by D D Mathews
Ursula changed into her human form and shivered, “I’ve never seen a wolf as big as you.”
“I guess we’re both amazing,” Nuri said laughing. She hugged this girl like a sister and rubbed her bare arms to keep her warm as they crossed the clearing back to the group.
As the seven of them walked through the woods back to the house, the middle girl, Yuli asked, “Nuri, do you want to see my wolf?“
“Of course, I would love to.”
Yuli, without a pause, went from a nude woman to a beautiful golden brown wolf, with red highlights. Her legs and body were the perfect blends of speed and strength, she would be brutally tough to defeat as a wolf. She was a large wolf, especially for a female. She also had complete mastery of the wolf form. She couldn’t talk in wolf form, but her eyes and smile and mannerisms were human. A wolf body with a human mind was most rare, possibly one of a kind. Nuri didn’t like losing herself in wolf form and so she never used it. This girl Yuli was so comfortable in her wolf; she stood up on her back feet and hopped and danced along, smiling, almost laughing. Nuri, Nox, and Gretchen were flabbergasted.
Hanna chided, “Stop showing off Yuli.” And she fell back on all four and morphed instantly into the cute girl from dinner.
Nuri took these last moments to try one last angle. Blunt wasn’t working; now it was time to attack the heartstrings. “Don’t you feel like you’re robbing these girls of that sisterhood you shared with other Amazons, with Karoline?” It was a desperate and clumsy move by Nuri but she had run out of time.
Hanna stopped at the tree line, only she and Mouse had heard Nuri’s words, the rest of the girls went to collect their clothes. Nuri stood there naked in front of Hanna and looked straight into her eyes, waiting. Hanna finally gave in, “Yes, sometimes I do.“
Nuri had her.
***
Nuri called the first night and told Tamara to find a place for Hanna and the three girls. She was given the guest room while Nox bedded with Yuli and Gretchen bedded with Ursula. Mouse shared with Hanna. The morning was a rush to pack, feed, and mount up. Hanna managed everything with Gretchen’s help. The chaos was hectic. However within twenty minutes, everything was ready. The three girls acted like they had done this before. The drive was not quiet, Gretchen and the three girls talked constantly. Nuri thought, soon Gretchen would be living with the three girls and “babysitting.”
Nuri spent time on the phone, talking to Tamara about the open house and getting directions to Hanna’s new home. The SUV pulled into a plot of land about the size of the one they had come from while the house was much larger. Unfortunately for the Weres, no woods were nearby; they would have to adjust. Justine greeted the women at the front door and handed each of the girls and Hanna keys to the house. She also handed out keys for a shed in the back and two car keys for the brand new cars in the driveway. Mouse couldn’t drive yet, but she received keys like everyone else. Justine led them into the house, while Nuri, Nox, and Gretchen waited outside. Mouse asked, “Gretchen, why aren’t you coming in?”
“It’s not polite to enter someone’s house without being invited,” she said. Nuri saw Hanna’s smile and knew she had done well handling the reclusive wolf. Hanna responded perfectly, “Girls, please line up as I taught you.” The girls lined up like the three pillars behind Hanna. Hanna spoke as Justine took the second pillar spot, with Nox as the third and Gretchen as the fourth, all lined up behind Nuri.
Hanna held out her hands, “I stand and wait for strangers to approach, and welcome those who wish me and mine no harm. Those who wish my sisters harm must bleed me dry, for my blood is my sisters, not for those I do not know.” Nuri responded, “We wish you and yours no harm, we only wish to share your roof this night and this night only.” Nuri put out her arms out, palms up. “Please bleed me now if you believe me and mine are here to harm you, embrace me if you grant us shelter.”
Hanna stepped off the porch and embraced Nuri, and whispered, “You are my sister and I will die for you.“
***
Getting the girls settled in was a lot of fun, Tamara had outdone herself. She was a genius with the color choices and decorations. Each girl had her own room and was decorated to their individual likes. Nuri had no idea how Tamara had pulled this off. Ursula’s room was designed for a twenty-something woman, with a beach theme. The colors were aqua and sky blue, with a sand-colored bed. Her closet was mostly empty, but Tamara had bought some relax fit pants and tee shirts. Tamara even got her sizes correct. The same went for Yuli and Mouse. Yuli’s room was like a movie divas room with a full makeup mirror and lights. Her colors were reds and pinks with silver accents and white borders and a white four poster bed reminding Nuri of her own bed. Mouse’s room had a smaller twin bed and more muted colors, but in the corner stood a music stand, on the wall were three different violins, one aged and wooden, another smaller, a ¾ sized wooden one, the third was electric bright neon blue. Each girl wanted to show Hanna and Nuri all the stuff in their rooms; mostly they wanted to show Gretchen.
The chaos of the new surrounding took their toll on Mouse who fell asleep before dinner. Gretchen carried her to her new room and returned to the kitchen while Nuri worked with Hanna making dinner. Nuri liked cooking with Hanna; she was always there with what Nuri needed. Dinner was served and Nuri said grace for the table. The dinner conversation never got serious, everyone here was family now. They spoke about the girls a lot. Hanna told short stories bragging about Ursula personality or some funny thing Yuli did. She loved those girls with her whole heart. After dinner, Justine pulled Nuri away and advised her Alek was in town looking for his “date.” Tamara stalled him for a night, but tomorrow he was going to be a problem.
Nuri brought over Hanna and Gretchen to update them as well. Nuri already knew what she was going to do and knew how badly he was going to react. Hanna didn’t like the new information that Gretchen was still being whored out, but she did like Nuri’s solution. Gretchen quivered; scared by the plan.
Nuri broke up the side meeting of the proper Amazons and included Yuli and Ursula in an evening drink of sherry. The girls embraced their visitors and thanked them for everything. Justine and Gretchen thanked Hanna and her girls for their hospitality while Nox got the SUV. Nuri took Ursula aside and told her, “Ursula I want to see you in the office at nine sharp. Tamara and I will be expecting a lot out of you. You are my sister and I will die for you.”
Ursula mirrored her back, “I’m excited to work for you. You are my sister and I will die for you.”
Nuri kissed her forehead and hugged her moving to Hanna, “Thank you so much, you and your girls are a delight. I will try to stop Gretchen from spoiling them.”
Hanna laughed, gave Nuri a full-bodied hug and whispered into her ear, “You are special. I believe in you.“
Nuri had received a wonderful treat from Hanna that she cherished on her ride back to the city.
Chapter 20
Boston was like nothing Joseph had ever seen before; he had driven into Gillette, Wyoming with his dad a few times and was stunned by the number of businesses and cars there. Boston was on a whole different scale. Even traveling with Veronika around large cities like Philadelphia and Cleveland didn’t prepare him. Driving into the center of Boston took his breath away. Veronika had stolen another car, a nice two-door coupe with a little extra speed in it. The red color fit her personality; it was the first car that seemed like she would actually own. She looked at Joseph and started talking about her old clan members again. Joseph didn’t like how she spoke about them; she was ugly with bitterness about how they treated her.
“Those fuckin’ dogs Soren and Goren Jurgensen always looked down on me, those arrogant pricks. I know for a fact they only had eyes for each other, I bet those creepy queers never had any offspring, God forbid. Lukas is the dumbest wolf I’ve ever met. Once when we were children, I saw him get distracted by a butterfly during a race.” She laughed at her wit. “I heard Laila Erikson married into the Nygaards, t
he silly thing, I used to think she had brains. I guarantee her daughter is retarded, maybe worse. The Nygaards have always been slow in the head and slow of paw.” She laughed again.
Joseph didn’t know any of these people, but it seemed important to Veronika. He listened and tried to care about it like she did.
“The absolute worst are the Falcks. Kai and Alek are the shittiest Weres the Vikings have produced in generations. Evil begets evil; I think the bible says that. After we settle in, I’ll show you some memories that will cause your skin to crawl.“
Joseph ignored her and watched the downtown streets instead. He was amazed at the height of the buildings; he wondered how all these people on the streets didn’t constantly look up at them.
“I bet Acke Leif is still drooling over Erika, he would be lucky to sniff her butt. She was always out of his league, the pathetic loser.“
Joseph stopped looking up to watch the people down on the streets. They were so fascinating. He saw a hot dog vendor like in the movies about New York City. The guy was straight out of one of those films with a white messy apron, big gut, and a scruffy smiling face. Joseph saw a couple young men wearing suits and joking with each other as they headed into a bar. He saw two college-aged girls wearing short sleeve shirts with Greek letters across their chests.
“The Erikson’s used to be so strong and brave. Now it’s just Tomas, he’s so weak I bet his shadow scares him.“
The streets got smaller as the red coupe headed off a main street into a mostly residential area. Veronika pulled the car into an empty space in front of a house in a historical part of the city.
Excited, Veronika said, “Come on, babe. We’re home.” She jumped out and rushed to the front steps. Joseph got out of the car and followed. He looked up at a three story red brick building connected to the line of other homes. Never in his life had he been in a house like this. She opened the front door with her key and waved him inside.
Joseph stepped into a modern home with modern furnishings. The only word Joseph could come up with was cool. Everything was cool. The room was long and had a living room, dining room, and a kitchen in the back. All the walls were painted white except one accent wall was aqua. In the first area, a white sofa against the wall had a beautifully painted landscape above it and a glass-topped coffee table in front. A wild looking art deco chair was in the front corner to his left. The dining room table looked like a copy of the coffee table and seated six. The kitchen had shiny glass doors with white wood trim.
This house wasn’t how Joseph imagined it would be.
Veronika grabbed his hand and started showing off her home. She was proud. She showed him the living room and the dining room and explained where she had bought everything. A quick tour of the kitchen so she could explain where the glass backsplash of arctic blue tiles came from, then she dragged him upstairs to the bedroom.
The master bedroom was vastly different. The room was dominated with a sturdy dark wood handmade bed, decorated with wolf claw feet and a wolf head profile on the headboard. It looked like Indian folk art. He liked it. The bedspread was a bear fur. A chair in the corner was white leather with a furry pillow dyed red. The curtains were a chocolate color and hung down to the floor. The master bedroom seemed a lot more like the woman he had fallen in love with on the road. He felt comfortable here. She kissed him and pulled him down on top of her on the bed. She was extremely enthusiastic about being home and so was Joseph.
***
Colin was toweling his unkempt hair in his hotel room when the phone rang. He dropped the towel and rushed to the phone hoping for Colleen’s voice. It was Mr. Nygaard, “I would like to take you to dinner, just us two.“
“That’s very kind sir, when?” Colin asked.
“Right now, I know a place close by.“
“I’ll be down in ten.”
Colin finished getting ready and checked himself out in the mirror. He was going to jump head first into this new life even if it killed him.
He met the Viking in the lobby who took him down the street to a fancy restaurant with a modern vibe. The décor was dark with lots of reds. The hostess knew Mr. Nygaard by name and led him to his table before the other waiting patrons. He stopped to speak to two different men he knew, exchanging kind greetings. He was friendly with everyone and was liked by all. The dinner was splendid and the staff put on quite the show with wine and appetizers, then the meal, and drinks. The mood was jovial. He was a robust, big-chested man with a strong deep voice. He enjoyed food, drinking, and women.
After the main course Colin asked, “What should I know about your daughter?”
Mr. Nygaard’s jolly mood changed, he became serious, and answered, “She is a beautiful girl. She doesn’t know what she likes yet, so she will need to be guided.“
“She sounds like a good girl, but I must ask why me?“
“I have only one child and she is everything to me. Recently Viking children have been rare and we need new blood, stronger bonds to like-minded clans,” he said sipping his wine, “It’s starting to become an issue.“
“How do you suggest introducing me to your family?” Colin asked.
“Don’t worry, son. I’m sure my daughter will love you.”
“I’m sorry to push, sir. But you saw how my family and I are treated back home. I hope to be more impressive than my father. I love him, and he deals with the stigma better than any three wolves could, but I come from a family of clowns and losers. I’ve come to grips with it, I don’t feel shame from that, but I will not be caught unaware, with my pants down so to speak. Help me navigate the Viking families.“
Mr. Nygaard smiled, “You are very direct.“
“When I have to be,” he said proudly.
“Very well, our hierarchy is less structured than the Celts, but two families fight for power right now, mine and the Falck’s. We’re both new to power. We both see the lack of new blood as an issue. Some of the older families, Hexum and Erikson still want to keep the Viking blood pure, but I’m certain this is causing the lack of Were children. I want to bring in similar clans, like the Celts while Kai Falck wants to invite only the strongest. His plan is more popular, mainly because Vikings view themselves as the biggest, strongest, and most fearless. After visiting your clan and seeing you rise from the lowest family as you did. I believe my strategy is the better one for moving forward. That’s why I chose you, and now you’re going to help me prove it.“
Something clicked in Colin’s mind, “That’s why Colleen is here; to treat me like shit.“
Mr. Nygaard smiled, “I’m using you for a reason, so is that crafty witch Sarah, but that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from it. Remember to use us to protect your family and your future children; it’s the only thing that truly matters.“
Colin wasn’t pissed at Mr. Nygaard or Sarah McCarthy, but dealing with Colleen was going to be almost impossible. He wished he hadn’t gotten pulled into one of Sarah’s machinations. “At least it was simple and the actors knew their parts,” he thought.
“Very well Mr. Nygaard, tell me about the Falcks.“
***
Colin returned to his hotel room before 10:30, he saw the flashing light on the phone and mulled over if he should take the message. Could he deal with Colleen’s attitude right now? He decided to go ahead and check the messages. He was surprised by a call from his father, he was checking to make sure he made it in safely. Colin had so much on his plate tonight he forgot to call home and say he was safe. He felt better after hearing his father’s voice. He would call home tomorrow. The second message was from Colleen. She sounded a little panicked. She wanted him to call her ASAP. He didn’t want to but knew he had to.
“Colleen, it’s me, what is so damn urgent,” he said into the phone.
“Come to the penthouse,” she hung up knowing Colin would come. If only to see what the penthouse looked like. He rinsed his face and checked himself in the mirror, feeling like he was getting ready for battle.
&nb
sp; The top floor was divided into three rooms, two suites, and a much larger penthouse. A thick man in a black suit stood outside the door, he was an intimidating human. She had hired personal security which Colin knew was stupid. If a bad guy wanted to get to Colleen, he would regret his wish. Colin introduced himself and the guard let him in, he had been pre-approved. Colin was certain no one in his family had been pre-approved before. The man knocked, oddly softly, with his massive fist to warn Colleen and allowed Colin to pass into her penthouse. The first room was spectacular. A beautiful bar took up one side of the room, while a full kitchen covered the other side. Two doors on either side of the open living space probably led to bedrooms. A large half circle couch looked out over a full window. The view was the same as Colin’s but seemed better somehow. The moon shined strong tonight over the dark water. Colleen was at the bar drinking whiskey with ice.
“Would you like a drink?” she asked politely.