I have more and more reason to be thankful for my sister as she calls Gabriella around the her side of the car. “Come on, I promise my br, uh wolf will not bite you.”
I mentally face palm again when I hear her almost call me her brother. Good thing my little mate is so busy watching me she did not catch what was said. When I see her fearfully approach I can not stop my wolf from whining at her. If she moves any slower she will be going backwards.
Finally she stretches out her hand to pet me and I lick her. She yelped and jerked her hand back. I am going to owe my mother big for what she said next. “I think you hurt his feelings. He was just wanting to love on you. Wolves are pack animals and they crave attention and touch. He has been with our family his entire life and he would never hurt you.”
“Where is the rest of his pack? You just said they are pack animals.”
Mom reached out and laid her hand on my back, “We are his pack. We have been his pack his entire life and we will always be his pack. If you let him he will accept you into his pack and you will always have his protection. He does not let anyone hurt his pack.”
I watched Gabriella look at my mom then back at me. “He must not be very old if he is still here. I mean, I have seen nature shows and wolves need mates. So one day he will leave to find a mate and then he will have a new pack right?”
When I saw her attention turn back to my mom I licked her again. Stormie’s next words made me swear I would beat her first chance I got. “He will not leave, he can’t. He is bound to this pack.”
“Now dear, you make it sound like magic keeps him here. He stays because he loves us. Besides, he has a mate right here so he will not be leaving any time soon. Probably never since we are his pack.”
Gabriella turned her head fearfully from side to side and I heard her whisper to my mom, “He has a mate? There is another one like him around? What if they get hungry? Aren’t you scared they will see you as food? Do they have puppies?”
I saw my mother grimace at the word puppies. Wolves have pups, not puppies. And human shifter wolves have babies, just like a normal human. “No, I am not scared he will eat me if he gets hungry. I personally raised him since he was a pup and he would never hurt me. He would never hurt anyone in this town. The entire town is pack to him. Everyone loves him and he protects us.”
“But he is a wolf, what if more wolves come to town and he wants to be with his own kind? Aren’t you scared he would chose them over you? Maybe one day he will want to be around more wolves, have a pack like him.”
I am concerned with how my mother is going to answer these questions my little unicorn keeps throwing out. Not that the questions would not be good questions, if I was just a wolf, but since I am not, answering them may get a little tricky.
I find out I should not have worried when my mother laughs, “Considering the stray wolves he has already run out of his territory I do not think I will ever have to worry about anything like that. This is his territory and wolves are territorial animals. He doesn’t allow strangers around unless the whole town accepts them.”
“Oh, Stormie mentioned her brother is very particular about strangers being in town also. She said he does not let them stay. So the wolf helps him run them off? Like a guard dog?” I notice Gabriella’s nose start twitching like she is smelling something before a look of confusion crosses her face. I see her looking around and I wish, I really wish I knew what was going through her head. Because with the look of confusion is a look of something which looks a lot like shock. But before I can become concerned I see her stiffen her back and square her shoulders before giving my mother and Stormie a narrow eyed look. I see her nose twitch again before the narrow eyed look briefly falls on me. I see her take a deep breath and swallow hard before she shivered.
She took a step back from me and just about then my mom, who had bristled at her favorite son being compared to a guard dog, realized something was wrong. I could smell the fear coming from Gabriella so I know my mother and Stormie had to smell it also. My mom grabbed her arm just as it looked like she was going to bolt and with a smile told Stormie, “Didn’t you say you were bringing her grocery shopping today? We can’t do that out here.”
Whatever the problem might be, and I would find out at some point, it was for the moment narrowly averted as Stormie started bouncing up and down on her toes while she grabbed Gabriella’s other arm. “Mom, oh you will never believe it, Gabby said she will teach me to cook. Today, she is going to teach me today.” Stormie tuned Gabby around and started pulling her toward the store. My mom turned loose of Gabby’s arm when Stormie started pulling.
I wanted to follow them, I started to follow them but the fear wafting off of Gabby increased as soon as I moved to follow. No fool, I stopped immediately and whined. I saw her give me one last fearful look before my mom and sister all but pushed her through the door of the grocery store. I lay down in front of the car and watched the door. As long as my mate was in that grocery store no one else would be going in. Not with the amount of fear I smelled coming from her. What I could not understand is why she seemed so fearful. I was replaying the entire conversation in my head but I could not find an explanation for the fear. She was afraid to step out of the car when she first saw me but she seemed to lose most of her fear after watching my reaction to my mom and hearing my mom talk. It was only after her nose started twitching, as though she smelled something that caused her fear, that the fear began to waft off her in greater waves. I did not smell anything that should have given her anything to fear. I know she has the enhanced smell of all shifter wolves so to say I am confused about what I have learned today would be an understatement.
I was going to have to do some thinking and brainstorm with others about my suspicions about our little unicorn.
Chapter Seven
Gabriella
To say what I was feeling was shock would be an understatement. I think I was just a little beyond shock. Can a person go past shock? Is there an emotion that is one step past shock I wonder. I am having a hard time focusing on what Stormie is saying. When we pulled up to the store and I saw the enormous dog, well, what I thought was a dog, I was frightened. I thought it was the largest black dog I had ever seen in my life. Finding out it was a wolf made a lot of sense. Of course it also made me much more afraid to get out of the car. Even with Stormie trying to reassure me I was too afraid to get out. Only after her mom started petting the wolf had I been willing to get out of the car.
I thought for certain when the wolf licked me I was about to be eaten in spite of what Stormie and her mom had said. I admit I could not stop myself from jumping. The conversation that followed about how the wolf considered Stormie and her mom and the rest of the town his pack surprised me. I have seen some nature shows over the years. I felt strangely safe with the wolf after I was able to get over the initial fear. But then the smell hit me. I know that smell. I have been running from that smell for years. Somehow the men have found me.
I am confused. I feel safe and terrified at the same time. I can not imagine not having Stormie as my friend now that I have had a taste of what friendship with her would be like. I wanted to snuggle up in her mom’s arms for a moment. And considering how much I hate being around strangers that also confuses me. But just for a moment, when the wind shifted, her mom smelled just like my Nanny. But the smell of the men hit almost immediately. The only people around though was Stormie, and her mom, and of course her pet wolf. But that is impossible, isn’t it? The smell, it came from the wolf. The wolf smells just like the men chasing me. I am so confused. I have never been around wolves before but I would have thought they would smell like dogs. I would not have thought they would smell like the men chasing me. How is that possible. The men chasing me are the only ones I have ever smelled that smelled like Josh, yet not exactly like Josh, until today.
The wolf smells like Josh, but more like the men chasing me. I don’t understand. I just want to go back to the cabin and curl up in bed and thin
k. Or run, running sounds like a better plan. But if I run I may not ever get answers. How can a wolf smell like my uncle Josh, and like the men chasing me.
Do the men chasing me have a pet wolf? That would not explain how he smells like uncle Josh. I am pretty sure if Uncle Josh had a wolf I would have known about it so he did not get his smell by hanging around with wolves. What is going on? And, oh crap, Stormie and her mom are both looking at me. What do I say? I have no idea what they have been saying but both of them are looking at me in expectation. I have got to get myself together. Stormie is rubbing my arm and her mother is rubbing my shoulder, both have questioning looks on their faces. How did I not notice them touching me? I take a deep breath. I can do this. I give myself a little shake.
“I am so sorry, I just kind of zoned out there for a minute.”
I hear Stormie mutter, “Or five.” Her mother popped her on the arm before she could say anything else. And I know she was about to because she opened her mouth.
“That is ok dear. You looked like you had a shock there. Seeing a wolf for the first time in your life can be a bit shocking I would suppose. They are majestic creatures, simply beautiful, and so large. I assumed the fact you were standing so close to one for the first time finally registered and you looked like you were about to run. I thought getting you inside so you would feel safe the best thing. You seem a bit calmer now. For a minute there I thought you were going to take off running. Never, ever run from a wolf. They can not stop themselves from chasing you. They will chase you as long and as far as they can. And as tiny as you are, well, you would not have much chance of out running one.” Strangely this explanation from Stormie’s mom did not calm me.
All the explanation really did was make me think of the men chasing me. They never seemed to give up, and they smelled so much like the wolf outside. I shook myself before I could let my mind go down that rabbit hole. Maybe I was just going crazy from being alone and on the run so long. That had to be it. I felt strangely safe for the first time in years and my mind could not cope with that kind of hope. I plastered a smile on my face. I would think more about this situation when I got home. Then I remembered I agreed to help Stormie learn to cook and I amend my thought. After Stormie leaves later, then I will have time to think.
“I guess we need to find the things to help you cook your David a meal tonight. And I really need to get some things to cook myself.”
“And cookies, you were going to make us some cookies. Don’t forget the cookies.” Stormie was bouncing up and down again. I could not help but smile. Especially when I notice her mom’s open mouth.
When she turned to me she whispered, “You do know she catches kitchens on fire by boiling water right? Did she tell you she can burn a kitchen down with just a pot of water?”
“Mom, it was an accident. I swear it was an accident.” Stormie wailed, no longer bouncing up and down on her toes. I saw a tear forming in her eye.
I blinked a couple of times as I tried to process how one would burn a kitchen down by boiling water. I was coming up blank on how that could occur though so I did the only thing I could do. I turned to Stormie and asked.
“How exactly does one catch a kitchen on fire by boiling a pot of water?”
Stormie flushes a bright red and looks worried, “I swear that was years ago and I can boil water now. I will not burn your kitchen down. I swear I won’t.”
I giggle, I can not help myself, she looks so guilty and worried. It is not in my nature to be cruel though so I swiftly reassure her, “No, I am not worried about you burning my kitchen, I told you I will be there the whole time. I am just, well, I can not really see how one can burn a kitchen down with a pot of water.”
As we get a cart and start off down the first isle Stormie begins her story.
“Well you see, it was not really the water that started the fire. It was the potholder.”
I tilted my head and just waited. I looked over at her mom who was looking at Stormie with narrowed eyes. It almost appeared as though her mom did not have the whole story. When I saw Stormie shoot a guilty look toward her mom my guess was all but confirmed. Her mom’s next words cemented the guess.
“A potholder?”
“Well you see, in my defense,”
I heard her mom mutter, “Oh this should be good.” Then speaking normally she confided in me, “All her best stories start with, in my defense.”
“Well, but my stories are always true. It is just, in my defense, I thought a potholder was to hold the pot. It is called a potholder after all.”
I looked at her mom who looked at me, then we both turned back to look at Stormie. We still did not know what the potholder had to do with the story.
“Um, Stormie? A potholder is to hold a pot.” I offered this tidbit of information. If she did not know that I could see I was going to have a harder time teaching her to cook than I first believed.
“I only left it for a minute. And, in my defense it was not my fault.”
“So what exactly happened. You know if I don’t know what you did wrong it will be hard to teach you to cook don’t you.” I still could not see the significance of the potholder to the kitchen fire.
“Oh no, no Gabby I swear I don’t put potholders on the stove to hold pots anymore. That was just the one time. I swear. I can boil water now. Remember I told you I can cook mac and cheese and spaghetti now. Most of the time.”
I glanced over at her mom again but she looked as confused as I felt.
“So, you put a potholder on the fire and put the pot of water on top of the potholder?”
Now Stormie looked confused. “On the fire? No we were not cooking outside. Remember it was inside, it was on the stove. I would not have put a potholder on a fire. My god Gabby I am not an idiot.”
This time it was her mom who giggled and I was still confused. I looked at her mom.
I could tell her mom was trying so hard not to laugh when she told me, “She has no idea stoves can be anything but electric. Really do you think we would ever let her around open fire in a kitchen after she has burned my kitchen down once and her own several times?”
This time it was Stormie’s turn to be open mouthed in shock, “There are other kinds of stoves?”
I was trying to remember if the stove in the cabin was gas or electric. I had only had sandwich stuff when I moved in yesterday so I could not remember which it was. Thinking about the stove made me realize I had no pots and pans to cook with, or utensils. Well, I had the bare minimum, nothing fancy. A small pot, one small skillet and a wooden spoon. The only other kitchen things I had was a plate, one glass, one fork and a spoon and one small bowl I used for cereal. Certainly not enough to teach Stormie how to cook anything. I did not even have a cookie sheet or a bowl to mix the dough.
Before I could mention this fact to Stormie and find out where in this small town I could get the things I needed Stormie was speaking again.
“Anyway, what happened was, mom left me all alone in the kitchen even though I told her it was a bad idea.”
“You were boiling water Stormie, I had no idea you would burn my kitchen down by boiling water. The most you should have been able to do was burn the pot. But even then I was not gone to the garden long enough for all the water to boil out and the pot to scorch. We have always wondered exactly how you burned the kitchen down in the short time I was out back.”
“Well you see, in my defense, I had no idea the pot holder did not go under the pot while the pot was on the stove. The water started boiling and you did not leave instructions what I should do when that happened so I cut the stove off and I lifted the pot and put the potholder down to hold the pot while I went to find you and get the next instructions. And then, it just caught fire. But, I cut the stove off first. I did.”
Before she had finished speaking her mom was muttering something. I could not catch all of it but it sounded suspiciously like swapped at birth or something.
I looked at Stormie, I could feel the look of
disbelief forming on my face but I could not stop it. I closed my eyes a minute. When I opened then Stormie was staring at me with a hopeful look on her face. I so needed some clarification.
“So why exactly did you put a cloth potholder on the stove to hold the boiling water? Why not just leave the pot on the stove when you went looking for your mom?”
“Remember I did not know how to cook anything. The water was boiling and I did not have any idea what to do with it. But you put cooked food on potholders I knew that much. I just did not realize when I cut the stove off it was still that hot. I thought the potholder would keep the water hot till I got back. And it did, the only problem was it also kept the rest of the kitchen hot. You know, when it caught fire.”
“Why exactly did you never tell your father or I just how you burned the kitchen down?”
An embarrassed flush crossed her face again before she whispered, “I did not know why the kitchen caught fire that day. I thought the water did it. It was only after I tried to do the same thing at my house and David saw it and stopped me and explained the stove stayed hot after I cut it off that I realized what I had done wrong. I never stuck my hand under a pot on the stove to know the stove stayed hot. The red circles turned dark when I cut the stove off so I did not know.” She turned to me with an earnest face, “I swear Gabby I have never done that again. Please say you will still teach me to cook. I swear I will be so careful.”
Gabby (Safe Haven Wolves Book 1) Page 5