(Un)bidden (5 page)

I chewed in silence for a moment.  My eyes drifted to the broken window.  The bright light of midday made me squint.  Throughout the entire conversation small sounds had drifted in from outside.  A distant bark, general movement, and the chirping of birds.

“How many?” I said, using her words from earlier.

“I didn’t go out.  But there are more.”

We finished eating, and she took the bones and threw them into the fire.  Using the bowl under the bed, we worked together to pump water and wash the plates.

“If you get hungry, just say.  They’re all willing to do anything that might win them some favor.”

“What kind of favor?”  I wasn’t about to offer up my neck.

“Wini probably won’t give anyone permission to Claim you unless you agree to it.  They’re looking for ways to win your support.”

“Ah.”  That was unlikely to happen.  We set the plates on the mantel then looked at each other at a loss.  A light breeze stirred a leaf on the floor.

“Got a broom?” I asked finally.

“What’s a broom?”

I shook my head.  How did she know what a bed was but not a broom?

I eyed the door.  If we opened it, we might be able to kick out most of the debris.  I hesitated because of the men outside and mentally scolded myself.  If they were going to come in, they would have already.  Nothing was stopping them.  I doubted Mary’s presence was that much of a deterrent.  But, would they see an open door as an invitation?  I didn’t want to put myself into a position where I’d need to control them like I had with Penny and all the people at school.

“Is it safe to open the door?”

“Sure.  They won’t come in, but they’ll watch us.”

Just as I’d figured and hoped.

Once we kicked the leaves out, we could maybe use one of my shirts to screen the window and give us privacy.  Standing there watching the fire burn low, I realized the direction of my thoughts.  I wanted to clean the place up as if I intended to stay, not just until I learned more about them, but permanently.  Did I really want that?

Despite what had happened, I did.  This place had no electricity or plumbing; and, without the generosity of the people here, I had no source of food.  Was I crazy?  I didn’t think so.  I realized there was a high threat here.  I allowed my fingers to drift up to my collarbone, but I caught myself before touching my wounds.  I didn’t want to contaminate the bites.  Was the threat here any higher than in the real world?  No, it was just different.

In the real world, I could picture myself caught and taken to a secret lab where cold-hearted scientists would poke and prod me.  It would only take one person of importance to believe Penny.  If they caught me by surprise and knocked me unconscious, my ability wouldn’t save me.  Here, I had a chance at freedom.  These people didn’t want to dissect me, they wanted to, what?  Date me?

Decided, I walked to the door and opened it.  All the wolves in the yard turned toward me.  I didn’t look at them and tried to pretend my heart hadn’t just leapt in fear at their attention.  Instead, I focused on the sun angling through the door.  The light warmed me.

Sunlight and fresh air won over a cage.

I took a step back from the door, then turned to get my bag.  From a pocket, I pulled the money I’d hoarded during my journey.  Ms. Lewis—Winifred—had asked them to make me welcome, and Mary said they would be willing to help me.  Standing with the money, I nervously approached the door once more.

“Would any of you be willing to get a few things for me?  I’m not sure how close the nearest grocery is, and you’d need clothes to enter the store.”

Immediately, several of them dashed from the yard into the trees.

“It’ll take them a bit to find clothes,” Mary said from behind me.

“They have them hidden somewhere?”

“No.  Usually they take them off a laundry line.  Some of the clever ones can get into houses without being noticed.”

I glanced at my bed.  “You mean these things are stolen?”

“How else would we get them?  We have nothing to trade.”

“Only Winifred has a job?” I asked.

Mary stared at me for several long moments.

“She says there are a few others.  But not many.  Mostly, the men only resort to jobs when they want something they can’t steal.”

“She says?” I asked.  Then I realized she meant Winifred.  “You’re talking to her now?  How?”

“In my head.  Elders like Winifred connect us all.  They help us communicate with each other.  That’s how the families know to meet here for an Introduction and how the unMated males know when to show up.”  Mary looked outside at the remaining wolves while I tried to wrap my head around what she’d said.  Winifred’s abilities were impressive.

I followed Mary’s gaze and found the remaining wolves watching us.  My pulse jumped a little; their scrutiny unnerving me.

I’d hoped to send one of them for supplies and to start cleaning.  But to start cleaning, I’d need to leave this room.  The idea of walking around out there...well, I was having a hard time picturing it without them running after me.

“Can I go out there?” I asked.

“Sure.  Why?”

“I was thinking. If we took a bunch of that thick grass at the edge of the clearing and tied it into a tight bundle, we could use it as a broom and start cleaning this place out.”

However, my feet stayed where they were, safely inside.  My hand drifted up and hovered over the marks on my neck.  I closed the door, walked back to the bed, and sat down.  Logically, I knew I could stop them from biting me.  I’d felt their wills; they weren’t just wild animals I couldn’t control.  But, that understanding didn’t overcome my fear.

“Are you okay?” Mary asked.

“No,” I said.  The sound was more a hoarse rasp than a word.  “I can still feel their teeth on me.  Seeing all of them out there...”

She didn’t say anything.  I stared at the dying coals until someone knocked on the door.  We both turned toward the sound, but neither of us moved.  It wasn’t fear that held me this time.  It was surprise.  They knew to knock?  I looked at Mary.  She looked at me and shrugged.

“Yes?” I called.

“We have the grass,” a rough voice said.

Mary walked to the door and opened it.  Men, wearing pants, stood outside.  Each held a bundle of grass.  When the ones in front saw Mary, they shifted their positions in an attempt to see around her.  Those behind them craned their necks, too.  They wanted to see me.  However, they didn’t try to enter.  They just waited and watched, each holding a clump of long grass.

I forced myself to stand and went to the door.  The first man held out his fistful of grass.

“For you.”  Red tinted his cheeks as he handed it over.

“Thank you,” I said, feeling equally uncomfortable.

One by one, they handed me grass until I had a pile next to the door large enough for several brooms.  After the last one left, Mary closed the door, gave me an undecipherable look, and motioned for me to follow her.  We went to the room I’d first slept in.  She shut the door and turned to me.

“I have never seen anything like that before,” she said in a whisper.

“What do you mean?”

She motioned for me to keep my voice down and peaked out the window.  I followed her gaze.  Men and wolves mingled in the yard.

“They don’t do that,” she said moving away from the window.  She caught my puzzled look and pointed at my neck.  “They do that.  They see a female and Claim her.  If there’s someone else interested, they fight for the right to her.  They’ll hunt for you, but they don’t bring you things.  They don’t try to get on your good side first.  I thought they might be nicer to you, but that was unbelievable.”

Bringing grass to a girl was unbelievable?  It hardly seemed worthy of her astonishment.  Yet, it was their way.  I sat on the floor and started winding together some of the grass I still held.  Mary sat next to me.

“No flowers, nice dinners, or seeing a show.  Just a life-threatening bite on the neck.”  It seemed a very harsh courtship.  Nothing I wanted any part of.

“It’s not life-threatening to us.  We heal quickly.  The ones who bit you didn’t know you wouldn’t heal.”

I didn’t think it made it any better but tried to look at it from her point of view.  Would I feel differently about the bites if they were already healed?  I couldn’t decide.

She watched as I wove the top of two clumps together.  When I had a decent bunch, I stood and tried it.  It worked all right.

“Here,” I said handing the sad little broom to Mary.  “Can you start sweeping this room out?  I’ll get more of the grass.”

She took the broom with an arched brow but nodded.  I left her there, sweeping awkwardly, and made my way to the main room.

As soon as I entered, someone knocked on the door, and I regretted leaving Mary behind.

I’ll be fine, I told myself as I squared my shoulders.  I’d run from Penny.  I wouldn’t run from them, unless they started eyeing my neck again.  My shoulders slumped, and my hand drifted upward in a protective gesture.  I didn’t want to experience that ever again.

Another knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.  What to do?

“You said you needed supplies.”  The hesitant voice beyond the door gave me my answer.

With a sigh, I cautiously opened the door.  Men waited, and the rest of the wolves shuffled around behind them.  They were so different.  I was different, too.  Different didn’t necessarily mean bad.  As Mary had pointed out, the first two hadn’t known I wasn’t one of them.  I needed to give the rest a chance, didn’t I?

“Have any of you ever been inside a grocery?” I asked.

No one responded.

“Have any of you used money before?”

They remained quiet.  It looked like I wouldn’t get any of the things I’d wanted.

“Winifred is willing to help whoever you send,” the one closest to me said.  He had dark brown eyes and wore his light brown hair in shaggy waves back from his face.  Sparse whiskers grew on his chin and upper lip.  He watched me with interest but seemed relaxed.

Since he’d answered, I handed him the money from my pocket.

“Canned vegetables and a can opener, nails—as many as you can buy—and a hammer, toilet paper, and a handsaw.  I don’t know how much of that you can get.  Just don’t steal anything.”

When he turned, the men parted and watched him leave.

I eased the door closed, collected my grass, and went to join Mary.  If I worried each time I had to open the door, how would I ever be able to live here?

*    *    *    *

We had the bed moved into the newly cleaned room and another rabbit roasting on the fire by the time the man returned.  When he handed me the bag, he gave me an expectant smile.  I wasn’t sure what he wanted.

“Thank you.  What’s your name?”

“Anton.”

“Thank you, Anton.”

He grinned wider, nodded, and walked away.  With relief, I went to sit by Mary, who waited near the fire.  Inspecting the bag, I pulled out each item and found we had the nails we needed but no hammer.  There were also several canned goods, an opener, a handsaw, and my change.

“Why do you need all of that?” Mary asked.

“Because, if I’m going to stay here, we need to fix this place up.  Winter will be cold, won’t it?”

She started shaking her head then stopped.  “Without fur, yes.  So you know how to fix things?”

I shook my head.  “But it’ll be easier to learn that than it would to grow fur.”

She nodded, and we ate the rabbit as the light faded.

Mary slept in the room with me.  She didn’t mind the floor so I gave her the extra comforter and gladly took the bed.  I slid under the covers, closed my eyes, and pretended I was back home.  Despite everything that had happened, I slept well.

When I woke at first light, Mary continued to breathe softly from her place on the floor.  I quietly used the bucket then went to the window.  In the yard, several of the wolves slept on the ground while some already walked in and out of the trees.  Those who wandered seemed bored, yet they didn’t stop to talk to one another or interact in any other way.  I watched them for a while and noticed some studied the area.  It seemed as if they were new here, like me.

One stopped and stared at a shed directly across from the main building where I slept.  The small structure leaned at a precarious angle.  Many of the cedar shake shingles had disappeared into the black hole that pierced the roof.  However, the boards covering the walls seemed solid enough.  As I studied it, I thought a few of those boards might help cover the broken windows in the main building.

“I smell...” Mary said suddenly, startling me.  I turned and watched her sit straight up and sniff the air.  “Pheasant.  Good.  I was getting tired of rabbit.”  She stood and stretched.  I heard her stomach growl and grinned at her.

We made our way down to the main room and found the pheasant roasting.

“Who brings the food?”

Mary shrugged.  “They’re either hunting on their own and the first one here provides it, or they’re fighting for the right.”