The Snow Leopard's Christmas Surprise

by Emilia Hartley

  “Do you know how to ride one of these?” Cynthia asked, throwing a leg over the bike behind Alex.

  “I think I can manage,” he replied.

  He carefully inched his way from the parking lot and twisted the throttle, eliciting a howl from the engine. Cynthia wrapped her slender arms around his waist to hold herself in place.

  “Be careful now,” Cynthia said, “The engine from this bike might just take your place.”

  With a quick laugh, Alex rode the throttle and the bike peeled from the dirt lot, out onto the open road. The single light at the front provided a hint of illumination so Alex had to rely on his heightened senses to guide him. The sound from the exhaust overpowered his sense of hearing and deafened him to everything else. He liked it. It gave him time to think. He’d become numb to everything going on around him, even Cynthia holding him tightly couldn’t distract him. What the hell is happening to me? His wolf was anxious; scratching and pawing at the edge of his mind.

  What the hell was that back there?

  Ever since the first attack by the bears all those months ago, he’d felt useless. He couldn’t even protect his sister from one measly bear. Cynthia. All he wanted to do was protect her, but he could barely control himself when he snapped at Otto’s bar. It took every piece of him to hold it together long enough to regain his humanity. What would happen if he lost it again?

  His mind wandered to his youth. His father only had harsh words and punishment for all the times Alex had fucked up. Thinking about it made him subconsciously grit his teeth. Dammit dad, why couldn’t you have just taken the time to teach instead of scold? Why couldn’t he have learned to control his wolf better?

  Alex didn’t have anything to say to Cynthia. Besides, it would have been pointless anyway as the motorcycle made it impossible to hear a damn thing.

  From out of nowhere, another engine bellowed out behind them, then another, and another. Soon they were surrounded on all sides by large bikers. Their jackets were different from the one he’d taken, were these guys part of a different gang? Alex wasn’t interested in finding out.

  Not now, just leave us the hell alone.

  Alex could already feel his strength start to surge. His mind was beginning to succumb to the instinctual urge to fight and survive. Amid the lurid smoke of the motorcycles he smelled something familiar, these bikers were wolves.

  Wolf bikers?

  The largest of the group seemed so damn familiar. A bushy beard with short cropped hair, hell even the motorcycle seemed like something he’d seen before, but he couldn’t place where. The giant of a man looked the pair up and down then gestured with one finger for them to pull over to the side of the road. Alex’s curiosity itched. The rage that began to consume him dissipated by the time the bike came to a stop on a grassy patch beside the otherwise empty street.

  The band of new bikers pulled over and settled their bikes to form a semi-circle around Cynthia and Alex.

  “You’re shifters,” Alex said, surprised.

  “Took you long enough to find out,” The giant man guffawed.

  He stood behind the gathered men and towered over them all by more than a head in height; he pushed past the group with slow plodding steps. Alex’s instincts were on alert but he didn’t feel any hostility from the wolves. The light from the surrounding motorcycles cast a halo around him and his shadow crawled over the assembled crowd.

  “Why the hell are you wearing that jacket?” he said with a gruff voice. “Ain’t no wolf on these mountains that would be caught dead in that.”

  “It was either this or freeze,” Cynthia said.

  “Pipe down, Pup. I’m talkin’ to your man,” he replied.

  “Pup?!” she shouted. Alex grabbed her by the arm to hold her still. He’d seen her mad with rage before and her getting pissy was the last thing they needed right now.

  Here we go again.

  Cynthia didn’t seem to care that he was, well, four times her size.

  “Where you headed?” he asked.

  “Night Runner den,” Alex answered, still holding Cynthia at bay.

  “What the hell is a Night Runner?” he asked.

  “The Night Howlers and the Moon Runners got together recently. Renamed themselves the Night Runners,” said one of the other bikers. Alex just nodded.

  “Why the hell did nobody tell me that?” he asked. He looked over the other bikers and was met with shrugs. Then he rubbed at the side of his face with his hand out of frustration. In time he returned to face Alex. “You’re quite a ways from home, kiddo.”

  Holy shit!

  Alex remembered where he’d seen the man before. The photograph. The one Miss Bannon showed him just a couple days ago. He didn’t make much of it but he looked just like the man she’d said was Cynthia’s father.

  “Bruce?” Alex asked in disbelief.

  “What did you say?” He asked, surprised.

  “Bruce. That’s your name isn’t it?” Alex repeated. The giant leaned down to get eye to eye with Alex. His leather cracked and strained against the movement.

  “Where did you hear that name,” he asked.

  Alex wasn’t sure he should answer, but he’d already dug the hole.

  “Miss Bannon from back home had a picture. She showed a guy in the photo that looked a lot like you and said your name was Bruce.”

  “Damn, that old hag. Is still alive?” he said, “I half expected she’d be dead by now.” He laughed loudly, and Alex joined in awkwardly. “Yeah, my name is Bruce. But everyone that knows me calls me Crunch.”

  Cynthia reached out and slapped Crunch across the face. Everyone went silent and Alex freaked out.

  What the hell are you doing, Cyn!?

  Crunch rubbed at his cheek and leaned in close to Cynthia.

  “What the hell was that for?” he asked, flaring his nostrils.

  “I promised myself if I ever met my deadbeat father I would slap some sense into him,” she slapped him on the other cheek. Alex cringed at the thought of Crunch fighting back.

  “Cynthia?” he asked, getting a better look at her. The bikers all looked around in confusion.

  “You’re damn right it’s Cynthia,” before she could continue, tears formed at the corners of her eyes. Even the stoic Crunch was getting a little misty eyed. He stood there, contemplating.

  “I deserved that.”

  His meaty arms wrapped around her and Cynthia disappeared between them. She tried to resist at first but it was pointless, he was too big and strong. Alex started to worry she’d be crushed. Only once she was free from the hug was Alex able to exhale.

  “Why the hell are you out here?” Crunch asked.

  “It’s a long story,” Cynthia said. Crunch turned and stared down Alex, who felt small under the weight of the man’s gaze.

  “You better be taking care of my daughter, Cynthia,” he said with the most intimidating voice Alex had ever heard. “You better show her some respect, because if you don’t,” he stopped talking and just flexed his fist. It wasn’t hard to understand the gesture.

  Alex opened his mouth to speak but before he could say a word Crunch interrupted, “It’s late, follow us.” He returned to his bike which groaned under his weight, “I’ll put you two up for the night.”

  “Come on, Alex,” she said, “Let’s get out of here. We don’t need his help.”

  I mean, it wouldn’t hurt.

  Still, he respected her enough to let go of his own opinion and do what she asked. Plus it wasn’t really his place to butt in. Alex saddled himself on the motorcycle, Cynthia was already waiting.

  “Where are you goin’?” Crunch asked.

  “Home,” Cynthia stated.

  Crunch grunted and a plume of hot breath in the form of smoke erupted from his mouth. His eyes narrowed and his frustration grew. He climbed off his bike and began to walk toward them.

  “You two pissed off a lot of people in that bar and they’re goin’ to be lookin’ for you,” he barked, “You don’t co
me with us and they’ll find you and make sure you don’t see sunrise tomorrow.”

  How did he know about the bar?

  Cynthia hopped off the bike and stamped right up to meet him, squaring her face just in front of his. She was tiny but it was clear she inherited her father’s commanding aura.

  “Where were you all the other times I’ve been in danger? What about those times I cried and blamed myself for you not being around to protect me and my grandma? I’ve made it this far without your help; I think I can last one more night.” She shouted, “You’re not my dad.”

  It was clear that her words had struck deep. Cynthia’s sharp tongue had sliced past his defenses and Crunch tried his best to avoid her stare; his shoulders slumped and he breathed out a sigh. Cynthia seemed to be just as taken aback by her comment as he was.

  “Fine,” he said, “Go.”

  Cynthia relaxed her posture and crossed her arms. Alex cranked the kick start and the chopper thumped rhythmically in the middle of the crowd. But, Cynthia stood and stared at the defeated Crunch. When she turned to join Alex, it was clear that she was holding back all of her tears.

  “I understand if you don’t want to talk to me, there’s a lot that needs to be discussed. I just don’t want to see you get hurt, there are some hunters in the area. I get it, you hate me for not being there, but for both of your sakes, please think hard about my offer,” Crunch said in a last attempt at negotiating.

  Cynthia saddled herself on the thumping motorbike and rested and bit back her tears.

  “Fine,” she said, reluctantly, “but only for one night.”

  Crunch picked himself up. It was very unlikely that any of his biker buddies had seen him act like that before. Alex smirked at seeing such a big man lose himself to one little girl. Cynthia’s hand squeezed Alex’s thigh.

  “Don’t leave me,” she said, upset and emotional.

  “I never will.”

  The band of motorcycles tore down the road. Alex found an odd calm in the new pack he’d found. It was a feeling he believed he could get used to, in time.

  CHAPTER 15

  Hey dad, great to meet you dad, sure is a nice night for a bike ride, eh dad?

  What the hell did he expect her to think? It was the first time she met him. Was she supposed to be happy and forget all the heartache he’d caused her? Ignore the fact that she had to practically raise herself after her mom passed away? She had her grandmother, but it wasn’t the same. No, she’d made her own way and she didn’t need some deadbeat father to show up and pretend like he cared.

  Alex was all she needed. Alex was all she wanted. But still, she wondered what it was like to have a parent, any parent at all. Alex’s mom died when he was young but he still had his father. All she had was her grandmother to scold her occasionally and have her do chores around the house.

  The fog had finally lifted making it easier to see the road and the thick forest on either side. The engine thumped between her legs. Each little vibration sent a shockwave through her. She held Alex tighter.

  The group of bikers slowed and collectively turned down a dirt road that was nearly impossible to see from the street.

  “Are you sure about this,” Alex shouted to Cynthia.

  “I sure hope so,” she said into his ear.

  A moment later she could make out their destination. A large clearing unfolded before them; nestled deep in the woods it was impossible to see the street through the forest. To the right of the entrance a row of six small cabins waited in silence. The center of the clearing was dug out to make a makeshift fire pit with fallen logs surrounding it on all sides. It was some Kumbaya level stuff, she half expected to see a guy with a guitar ready to play some camp music. The cyclists pulled to a stop and lined their motorcycles up in front of the first and largest cabin, Alex pulled in beside them.

  “Welcome to the best damn road stop on this side of the mountain,” Crunch shouted, “You and your boy can stay in my cabin if you want.”

  Not happening.

  “We’ll stay in our own, thank you.”

  “Alright,” Crunch grunted and scratched at his head nervously, “then take that one on the end.”

  A silver haired biker was already gathering wood and stacking it in a pile in the fire pit. Cynthia wasn’t tired but needed a moment to get away from the smelly goons that led them here.

  “Goin’ to have a fire tonight,” Crunch said to Cynthia, “if you wanna catch up.”

  Catch up with what?

  She hopped off the motorcycle and walked toward the cabin quickly, Alex had to jog to keep pace. Each cabin, except for the first, looked the same from the outside. A single window faced toward the center of the clearing. The stacked log buildings weren’t the tallest things in the world but they were tall enough that you wouldn’t have to hunch over like you would in her house at the den.

  Inside, the space looked as though it had been abandoned for years. The windows were grimy with moss and dirt, the curtains were non-existent. The door creaked and groaned as it moved and had to be forced closed. Alex hovered by the window, probably doing his best to keep an eye on the bikers.

  “We should’ve just left,” she said.

  “I was about to say the opposite,” Alex lied, “it’s cozy.”

  Cozy?

  She smiled and let out a fake laugh. What a joke. If anything it felt like a makeshift prison for the night, but there was no way she’d tell Alex that. He joined her on the bed, took her by the hand and kissed it, then nuzzled himself beside her. It was hard to stay mad, with him by her side. Even if he was acting dopey and love struck.

  “Your dad is out there, right now. Do you even know anything about him? You have a chance, a real chance to know more about the man. Don’t give it up,” he urged.

  “What would I even say?” she wondered.

  “Hello would be a good start,” Alex said. “Maybe think about saving the slapping and cussing till later?”

  There’s a thought. Don’t be hostile, got it. He was right though; this was a real opportunity to maybe figure out where she came from. Did her parents love each other or was it some passing fad that left mom pregnant?

  “You should come with me. I feel more confident when you’re beside me,” she said.

  “Okay, let’s do it,” he said, “You can follow me, if you want.”

  “No,” she replied, “It’s my dad. Just stay by me and keep me company.”

  She kissed his cheek and stood, pulling him along by the hand. It took a moment to pry open the door. Even Alex had a hard time with it. By the time they got to the fire pit, the bikers were already drinking.

  “Nice of you to join us,” Crunch said.

  “I wasn’t gone that long,” Cynthia retorted.

  “I partly didn’t expect you’d show yourself tonight,” he said, “on account of me being a terrible father.”

  He held out an unopened can of beer and offered it to the two of them. Cynthia snapped it open and guzzled down half the can before handing the remainder to Alex. It was refreshing, but it reminded her about how little she’d eaten that day.

  “You sure can down them like your mother,” Crunch said with a laugh.

  “Guess I know where I got that from,” she said. “Why did you leave?” she asked, coldly.

  “Getting straight to the point, I see.” Cynthia watched the light from the fire flicker on his face. “Who says I wanted to? She said that the road was no place for her, didn’t find out she was pregnant until three months later. I had no clue until she sent me a letter with your baby picture in it.”

  Crunch reached into his pocket and pried out his fat leather wallet. He withdrew a small photo and handed it to Cynthia. He wasn’t lying.

  “Probably best I wasn’t around,” he said, “it helped her fit in with den life a little better. When she stopped sending letters I wondered what happened to her. Figured I’d come around and see for myself.” His eyes wandered to the fire, hypnotizing him. It seemed as thoug
h his thoughts were getting away from him. “I guess that isn’t what you came here to hear about,” he chuckled.

  The silver haired man stepped up carrying a cooler and propped it on a log nearby. Cynthia’s mouth watered when she smelled the food stored within.

  “Help yourself,” Crunch said, “Scab ain’t much to look at but he can dish up some pretty satisfying grub.”

  They didn’t wait for him to finish his sentence; they were already devouring the leftovers. Had Cynthia waited much longer she might have sprinted into the forest to find her own food.

  “Did you love my mom?” Cynthia asked.

  Crunch slammed back the rest of his beer and let out a loud belch that echoed through the nearby trees.

  “Yep,” he said, “she was the only girl for me.”

  Yeah right.

  Cynthia shot him a disbelieving stare, she could see right through him after being with him for mere minutes.

  “Okay, you got me. I’ve been with a lot of women,” he said.

  Of course you have.

  “But, she was the one that stood out the most.”

  “Why didn’t you come back for us? Or come back for me?” Her voice wavered heavily as she spoke. Why the hell was she asking now? She didn’t want to get emotional with him, right?

  “I came around to see what happened to your mom,” he said, “I was stopped at the gates before they’d let me see you.”

  “Like that should have been able to stop you,” Cynthia said defiantly, “if you wanted to see me, you could have.”

  He slid the photo from before back into his wallet.

  “Truth is, your grandmother didn’t want you to know me,” he said.

  What? The woman she’d been living with for years was keeping her own father from her? Could she really have been lying to her for all these years?

  “No,” she said, “there’s no way grandma would shut you out. You’re my damn father!”

  “She hated me ever since I met your mother,” he said with a snorted grunt, “But the pack alpha sided with her every time I went to try to visit.”

  “When was the last time you were there?” she asked.