Shift (Castlerock Shifters Book 1) Page 3

  Jack bristled, but then slowly bared his throat in acknowledgment of the superior wolf. There was no doubt Quinn could easily take him down if he wanted a fight.

  Quinn sniffed his neck and nuzzled him gently, lightly scent marking him; accepting him. He picked up easily on the girl's scent, but it wasn’t anything like it had been the night before – mixed as it was with the dogs. It was still quite pleasant.

  “Jack, come here boy,” the girl's voice rang out again – louder.

  This time he turned and ran back to the clearing. Quinn followed, staying back far enough so the girl wouldn’t see him.

  She was giving him a good scratching behind the ears when Quinn settled back into his original spot. Jack was completely unconcerned with him now and that was good. He wanted to see what she was up to and he couldn’t very well do that with the mutt trying to hang out with him. Jack was only concerned with his master, which was good – he was protective.

  She headed back into the cabin with Jack in tow and the next thing he heard was a vacuum running. Then, not long after that, he heard a washing machine inside running. She seemed to be getting everything cleaned up and settled. He wondered what that meant for the length of her duration – whether she was in for a long stay, or simply a comfortable one. Perhaps she was just doing an annual clean-up of the place.

  He tried to picture the tasks that went with the sounds and movements, but he was mostly at a loss as to what she was doing. He was sure he heard dishes rattling around at one point. Sometime in the mid-afternoon, she headed back outside with Jack, who promptly started running around the overgrown clearing. She sat on the cabin’s steps, ate a sandwich, and sipped on a soda. While having her lunch, she watched the dog with amusement as he played in the clearing.

  Quinn got his first really good look at her in the daylight while she sat oblivious to his presence. She had long dark hair that was pulled up in a ponytail and bright green eyes that he figured would be clear enough even without the advantage of his wolf sight. He would have said she was athletic, but she was sort of soft around the edges which made that seem unlikely. Not having her scent overpowering him helped in his observation. She was, by his standard, quite pretty; maybe even beautiful, if he was being truly honest with himself. Except, what was it? Something about her was off. She looked worn out, or maybe just… sad. That was it, he decided. Everything about her seemed sad. She also looked tired; the dark circles under her eyes were a testament that she wasn’t getting enough sleep.

  She broke his reverie by heading back inside and once again he heard dishes rattling around, but then she reappeared and headed straight for the shed he was lying near. She tugged and pulled to get the doors opened enough to get what she was after – an old-fashioned push-mower. She glanced around at the contents within the shed and seemed surprised, making Quinn wonder what else the shed held.

  She headed back over to the clearing and for the better part of the afternoon, Quinn watched as she meticulously wound back and forth across the clearing, cutting down the overgrowth. At one point, she stopped and just stared off to the south. He tried to search what she was looking at, but then she started moving again and he noticed her eyes were wet with tears – definitely sadness there. He wondered what she had been thinking about. The curiosity was killing him, and more than that, he realized he wanted to comfort her.

  In being outside, her scent had begun to fill the clearing. The air was mostly still, so it hadn’t hit him as it had the night before, though he could still feel a pull to her. It was more like he was getting echoes. Still, he tried to find anything in that scent that would indicate she was pack, but there was simply nothing.

  He considered shifting and going to talk to her, but he knew that was out the question. While they coexisted with humans without issue, the elders had specifically forbidden contact with the girl. Not that Quinn always followed everything the elders said, but he didn’t really see a reason to break their decision this time – curious or not.

  When she was finally done, a circular fire pit had revealed itself. She smiled in satisfaction.

  “There you go Jack – no more weeds for you buddy,” she said, smiling at the dog who had settled on the porch to watch her.

  Quinn smiled internally, enjoying the way she talked with her dog as though he wasn’t just a pet.

  She went back to the shed and grabbed a rake which she used to get the clippings into piles; which in turn she maneuvered next to the shed.

  She glanced over at the Jeep after that and then walked over to it, giving it a once over. He realized she must not have checked on it yet from the accident. There was a section on one side of her grille guard that was bent and scuffed, but that was the extent of it. She nodded, seemingly satisfied with the lack of damage.

  Her last task outdoors was sweeping off the porch and hosing off the furniture. She scattered several spiders and bugs when she pulled the cushions off the chairs and swing to hose them down. The squeal she let out had Quinn laughing silently for several minutes; all the while she was shivering and brushing at her arms, clearly creeped out. Jack went crazy barking at the things scurrying away too. He also noted that she didn’t try to kill any of the spiders or insects, she simply ushered them off the porch with the broom and finally the hose. It was odd, but he felt as though by just watching her he was getting to know her.

  As the sun was nearing the horizon, she stopped working and went back inside where he heard more dishes banging around and then the dryer was started up as well. He assumed she was in for the night, so figured he should probably head out. But then he heard her start talking – to Jack? Or perhaps she had made a phone call.

  He crept closer to the cabin to try and pick up on her conversation, knowing he was wrong to eavesdrop and yet unable to stop himself. However, it took only a few steps past the shed for her scent to hit him full force once again. The scent he’d been touching on all day was nothing in comparison. That primal part of him – his wolf – reacted with a satisfied growl, causing her to cut off midsentence. He watched as her shadow approached the window. Not wanting to be caught skulking around her place, he turned and bolted back to the woods. From the fringe of the forest, he watched her peek from the curtain and look around. She had a phone to her ear. With a shake of her head, she finally withdrew to continue her conversation.

  He wanted to know more about her, and maybe who she was talking to, but he couldn’t risk getting so close again. His frustration with the situation was building and she’d only been on the mountain for a single day. He loped off toward the village knowing he’d return the next day, and hoping for his own sanity that she wasn’t planning on staying too long… but his wolf gave a growl at that thought – clearly of two minds when it came to her.

  Four

  Jaisey

  Jaisey woke early her second morning at the cabin; the sun was barely lighting the sky. After a quick breakfast, she finished up the cleaning she had started the previous day. When it was all done, she stood back pleased with her efforts. It had taken a lot of work, but the results spoke for themselves – the cabin looked great, as did the clearing. What hadn’t made sense was how tidy the place had been compared to how it should have been after ten years of neglect. Perhaps her mom really had hired someone to come up and clean it up annually.

  Regardless, it looked amazing and while a bonfire for one seemed wasteful, she was still considering it. For a moment she felt very alone, but then remembering the ranger station only a mile or so up the road, her spirits lifted a bit. Sure, she had Jack, but having another human to talk with was different.

  In fact, she decided, she should go by and say hello and meet whoever was stationed there. It was a matter of courtesy. Her mother had always been the one to do that whenever they came up in the summer. Inevitably, the current ranger would end up coming over frequently for dinner or just to talk – after all, her parents were true peers, not just the normal hikers or campers.

  Perhaps she would invite t
hem to dinner as well; she’d brought enough food for about a month and figured she would head to either Woodland Park or even Castle Rock and pick up a few things when she started getting low on supplies. It wouldn’t be a huge deal to have to make the trip sooner because she’d had a guest.

  With the plan set in her mind, she pulled on her hiking boots. She had wanted to get out into the woods for a hike since she’d arrived anyway, and this was the perfect opportunity to start getting back into shape; she hadn’t done any hiking since the accident, and that was months ago.

  She didn’t plan on following the road to the ranger station; it was a beautiful hike through the forest to get there. They’d taken that hike many times over the years. It was mostly uphill though, so she would probably wear herself out.

  She and her mom had gone hiking nearly every weekend to the different parks near home, but this was different. This was real hiking; no paved paths and no benches for taking a break, just the occasional outcropping of rocks or a fallen tree to rest on.

  She slung the daypack containing her water bottle and a few snack bars over her shoulder, in case she decided to hike longer. She also grabbed one of the walking sticks next to the door; one that was light and easy to handle.

  Jack was waiting by the cabin door when she finally felt ready.

  “Okay, okay. We’re going,” she said, with an indulgent smile.

  It was late morning when they set out; the sun gaining height in the sky. It was a beautiful day and the forest was inviting. She’d never found it scary or intimidating, and that held true today. She could hear the scurrying of the animals in the trees and around the forest floor. Jack was off like a shot chasing things and running back to her. He was good at keeping tabs on her – seriously over-protective. The lush growth was so undisturbed she felt guilty trampling through. She stepped as carefully as she could to avoid crushing any of the more delicate plants.

  There had been a narrow path here years ago, but it had long since grown over and she couldn’t even see where it had been. No problem though, this was basically a straight shot to the west – very slightly north. She couldn’t see where she was headed with the trees blocking out most of the sun, but they told her where to go.

  She laughed at herself. That was something her mom used to say, “The trees will tell us where to go.” It had been very enlightening to learn the language of trees from her. The moss on the north side of the tree was the easiest indicator of direction, though not the only one. Trees tended to grow more fully on the side that faced south toward the equator. Of course, here in the closed-in forest, it was harder to judge that, but the occasional breaks in the trees helped.

  She mulled over more of the knowledge her parents had passed on to them as they had hiked over the years. Their passion for teaching about all things in the wild translated so easily to the person hearing the information.

  She found herself naming off trees as she recognized them. It had been a long time since she’d played that game. She wasn’t even positive she was pulling the right names from memory, but they felt right. At least she was confident she had pine right. The scent was not as heavy as she remembered, but it brought memories to the surface all the same.

  It took Jaisey less time than she would have thought to reach the ranger station. It hadn’t occurred to her that her memories of distances on the mountain were from a child’s perspective, rather than that of a full-grown adult. She could see the red roof peaking above the edge of the forest. It made her quicken her steps, knowing that she would get to speak to another human face to face. The last person had been the clerk at the gas station before heading up the winding mountain road. It wasn’t that she had a problem with solitude, she actually enjoyed it, but it did get monotonous listening to only her thoughts.

  She broke through the tree line into the parking area and stopped in her tracks. Jack stood next to her, waiting for her to move again. She was frozen.

  Abandoned.

  No, it couldn’t be. Maybe it just looked that way. But she knew it was true before she confirmed it. The whole place was in complete disrepair, something that never happened with ranger stations. There was a broken windowpane and the faded yellow paint was peeling. The memory of that last summer, when they’d helped to put that coat on, flitted through her thoughts.

  She walked to the entrance and knocked. It was hollow and empty sounding. She tried the door – finding it locked. Putting her face to the tinted window and peeking in only confirmed her suspicion. It was completely and utterly vacant. There was no desk, no sofa, no water cooler, no bookcases with brochures and hiking maps. There was nothing.

  She had just taken it for granted that there would be someone here. It never even occurred to her that there might be a reason to shut this one down. Granted it was probably the most unnecessary station, considering the small number of people who actually ventured this far up the mountain road.

  But still, what of the few people that did? Maybe no one came up here anymore. If that was the case, she was suddenly very alone on this mountain. That realization rattled her. She looked out across the valley and peaks and could see nothing that indicated that any other human was near.

  A bird flying overhead screeched loudly making her whole body jump at the sound. It broke into her thoughts and she laughed, but it was nervous sounding. Jack took off into the parking lot – barking at the bird as it flew toward the tree line.

  She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

  I’m not all alone, I’ve got Jack. And besides, I didn’t even think about the ranger station until this morning.

  She really was on the mountain for the solitude and to get into her own head to work through her emotions – she hadn’t come up in search of company. Taking a deep breath, she turned, hollered at Jack, and headed back into the forest toward the cabin.

  She found herself listening even more intently to the sounds surrounding her as she walked back, seeking that comfort. It was calming to her in a way that would probably terrify anyone else alone in the woods. Every sound had a source, whether it was an animal moving, or a branch falling, or the wind blowing through the treetops. She just felt calmer knowing there was so much life happening around her – even if it wasn’t the kind she could invite for dinner.

  Jack bounded off after some critter about halfway back to the cabin. She was chuckling at his antics as she entered a small clearing. Glancing up, she saw a black wolf on the opposite side of the clearing. She halted immediately.

  She processed quickly that it wasn’t normal to see wolves on their mountain – she didn’t recall ever seeing any as a child. The wolf was staring at her intently, not moving. She watched as it lifted his head to take in her scent and then, with a low growl, it took a step toward her.

  Terror hit as she realized it meant to attack. Running was out of the question, even if she weren’t still recovering her strength and stamina, there was no way she was outrunning a wolf in the woods. She did have her walking stick, but it wasn’t very sturdy, and she wasn’t sure it would do much damage. However, before she could come up with a plan, Jack was standing next to her, hair raised on his back, head lowered; he looked every bit the wolf he had in him. The black wolf halted its approach.

  Before Jack could even move to protect her, a more terrifying snarl came from behind her and an enormous grey wolf hurtled past her, placing itself between the smaller wolf and her. The black wolf turned and fled into the forest. The grey wolf hesitated only a moment and then followed in the direction the other had fled. Jack started forward, but she grabbed his scruff before he could take off. She didn’t need him getting into any territorial matches with local wolves.

  “Jack – heel,” she said as she took off. He obeyed and followed as she headed to the cabin with a much quicker pace. Having no idea where the wolves had gone, she couldn’t help but jump at the sounds of the forest – feeling completely out of sorts and no longer comforted. When the top of the cabin came into view, she hu
rried the last few steps with relief.

  Focused as she was on simply getting back, she wasn’t prepared to see a person sitting on her porch when she broke out of the forest.

  Five

  Quinn

  The girl had only been on the mountain for two days, and even though he knew he should stay away, something about her pulled him right back to her cabin.

  And then, feeling a bit like a stalker, Quinn had followed the girl as she hiked to the ranger station. He’d figured out where she was headed pretty quickly based on her direction, but the why had remained a mystery. Her reaction when she found it vacant was enlightening; she’d fully expected it to be occupied. He picked up on her nervousness immediately. But then, she had calmed herself and simply headed back to her place with her dog in tow. He was so caught up in her actions and reactions, that he almost missed it when she stopped at the edge of a small clearing.

  A fairly small black wolf was on the opposite side of the clearing; not pack. He watched as the wolf caught her scent and knew the exact moment it decided it would attack. Without a second thought, he rushed past the girl and her dog to intercept the wolf.

  As soon as the wolf saw him, he turned and fled. Quinn hesitated only long enough to ensure there were no other predators nearby. He couldn’t leave his mate unprotected.

  Scenting nothing, he took off after the wolf. It had a very small lead on him, headed north. Quinn surmised it was heading to its own pack across their border. As he followed behind, his anger grew.

  How dare it threaten his mate!

  That thought brought Quinn to an abrupt halt. His wolf had completely started thinking of the girl as his mate. That had to stop. What was wrong with him? There was clearly no wolf in the girl.