Dark Moon Brother

Part Seven

The rented SUV wound it's way out of town the next morning and headed north out of the city. Virginia hadn't driven a car in so many months that it seemed strange at first, but once they were out on the main highway, she began to enjoy the sensation again. Wolf sat in the front passenger seat, his head out the window as they sped along. He seemed more cheerful now than this morning when she had forbade him from getting in the driver's seat. She had tried to explain that driving was a lot more involved than it looked, and no way was she going to risk Cub's life to appease his male ego. He had backed down sulkily and she had relented a little, telling him that maybe when they arrived, he could take the car out on the forest trails. She glanced in the rear view mirror, seeing Cub gaping out the window from his car seat. He hadn't liked being restrained with the seat belts, but Virginia had ignored his whining as well. She sighed to herself, then laughed quietly under her breath. Nothing could be simple with these two in tow. But she wouldn't have it any other way.

She reached over and patted Wolf's leg, feeling the muscles bunched with tension under the denim fabric. She could only imagine that the memories of his first visit to this part of New York were plaguing him now. But surely he knew that they weren''t going anywhere near that evil place, where so much harm had been done. His body showed little signs of the torture now, just a few faint scar lines and ripples of new flesh. Adding to the collection, he had said coolly one morning, showing her the older scars from a rough and tumble childhood. But she saw him rubbing unconciously at his once broken finger quite often. She shuddered a moment at the thought and the sound of such a thing being done. He looked away from the window now, a lopsided grin on his face.

"Are you doing okay love?" she asked him for the tenth time today.

"Yes, I'll be fine. Virginia, there's something I need to tell you, before we get to the Lodge, if possible"

"Right. Well, we're about to turn off the main road just here. I'm sure this is the turnoff, isn't it?" she said, forcing calmness to herself. He never announced things like that.

Wolf watched her as she competently handled the huge roaring machine that human's travelled in in this Kingdom. It was a noisy, smelly thing, but the speed was exciting all the same. The old trucks and the taxi cabs that he had been in had crawled, but this thing flew. Mile after mile disappeared as if by magic. Now, however, Virginia was slowing the machine and she spun the steering wheel as they turned onto the dirt track leading to Evelyn's community. She pulled over now and switched off the engine, allowing silence to flood in once more, the soothing sounds of forest. Cub squeaked in disappointment that the ride had finished. Virginia reached back to tickle his toes, then rummaged around in her bag for a strip of dried beef jerky. No teething rings or rusks for this baby, he snorted in amusement as Cub began gnawing and dribbling on his prize. Virginia faced him now and he cringed to see that he had worried her, though she hid it well.

"So...?" she asked abruptly.

"I, ah, I, umm. Oh dear" Wolf felt the blood rush to his face once more. Virginia reached over and stroked his chin.

"You're blushing! Oh no, I'm not pregnant again am I?"

"No, not that darling girl". Virginia visibly relaxed. "But, since we're speaking of cubs..." he trailed off, squirming.

"Yes?"

"Well, you remember when we were saying goodbye to Evelyn and Shaman last year. You remember when Evelyn took me aside? Oh dear, I'm afraid I promised something that I can't now do for her. Do you think she'll be angry and curse me or something?" Wolf put on his best contrite face. Virginia's eyes narrowed.

"I see. Wolf, what exactly did she ask you?"

"She, umm, she, oh cripes! She asked me if I would give their clan a cub, you know, mate with one of their women, so that my people might once more dwell in this Kingdom, that our bloodline might not be lost. Oh dear, I agreed at the time but I don't know why. I guess it might have been out of spite for those who would have destroyed me. She shouldn't have asked me when I was in such a vulnerable state, maybe, but she did, and now I don't know how to get out of it" Wolf brought his hands up to cover his face, sure that at any moment Virginia would explode in anger. He wouldn't blame her. There was a deafening silence from the other side of the car. He peeked though his fingers at her. Her blue eyes had a withdrawn look as she digested the revelations. She chewed absently at her lower lip. Then, taking him completely by surprise, she started to chuckle softly, the giggles gradually building till she laughed out loud. Her merriment was genuine, he could see that, but it didn't make his discomfort any less. He squirmed again like a fish on a hook as she turned back to him, her eyes sparkling with humour, and, underlying it, a sadness also.

"Oh Wolf, my poor baby! You really know how to get yourself into a mess, don't you? You know what your problem is? You're just too good hearted, you want to please everyone so badly. I don't know if that's a wolf trait or a man thing, but it's what I love the most about you, did you know that? Even after all the wrong done to you, still you would offer your most precious gift to another. She shouldn't have asked you, I know, but I can see why she risked it. Her people have lost their identities in so many ways. It's sad, but you don't know how rare their community is, Wolf. Their self enforced isolation protects them from the modern day incursions, but it also cuts them off, prevents their growth. It's no wonder Evelyn grasped at your very existence, sought to keep your magic in the world. Come here to me" Virginia finished, drawing him into her arms and stroking his face once more.

Wolf felt he could have stayed in that embrace all the rest of his days. He melted inwardly, but still he struggled, that same fish now fighting against the approaching surface. He drew back with effort. He looked deeply into her eyes, seeing there the realisation that she had touched him, opening yet another chink in his long buried emotional armour. The love and trust she so obviously felt for him was positively humbling. She was so close now, and they both knew it. He both felt and saw her withdrawing softly, refusing to probe him further. This was not the time, nor the place. She kissed him, wiping away the tears he didn't even know were there. He found his voice.

"I don't deserve you"

"Yes, you do". Such a simple affirmation, yet the truth of it terrified him still.

"What will we do, about Evelyn I mean" he said, leaving the many things unsaid by silent agreement. His Virginia smiled once more.

"Oh, we'll figure something out, love. I don't think she'll curse you as an oathbreaker, at any rate. We'll need to all sit down and talk about it when we get there" Back to her usual in control self, she started up the engine again and the car rumbled down the dirt track towards the hidden lodge community. Wolf had to smile at Cub's excited growling from the back as they moved off.

Two hours later the SUV pulled up out the front of the longhouse that Evelyn's people called the Lodge. Virginia felt slightly awkward to be arriving unannounced, but there was no way to contact the community since they had no power and no phones to speak of. Her fears were allayed almost at once though, as the great doors were flung open and the familiar motherly figure came running towards them.

"Virginia sweetheart! And Wolf! Is it really you?" the old lady hollered as she reached the vehicle, swooping upon Virginia before her feet had even touched the ground. Virginia felt tears flow freely as Evelyn hugged her hard, spinning her around. She hadn't realised just how much she had missed the wisewoman of the tribe, nor how much she herself had been missed. Others of the clan gathered round now, all the friendly faces she had come to know so well calling out greetings and passing her from one to anothers embrace like she was a prized gift. It was overwhelming suddenly. She looked over and saw Wolf, standing off slightly to one side with Cub dangling off his hip. His eyes were misted again, she saw, but he returned the welcomes and blessings of the people with great sincerity and just the right amount of aloofness of a wolf who has strayed into another's territory. Fortunately, Cub seemed to be the centre of attention almost immediately, and Virginia could see his guardedness giving way to his father's pride as he bragged about his son.

"Oh Virginia, I wish you could have been just a few days earlier. Shaman would have loved to have seen your son"

"She's dead, isn't she?" said Virginia, the sudden realisation of what she had seen on the road en route to Wendell's castle making sense.

"Yes. We buried her only yesterday. It was a great gathering, and a celebration too. She had lived a long life" Evelyn hugged her again and Virginia allowed herself to be held. No woman had held her this way, not since her mother had left her, and she could barely recall those embraces now. She sensed Wolf making his way through the crowd to her side. Evelyn released her, only to reach at once for Cub, who went to her willingly, liking her leather and wood smells. Evelyn cooed at him.

"What a gorgeous child! He's the image of you, friend Wolf" she said. Wolf held his ground under her direct stare. So odd to be once more amongst the people who didn't fear him. He wasn't sure he liked it. He had come to like people being afraid of him, he realised. Well, a little bit anyway. Evelyn laughed softly at him. Probably can read your mind, Wolf! he thought to himself.

"Come in, come in, be welcome here, all of you. You must be tired from that long drive. We will have a big feast tonight, I think!" she chattered on, leading them into the longhouse. Wolf hadn't been here before and he found himself admiring the structure and the artistry of the place. Many of the wall panels were carved with intricate scenes, and Wolf found himself looking surreptiously for wolf marks. He saw none. So, not made by one of these folk then, he thought, visualizing the symbols on the tree in the Park. He interupted his musings by looking for Virginia, and saw that she was deep in conversation and gossip with several women, including Evelyn, and Cub was being passed from mother to mother as they admired and fussed over him. Cub was in raptures at all the attention, he could see. Wolf spoke his son's wolf name, knowing that the sound would carry even across this vast and noisy room to his child's sensitive ears. Cub sat up and picked him out of the crowd easily, but he made no move towards him, knowing instinctively that his daddy's voice had carried no instruction bidding him to come. Clever boy, thought Wolf, shifting his posture ever so slightly to indicate he was pleased. Cub basked for a moment, then turned his attention back to his circle of female admirers. Daddy's boy, for sure, snorted Wolf in amusement.

After seeing that Virginia was well and truly occupied for the moment, Wolf wandered out of the lodge and into the forest that bounded it in all directions. It was the same forest that he had run in as a wolf when he had escaped the priests, only many miles further away. He wondered if the wolfpack included this area in their territory. He heard footsteps coming towards him and turned to see three of the younger men from the clan approaching.

"Friend Wolf, we are going hunting for meat for the feast tonight. We would be honoured if you would join us?" Wolf's ears pricked up at the word 'hunt'. Ah yes, hunting was on an equal par with his other two loves of eating and mating. He cast down his eyes, lest the luminous green that showed there now give the young men second thoughts about having him at their backs.

"I would love to join the hunt, friends" he replied.

Later that evening, the good sized forest deer hung suspended over hot coals, the clan standing round and admiring it whilst their mouths watered. The young men were engrossed in telling the tales of the hunt and Wolf was in the thick of the crowd, clearly at home now amongst the people. Nothing like a bit of mutual bloodlust to bring men together thought Virginia wryly, but she was pleased to see her mate finding his feet here. Snatches of the conversations reached her.

"... and then, just when we thought we'd lost it..."

"...never seen such skill in tracking, for a human..."

"...put his nose to good use, he did..."

"...well, if he was game to eat that liver, I wasn't going to back out..."

Virginia wrinkled her nose in distaste. He'd eaten the raw liver? Eew, no way was he kissing her tonight! Nothing about Wolf's eating habits surprised her anymore though. She glanced around for Cub, seeing him curled up asleep in a pile of small children. He hadn't really seen another child before and she had laughed to see his expression when he discovered that none of them had tails to play with. He had quickly learned to keep his own tail tucked up to avoid other curious children from pulling it to see if it came off.

Evelyn plonked herself down at Virginia's side, taking her hand and stroking it.

"Virginia darling, I don't know if Wolf ever told you what I asked of him..." she began awkwardly.

"It's okay Evelyn. I know all about it"

"Oh, I see. Look, I was out of line. I should never have asked him. I don't know what came over me. I guess I was just so sad to see you leaving us, maybe the last time his kind would ever come here" she mumbled. Virginia raised her hand and beckoned Wolf. He dropped his half eaten piece of raw something and bounded over to her. He sensed correctly that they were discussing the subject and settled himself quickly on the ground between them. Evelyn spoke first.

"Wolf, I want to appologize for my temerity. What seemed like a good idea at the time now seems arrogance. A child, or cub, is not a thing to be given from one person to another as a gift"

"I agree, but in wolf communities, mating outside of the family unit is not unheard of. It's sometimes the only way to bring new bloodlines to a pack. So, a mated female may receive another's seed, or a mated male may dally with a she-wolf other than his mate. It's a practical matter only. That is why your request wasn't rejected out of hand. But, I realise now that such a thing cannot be done, not by me. It's not just the mating with another, this I could do, but I don't think I could leave a cub of mine alone here, without the guidance and support of his own kind. I know Cub looks basically just like a little furry baby, but he's not. He's different from human children in ways you could not imagine. Yes, I know a cub would be loved and treasured here, but he would be alone always, an outsider always. A cub may grow to hate you for that, Evelyn"

All three were silent as they pondered his words. Virginia was torn between pride in Wolf's gentle eloquence and concern that he could dismiss mating as a 'practical matter'. Yet another indication of the underlying differences between them. Love had bridged that gap, but it was still there nonetheless. He reached out to enfold her, sensing that she needed reassurance. He kissed her temple and ear, whisper growling his love to her.

"Never fear, Beloved mate. Never that. You are no she-wolf to turn a blind eye. This I know" He peered deeply into her eyes and she saw a flash of amber for a moment, the colour she only saw when he was in his deepest passions with her, his soul's eyes as she called them. She felt her body respond automatically, and pulled away laughing, pinching him gently on the chest. Maybe, later tonight, she would let him kiss her after all.