Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance (21 page)

"Some say it is what the white man calls the Garden of

Eden, but who knows?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"Justin ... you are still bleeding," Laura anxiously pointed

out.

"It's nothing. It will heal quickly."

Justin continued. It was as if he knew he would never

again be given the chance to make her understand. "In this

place were beings. It's said that they have lived since the

beginning of time. They were spirits of the earth, the water,

and the sky. They were men

... but they were not. Many of the creatures that humans

believe don't exist, dwell in the
Outerlands
."

"They were gods?" Laura was confused.

Justin shook his head. "They were a race of beings that

had been granted powers by the spirits to protect the Earth

Mother, and in particular the gateway in sacred Shadow

Mountains. The leader of these people had fallen in love

with the beautiful Night Blossom and wanted to take her as

his mate ... but there was a divine order within this group

that felt that the union was unholy. A small war broke out and

those who had risen against the leader were banished for all

time from
Coyopa
.

"The band of Lakota was absorbed into these beings,

becoming the same as them. Because of Night Blossom, and

their knowledge of these beings, these Lakota would never be

allowed to be what they once were.

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"Most of the Lakota had no desire to leave
Coyopa
', but

some did, and they took out into the world with them the

power of the spirits.

"Several generations later,
Coyopa'
and the spirits had

become no more that legends told around a campfire. That is

when the other Lakota discovered what the
Sungmanitu
really

were, and they became feared and hunted. It was then that

the
Sungmanitu
returned to the legendary
Coyopa
'. Today

they call the Shadow Mountains—the Wind River Mountains."

"So ... Beaver Creek is this legendary city?" Laura was

skeptical.

"No ... Beaver Creek is the location of the original camp of

those long ago Lakota."

"You mean that the
Sungmanitu
never found this

legendary city?" Laura pressed him.

Justin turned away. "I can tell you no more of us, but I

think you have a good understanding of what we are now."

Laura was quiet for a long time, and when she did speak, it

was obvious that she still hadn't accepted the truth.

"According to your own legends you do not have to make the

transformation?" she asked, hopefully.

He shook his head, sadness in his eyes. "There is one

detail that I have overlooked. Our true nature is of the beast,

and if we deny what is naturally within us for too long, we

grow weak and eventually die."

Laura turned away, tears forming in her eyes. "Justin ...

what am I going to do?" she whispered.

"Now do you know why my mother left? She was not one

of us, and this place terrified her. When she took me away, I

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became a very sickly child. She would have to spend money

that we didn't have to spare at the meat market buying

chickens and goats. When I reached the age that she could

no longer control the changing, I began to kill local pets."

His words froze on his lips at the look of horror that

entered her eyes. "A child of five ... knows no better, it was

my instinct. I sometimes think that it was I who drove her to

a breakdown and maybe she killed herself to escape the

nightmare of the child she had helped to create." The torment

in his voice tore at her heart.

Laura rested her head on his shoulder. More than anything

she wanted Justin to know that her love was unchanged.

He pulled back and peered deeply into her eyes. "Laura ...

I love you. In my life, I have never found anyone that has

made me feel the way that you have. But ... we cannot spend

our lives together. Can't you see that? I must pick a mate of

my own kind ... and you must do the same."

Laura shook her head in denial. "No, Justin! I don't care

what you are. I love you and I will never leave you!"

He grabbed her chin and forced her to look into his eyes.

"You have to, Laura! It would only destroy you to stay with

me, and I do not belong in your world."

"You can't make me leave!"

"I will take another mate, Laura!"

Laura knew he spoke the truth. She could feel her heart

shattering into millions of pieces. Her tears came unbidden.

Pulling her close, he held her tightly. "I'm sorry ... I tried

to stop this from happening, but I could not keep you out of

my head," Justin whispered.

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"Know that I do love you." Pulling away, he stood up.

Laura was frantic. "Please don't leave yet."

"We must end it now ... before it goes any further."

Thunder cracked overhead and a torrent of rain poured

down from the sky, soaking them within seconds.

Justin leaned down and kissed her with a tightly controlled

passion. "I love you! Have a good life,
tehila
." He left her

then. Without a glance, he faded into the surrounding rocks.

Laura's body was wracked with violent sobs. Never in her

life had she felt so hollow—so alone. How would she get

through the day, let alone the rest of her life, knowing that

she would never be with him again?

* * * *

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The storm had eased to a light drizzle. Every step Laura

took seemed to land her in a mud hole. She paused on a rise

overlooking the Sweet Water Mine.

All was still.

Laura started down the hill, slipping in the slimy mud. By

the time she reached the bottom, she was covered in muck.

Before going to Dewey's trailer, Laura scouted the area in

search of any signs of another attack.

"Mr. Hughes, are you all right?" Laura called out. Her only

answer was a moan coming from inside the trailer.

"Hughes, are you in there?"

"Yeah, and I'm about to bleed to death, so why don't you

get on in here and help me out?" The closed door muffled his

rough voice.

Laura opened the door and peered inside the dark room.

Dewey was on the floor, leaning against a wall. A blood

soaked towel covered his left calf. Droplets of sweat ran off

his forehead.

Laura stepped inside, leaving a trail of mud behind her.

Kneeling down to assess his damages, she asked, "Can

you walk at all?"

"I imagine so ... if I had some crutches, but I don't happen

to have any of them things handy, so I'll just have to have

you help me out of here." He was grouchier than a wounded

bear.

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Laura helped him up. Losing her balance, they both nearly

landed on the floor.

"What in the blazes took you so long? I thought maybe

they got you too."

"They almost did, but I hid in the canyon rocks." She felt

shamed by the half lie.

It was a struggle to get him out of the trailer and an

almost impossible feat to get him up the slippery road to her

truck.

When they made it back to her cabin, Laura laid on the

horn, hoping someone was there who could help her. Kenny

opened the door and peered out.

Laura motioned frantically for him to come out to the

truck.

"What happened?" He was clearly startled to see her

covered with mud.

She nodded her head to Hughes. "He was attacked by a

jaguar and needs medical attention at once."

"Sure ... jump out. I'll take him to the hospital in Acton."

Completely exhausted, Laura walked by her grandfather

and Two-Bears, barely remembering to greet them. She went

straight to the bathroom and ran a tub full of hot water.

After peeling the mud soaked clothing from her skin, Laura

submerged her body in the steaming water. She refilled the

tub three times with new water, before she finally felt clean.

While dressing, she mentally prepared herself to face her

grandfather, knowing he must be completely stressed by

now.

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Sure enough, Busby jumped on her as soon as she entered

the kitchen.

"What happened?" Busby's raspy voice tore at her and she

felt a sudden surge of guilt.

"I'm okay, Grandpa." She hugged him.

Two-Bears studied her with an intensity that made her feel

as if she were a bug under a microscope.

Laura took the chair across from Two-Bears.

"What can I do?" she asked the Lakota.

Two-Bears stared her down, probing into her very spirit.

After a long time, in which several new lines seemed to have

formed on his face, he answered.

"There is nothing that you can do."

Laura looked stricken. In her heart she had hoped that

Two-Bears would have the answers that could bring her and

Justin together.

"He has turned away from your love," Two-Bears stated

the fact.

Busby looked from Two-Bears to his granddaughter, not

really sure if he were following the conversation at all.

Two-Bears took a swig of his lukewarm coffee, making a

face when the bitterness coated his tongue. He set the cup

down with a little too much force, spilling some of the brown

liquid onto the table.

Automatically, Laura got up to fetch the paper towels.

"Laura ... to be with him ... the nature of the beast must

already be within you. He cannot change what he is, and the

same is so for you."

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Laura stood motionless, her hand in midair—inches from

the counter. The pain was too much to stand and her body

trembled with the release of her sobs. "I can't live without

him."

Two-Bears put his hands in the air, a gesture of

helplessness. "There is nothing else that you can do—but to

go on—keeping your memories close to your heart."

Busby made an effort to comfort her. "To love someone

that is not of your own kind ... can be torture. I think he must

care deeply for you to spare you this pain."

Before Laura could respond, a loud knocking erupted at

the front door. "I'll get it." Two-Bears pulled his large frame

up and went into the living room.

Seconds later, he returned with Jessup right behind him.

"Afraid we have some trouble, friends." Jessup sounded

bone weary.

"How so?" Two-Bears had returned to his seat.

"Franklin Duccini just showed up, with a very large

imported crew. They have already headed to the Beaver

Creek site to set up. They'll be starting tomorrow."

Two-Bears drew his brows together. "You're not kidding,

we are in for trouble. What you have seen so far have been

warnings. When they get serious, we'll all be in trouble."

"There is nothing we can do now. Everyone on that crew is

armed to the teeth.

They've been instructed to shoot anyone who tries to

interfere with the job." Jessup brought his hand up to his

forehead to wipe away beads of sweat.

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Laura related to them what had happened at the Sweet

Water Mine—excluding the details about Justin.

"You are sure it was a jaguar?" Two-Bears seemed

confused.

She nodded.

"I'm sure what I saw were jaguars too," Jessup put in.

Two-Bears withdrew into himself. Something was not right

with this. The attacking animals didn't sound like the

Sungmanitu
at all.

Just before dusk Kenny returned, but he had left Hughes in

Acton. Dewey planned to stay in Cheyenne for a time until

things had worked themselves out.

Two-Bears filled Kenny in on what had happened in his

absence.

"It's my advice that we leave first thing in the morning. Let

Duccini and the
Sungmanitu
battle this one out on their own,"

Two-Bears told them.

The group had moved out onto the porch, hoping to get in

as much fresh air as they could, before having to barricade

themselves for the night.

Kenny was the first to notice the sheriff's car. "It looks like

we have company."

Sheriff Moss got out of the car and with a self-confidence

born of a long-time officer, he strode to where they stood on

the porch.

"Miss Ellison." He tipped his white Stetson in her direction.

"Sheriff Moss." Laura stepped from the porch to greet him.

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"I'm sorry to have to do this to you, but...." he glanced at