Page 47 of To Keep A Wolf
Levi stills, and Tripp whistles. “Hot damn, Rob.” Tripp’s voice holds a note of awe.
“Relax,” my father says, noting my reaction. “It’s nothing lethal. Not to her, anyway. I keep a box of tranquilizers in the closet just in case. It’ll slow her down long enough we can hopefully subdue her.”
“And then what?” Levi asks.
He sounds much more nervous about this than Tripp or even my dad.
“Then we hope she sees reason,” Tripp says.
I barely manage to hold back a snort at that. “Yeah, right.”
My father looks up at me. “You sure she knows about this whole sacrifice thing your fiancé had planned for you?”
The question rattles me because the truth is I don’t know for sure. I assumed, but… meeting Rob has already shown me assumptions aren’t nearly as accurate as they might seem. “I don’t know,” I admit. “She knows Jadick’s a fucking monster though, and that’s enough for me.”
He grunts and then leans the rifle against the end of the counter. “Well then. Let’s get this food cleaned up so we can get to work.”
CHAPTER14
We spend twenty minutes tidying the kitchen. By the time we’re done, full darkness has fallen. Outside, night creatures are just beginning to sing their songs. But my wolf is having none of the relaxation those soft sounds should bring me. She’s on edge.
For good reason.
My eyes dart continually to the rifle propped against the counter.
My thoughts are on my mother.
“He’s not going to use lethal force,” Levi says so close to my ear that I jump.
Jerking toward him, I scowl. “I know.”
He simply raises a brow in answer and then moves away to toss a rag into the sink.
My father and Tripp are both already seated in the living room. I can sense their eyes on me. With a heavy sigh, I make my way over to an empty chair near the fireplace. The hearth is cold though logs are stacked nearby in a tin container. I suspect the chill of autumn starts up here long before it reaches the lower altitudes.
“We could light it,” Tripp offers, but when I look over at him, I see my father already shaking his head.
I answer for him. “A fire would mean smoke. And smoke would be a dead giveaway of where we are for anyone searching nearby.”
“If Vicki’s coming, she already knows exactly where we are,” Tripp points out.
I exchange a knowing glance with my father. “She might not be the only one he sends,” I say quietly.
“Good point.” Tripp leans back as Levi joins us in the empty chair opposite mine.
“Mac’s right,” Levi says quietly. “Jadick never puts all his eggs in one basket. There are sure to be others looking for you.”
“We have the benefit of a strategic location,” my father says.
Levi nods. “The hillside out back is pretty steep and hard to navigate. There are a ton of fallen trees and brambles strewn across the easier paths.” He cuts a look to my father. “And traps,” he adds.
My father winks.
“I thought you said your traps were to catch small game for dinner,” I say.
He shrugs. “That too.”
Tripp offers a fist bump. “Nice work, Rob.”
