and smiled apologetically at Akala. “Although we are not quite at the stage of considering whether to formalize our union or not.”
“Why not?” asked Cressima. “You are healthy, she is healthy. She is well of the age to bear pups. Why delay?”
“As I’ve mentioned,” explained Nashoba, “that is not how things are done when one looks outside the pack for a mate. Customs differ in human society. The courtship rituals last considerably longer.”
“So much easier to just have a little fight and then claim your prize,” muttered one of the male elders. He grinned at Cressima. “Isn’t that right, my love?”
“As if you had any choice in the matter,” she snapped back with a wicked grin. “I told Brownclaw I’d tear his throat out while he slept if he didn’t let you win the duel for me.”
“Must we hear this story again?” grumbled one of the other elders.
“Perhaps we should ask our guest if she has any questions about our society,” said Elder Cressima.
“I, um,” Akala felt uncomfortable with all eyes on her. She could tell that others watched from the shadows, and although she had a million questions about the tribe and their ways, she couldn’t seem to formulate a single one of them. “This is all a little overwhelming for me. I had no idea your kind existed until just this morning, and now I’m being welcomed into your society and I don’t really know what to say or do.”
Akala’s cheeks and forehead flushed with heat and she felt embarrassed at running her tongue with gibberish. The air was so thick and cloying with smoke and cooking smells that she felt about to pass out at any second.
“Perhaps you should show her the gardens,” suggested Elder Cressima, “before she faints and falls into the fire.”
Nashoba’s strong arm was around Akala’s shoulders then, and she felt herself being guided out into the sunlight again. She blinked at the blinding light and felt her disorientation intensify slightly before falling away.
“I’m sorry about that,” she said. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“No, it is I who should apologize. Perhaps this is all a little too much for you. Would you like to go back to the B&B now?”
“Yes, I think that would be best. I just need to gather my thoughts a little.”
Akala’s mind churned through everything she’d learned in the last few hours, and she couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling of being dragged into something so much bigger than she’d expected. Although she’d never really given much thought to the actual marriage part of the Craigslist ad, she most definitely hadn’t expected to be marrying into the leadership of a tribe of werewolves. No matter how much she liked Haley, or how strong her romantic feelings for Nashoba were, she just couldn’t see herself taking the next step of becoming his mate. Better to break it off now than to get any deeper and give Nashoba hope that she might actually marry him.
“I think I have to leave,” she said softly when Nashoba pulled into the B&B and shut off the truck’s engine.
“Are you sure that’s what’s best? I won’t stand in your way if that’s your final decision.”
Akala had her hand on the door handle but hesitated in opening it. “It’s not that I want to leave you just yet, but that I need some space to think this all through.”
“I can take you to the airport tonight. If you get home and change your mind about me and about this place, all you have to do is ask and I’ll fly you back down here.”
With nothing more to say, Akala opened the truck door and went into the B&B to pack her bags.
EPILOGUE
Saying goodbye to Haley had been difficult, but they’d managed to get through it with only a few shed tears. Akala had made it as clear she knew how that she’d appreciated everything Haley had done for her, and that she hated the idea of leaving her so soon after forming their friendship. They promised to stay in touch no matter what final decision Akala came to, and then Nashoba came inside to carry her bag to the truck.
Once again, she found herself sitting silently in the old truck while Nashoba drove down roads that were now considerably more familiar than they had been a few short days ago. Akala smiled when they passed the Wilkinson’s farm, and she almost asked that they stop for a bite to eat in Mountain View before leaving it for what might be her last time. A lot of new memories had been formed in this small corner of Colorado, and it was much more difficult dealing with it than she had thought it would be.
Looking at Nashoba didn’t make things any easier. He spoke no word of complaint, and did nothing to make his disappointment known, but Akala could sense his unhappiness. His jaw seemed clenched a little too tight, and his gaze stayed firmly fixed on the road in front of them, never once turning to look out the side window or at Akala.
When he slammed on the brakes and pulled off onto the rough dirt shoulder just outside of town, Akala braced herself for him to plead for her to stay and rethink her position on becoming his mate. She was so sure that he was going to make a last ditch attemp
t to keep her from leaving that she took a moment to comprehend why he’d really stopped.
“Shit,” he grunted, cutting the engine and peering off into the gloom of twilight. “This isn’t good. This isn’t good at all.”
“What is it?” Akala asked when she finally understood that his reasons for stopping had nothing to do with her. The light was fading fast, and she couldn’t see what had caught his attention.
“A pack of wolves just ran across the road in front of us.”
“Is that bad?”
“They’re not of our tribe, and they had the look of a hunting party about them. They shouldn’t be here like this. It goes against the treaty.”
“Treaty? Hunting party? What on earth is happening?” A note of fear crept into Akala’s voice.
“I know I said I’d bring you to the airport, but this is too important to let go. It’s my duty as alpha to let my tribe know what’s happening.” He turned his key to start the engine and roared out into a tight u-turn. “I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to come with me.”
Akala gripped the door frame and braced herself as Nashoba sped down the country roads without turning his lights on. He turned down an unfamiliar branch, and Akala realized he was choosing a route that kept him out of town and angled them towards the tribal lands he’d shown her earlier that afternoon. She couldn’t be sure, but from the direction he’d been looking after stopping, and the direction they were now driving, it seemed like the hunting party was heading directly for the Choctaw village.
“Maybe they’re just coming to trade with you or something?” asked Akala, her gut telling her that it was nothing so simple.
Nashoba veered off onto a rougher road, keeping his speed high and sending them bouncing along the rough and rutted track.
“If I’m right, those were Kintawep wolves.” He veered hard to the left to avoid a particularly deep pothole. “The Choctaw and Kintawep people have had an age-old rivalry that is nowhere near peaceful resolution. If they’re on our land, it’s because they’ve come for a fight. I just hope we can make it in time to warn my people.”
The trees blotted out the moonlight that shone bright in the night sky, and Akala could hardly see the ground in front of them as Nashoba braked hard and turned into the hidden dirt track. She figured it had something to do with his wolf senses and trusted that he could see a hell of a lot better than she did. Still, she braced her knee against the center console and kept a tight grip on the roof handle to keep from being bashed around the inside of the truck.
When they finally reached the village, Akala saw that they’d come too late, and that everything was chaos. People ran in every direction, and wolves sprinted between buildings, some fighting, and some chasing those who hadn’t yet shifted.
“Stay in the truck. Lock it once I’m out, and don’t open it for anyone.” Nashoba reached over and gripped her upper arm. “You hear me? Not for anyone.”
Akala could do nothing but nod her head violently. After unbuckling her seat belt, she waited for Nashoba’s door to slam shut and she reached over the seat to slap down the old style door lock. Ensuring her own door was locked, she pulled her knees up to her chest and tried to keep a low profile while still being able to watch out the front window. Nashoba run towards the longhouse, but part way there he was intercepted by two large wolves, their fur bristling in anger as they snarled and leapt towards him.
Nashoba shifted on the fly, the rippling transformation of his body tearing his clothes to shreds as she flew forward to meet the larger of his attackers head on. He slammed into the other wolf’s body, sending it sprawling backwards with him landing on top and gnashing at the wolf’s exposed throat. In less time than it took for Akala to go from amazed to horrified, the attacking wolf was dead, it’s throat a bleeding mass of torn flesh and muscle.
The other wolf adjusted course and turned to pounce on Nashoba from the rear. This time it was impossible for Nashoba to protect himself, and he shook and rolled while his attacker bit and clawed at his hide. They were nothing more than a blur of fur and flying dirt to Akala’s eyes, but after what seemed like an eternity, they came to a stop, Nashoba still standing and panting heavily over the lifeless wolf corpse below him.
Nashoba turned his head to look at the truck before dashing off into the village. Akala didn’t know what to do, but she felt stupid and helpless in the car. She looked around the cab and was surprised to find a shotgun tucked down behind the back of the seats. It looked as old and run down as the truck itself, but she figured it would do for what she needed it for. Wrestling it out from its rack, Akala prayed that it was loaded and opened the door to step out of the truck.
The shouts and yelps that had been muffled by the truck’s windows were louder now, and she almost turned back. Fighting every natural instinct, she moved forwards, running to the nearest cabin to check if anyone was trapped inside. She could think of nothing but the little ones she’d seen romping around the village that afternoon, and she ran through the rooms, hoping that everyone had gotten out and made it to someplace safe.
After discovering the house to be completely empty, Akala ran to the next cabin and checked it for hiding Choctaws. It too was empty, and she went back outside to figure out where to go next. It was then that a wolf appeared before her, its ears back in a gesture of aggression, saliva dripping from its snarling mouth.
“Don’t take another step or I will fucking blow your head off,” she said, hoping she sounded braver than she felt. Akala leveled the gun at the wolf’s head and put her finger on the trigger.
The wolf shifted up into the form of a man, and as she’d witnessed when Nashoba shifted back from wolf, this stranger was completely naked and exposed to her.
The man laughed and stepped right up to her, grabbing the barrel of the gun and wrenching it from her hands. She’d tried pulling down on the trigger, but nothing had happened and she was soon unarmed and helpless while the shifter turned the gun back on her.
“Silly female,” he said with a laugh. “If you’re going to use one of your pathetic weapons on us, at least learn how to use it.”
He made a show of flicking off the gun’s safety catch and then pointed the barrel right at her face.
“See? Now I can take that pretty little head of yours clean off.” He lowered the gun and ran his gaze up and down the length of her body. “Fortunately for you, I have other uses for that mouth.”
Someone grabbed Akala from behind, twisting her arms back and pinning them in such a way that left her helpless. She felt hot skin against her body, and she realized that one of the other wolves had crept up behind her and shifted to grab her.
Akala struggled to free herself, but it was no use. The wolf was far stronger than she, and he easily dragged her alongside his pack mate. When she tried to scream for Nashoba, the first Kintawep shifter slapped her so hard that she worried he might have dislocated her jaw, and hot tears flooded from her eyes. Risking another slap, she cried out again.
“Shut your mouth, you little bitch,” said the man holding her.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the large wolf she knew to be Nashoba sprinting down the path towards her. His muzzle was red with blood and viscera, and he had a look of fierce rage in his eyes that made Akala wonder if he’d gone crazy. He was about to leap towards the naked man still standing with the gun pointed down towards the ground when four other wolves appeared from between the cabins and intercepted him.
“Is that your boyfriend?” asked the shifter with the gun. He ran a finger down Akala’s cheek and let it linger on her lips a moment. “I suggest you forget about him. He won’t be around much longer.”
Akala shrieked in fear as they dragged her towards the cars. She could see nothing of Nashoba and the wolves who’d blocked him, but the sounds she heard from behind her were the stuff of nightmares. The wolves growled and yelped, snarling and barking with rage as they fought to keep Nashoba from reaching her.
They hauled Akala past
Nashoba’s truck and down the road a little ways where a much larger tuck with an enclosed back storage area was parked. The one who’d taken the gun from Akala unlocked the back of the truck and swung open the door, exposing Akala to the pitiful whimpering sounds of several women as she was flung up alongside them like she weighed nothing more than a small child. She landed on something soft and squishy, and soon realized it was the body of a woman who’d either died or passed out.
Akala didn’t have any more time to catch her bearings, because the door was slammed shut again, and all she knew was darkness and the sounds of those suffering around her. She tried her best to shuffle back to find a wall to brace herself against as the truck’s engine roared to life and they began to move along the rough dirt road. Everyone bounced around violently in that dark place, and she felt her own tears flow anew when she realized that she had no idea where she was being taken, or worse, what they planned to do with her when they got her there.
All she could do was try to stay alive, she told herself. Nashoba was a strong fighter, and there had to be other Choctaws still alive to fight alongside him. He would come for her, she told herself. He had to come for her, because the awful truth was that no one else knew she’d even been taken....
To Be Continued....
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