Wolf-Crazy
Page 17
"Zeke--"
He groaned. "You're killing me, you know that? I mean, a guy can only hold out for so long."
"My thoughts, exactly."
He groaned again. "If you promise to quit rushing this, I'll give you the freakin' number."
"Thanks." I held out my hand. "And it's only rushed from your point of view."
Zeke dug his cell phone from his pocket and slapped it into my hand. I handed him the remote control in return.
"You'll be wasting a call," he told me as he flicked on the TV and began channel surfing. "Rhyan told me his girlfriend is a full-blooded Quantauk. That means she has centuries of wolf blood running through her veins."
I smiled to myself. "Uh, Zeke?"
"Hmm?" A Nascar time trial already had his attention.
"Has Dax ever mentioned that Walker is really a shortened version of our original family name?"
Zeke didn't spare me a glance. "What do you mean?"
"My three-great-grandfather wasn't a Walker. He was a Cloud Walker. Johnny Cloud Walker, to be exact."
Zeke's gaze collided with mine. I had him now.
"Yep. A full-blooded Quantauk, as was his son, my great-great-grandfather Mike Cloud Walker."
The remote control bounced on the carpet. I watched the color drain from my boyfriend's face. "No wonder you'd heard of them."
I nodded. "Now my great-grandfather married out of the tribe and moved off the reservation. He was the one who shortened the name. Not sure why."
Zeke shook his head in dismay.
"I can't believe I didn't read anything about the wolf-way while I was doing all my research," I said, adding, "but it doesn't matter how little or how much I know. The point is that the blood line still runs true, which makes me one-eighth Quantauk. I wonder if that's enough to do it."
"Skylar--"
"Zeke--"
Our gazes locked until the disapproving line of his lips slowly stretched into a full-fledged grin. Finally he gave in and hooted. "So what are you waiting for, Wolf Girl? Call him, already."
Epilogue
When Mom and Dad got home that afternoon, Zeke was still there. Though I willingly confessed that he'd slept over--even brought up the subject myself--I did not say one word about Weres, werewolves, wolves or Melita. Did I feel bad about it? Just a little. But this was way bigger than me and my parents, and sometimes a girl had to do what a girl had promised to do.
On Friday of the following week, Zeke got a "surprise" phone call from another escapee of The Arm, inviting him to come to Colorado for a weekend at the Quantauk reservation. Mom thought his talking with another gang victim was a wonderful idea and didn't even balk when Zeke asked me to go along. After all, we had relatives I could stay with. I didn't mention that Zeke and I had talked to Rhyan days earlier and set up the whole thing--yet another of those instances when not telling everything I knew was best for all concerned.
As for my dad, who had more Native American blood than me, I found a moment to be alone with him just before we left on Saturday.
"What do you know about your Quantauk ancestors?" I watched Dad heft my suitcase into the trunk of the Charger. Zeke's backpack and an ice chest were already in there.
His eyes narrowed. "Before I answer, why do you ask?"
"I've, um, heard they have a tradition that, um, links them to the wolves they venerate."
"The wolf-way."
"Yes! So you know about it."
He shut the lid of the trunk. "I do."
"And you believe in it?"
"I believe there have been and will always be mysteries in this world that defy logic."
"I love wolves."
"A perfectly natural feeling for a young woman with Quantauk blood, I'd say."
"You're not getting this, Dad. I love wolves a lot."
For a second my dad simply looked at me. Then he exhaled a knowing, "Ah."
"Just wanted you to know."
My father pulled me into his arms. "I'm so proud of you, Skylar. I've thought about the wolf-way a lot, but never had the courage you have."
"And Mom?"
"I'll explain everything to her while you're gone. And who knows? She might even get it."
We shared a laugh. I suddenly wondered if telling him his wannabe son-in-law was a wolf would be spilling any beans. I decided I needed to talk to Zeke about it first.
He and I left shortly afterward. Since I'd been to the reservation before, I navigated while Zeke drove the scenic mountain highways. I told him about my conversation with my dad. We discussed letting him know the secret. Since he agreed that wouldn't violate the contract, we decided we'd do it when the moment was right.
When we got to our destination, Rhyan and his beautiful fiancé met us at the door of her grandfather's log cabin, where she apparently lived. They were so obviously happy together that Zeke and I immediately picked up on it. After all, we knew how they felt.
"Hey, Sterling. Good to see you again." Rhyan gave Zeke a hearty hug that was returned. When they stepped apart, they exchanged telling looks. Both smiled and nodded, speaking to each other without words, brothers in survival and duality.
"Welcome." Rhyan's girl offered her hand to me. I stepped up to take it, noticing her long hair, so black it had a blue cast, and her flashing dark eyes. "I'm Teyha Crane. You must be Skylar." My fingers tingled when they touched hers. Surprised, I tried to take them back, but for a nanosecond, couldn't. Then she released me. "Sorry about that. I got a…vibe, I guess, and had to be sure. You're Quantauk."
How could she possibly know that? I'd told Zeke not to say to anything to Rhyan about who I was and why we wanted to come. Better to plead my case face-to-face, I thought.
"Yes, but only a little."
"It's enough for what you want. Come on in." She opened the back door wide. I slipped past her into the kitchen. When she pointed to another door--our invitation to move into what looked like a living room--I hung back and let the guys go on alone. I heard Rhyan speaking to someone already in the room. A man answered.
"Are you psychic?" I whispered to Tehya.
She nodded. "Yes. I inherited some powers from my ancestors, which is bad and good. The bad is that I'm going to be the next shaman when Chief--that's my grandfather--retires, an idea I'm still getting used to."
"And the good?"
"He's not going to do that anytime soon." We both laughed. Her gaze swept me, a friendly appraisal that I didn't mind. "You have some magic running in your veins, too, I think."
I spewed another laugh. "As if."
"I'm totally serious. Ever have really vivid dreams about things you couldn't possibly know?"
"I, er, yes."
"Ever need to find something or someone so badly that you instinctively looked inward for the answer and actually got one."
Yikes. "I call them Skyntuitions."
"You've got powers, sister." With an impish grin, she crooked her forefinger and turned toward the door the guys had just gone through. I followed her into a lovely room with a hearth, fireplace and colorful throw rugs. I immediately fell in love with the rustic décor, which clearly wasn't the work of a clever designer. No, the keepsakes in this room had been collected for years and definitely belonged there. After scanning the area in wholehearted appreciation, my gaze belatedly landed on an elderly man, sitting in a leather recliner. Tan and rugged, his face had been deeply etched by the years. I noted his long gray hair, held back with a rubber band, and saw eternal wisdom in the dark eyes that quickly checked me out.
"Chief, this is Skylar," said Tehya. "Skylar, my granddad, John Rainbolt."
"Hi." I shyly walked over and offered him a handshake.
He took my fingers in his and put his free hand over it, capturing me for several seconds just as his granddaughter had done moments earlier. "You're Quantauk."
"Yes."
"Cloud Walker clan."
"Yes!"
"His dark eyes began to twinkle."So you want to be a wolf like your ancesto
rs… Well, young lady, I believe we can help you with that."
Author's Note:
Read the story of Andee Rivera and Jonah Killebrew in My-Wolf.
Read the story of Cassidy Norris and Brody Anderson in Wolf-Run.
Read the story of Tehya Crane and Rhyan Knox in Wolf-Way.
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