Page 87 of Repentance and Absolution
Just then, we heard her familiar mewl right outside the door and a frantic scratching.
“Jimmy!”
“I know. I know.”
I hadn’tseenany wolves yet, be we could hear ’em, and they sounded pretty fucking close.
“Take this.” I handed Oscar the rifle. Then I grabbed the door latch and pulled it, shifting the door just enough for Sprite to shoot inside in a bundle of fur and snow. I slammed it shut and latched it good. Then I tried to forget the look on Oscar’s face when he thought I was gonna leave her outside for the wolves.
By the time we’d taken off our things, we could see them. Six of them—big gray wolves, and they looked thin and hungry, sniffin’, huffin’ and prowling all around the little house. They must have been the same pack that were at the other place, but there didn’t seem to be as many of them, which was less of a relief than one might think.
Six big wolves were still too many for one man to fight on his own. And even if both of us went out there with our guns, we’d be risking injury or worse. T’wasn’t worth it. We’d just have to stay inside where we were safe and hope they’d leave before we had to go to the outhouse or the stables.
This felt different than it had at Clarence and Irene’s. Our place was so small and had so little furniture, and there were only the two of us. Luckily, we had enough wood in the bin to start a fire in the stove and get some heat going, but we’d need more from outside by morning. With any luck, they’d be gone by then. And luck was all we had.
“Goddammit,” I said.
“What?”
“I left our clean laundry out there.”
Oscar went to the window and peered out. “Oh, yeah. It’s there. Uh, Jimmy? One of the wolves is pissin’ on it.”
“Goddammit.”
Oscar was silent for a bit. Then he said, “Now they’re all pissin’ on it.”
“For fuck’s sake,” I said. “I’ve had just about enough of these bastards. Don’t they got another place to be?”
I sat on the edge of the bed and put my head in my hands.
“I doubt it,” Oscar murmured. “Anyway, they’re just animals, lookin’ for some food.”
“I s’pose.”
Oscar came around and peeled my hands from my face, gazing down at me with a look of determination.
“Maybe if we make lots of noise, it’ll scare ’em away.”
“What, like bangin’ pots and pans?”
“Hmm, well, we could try that. But I was thinkin’ more like spanking naughty boys who like to cry and scream and make a big fuss.” He swayed back and forth, holding my hands, with a look on his face I knew pretty well. “Of course, it’s up to you.”
And maybe I was a fool for love because, even with a pack of bloodthirsty wolves prowling around outside, I couldn’t think of a better thing to do just then. If nothing else, it’d take my mind off our situation and onto something much more agreeable. We were safe and sound and finally had some privacy. We might as well get up to mischief. And maybe if Oscar made enough noise, which wasn’t generally a problem, the wolves would get spooked and leave us be.
I circled a hand around his slim wrist and pulled him on top of me, right where I was sitting. “All right. You wanna sacrifice yourself tothismean old wolf, that’s your business. But I ain’t bein’ merciful.”
“I don’t want you to be merciful. I want you to be fierce.”
I chuckled. “You are one naughty, naughty boy, Oscar Yates. And I’m glad to have the privilege of punishing you.”
“You oughta be. ’Cause I don’t let just anyone spank my sorry ass.”
“I’m awful glad to hear it. Now pull them pants down and get o’er my lap.”
“Yes, sir, I will. I aim to make so much noise those wolves run off with their tails between their legs.”
Turned out the wolves didn’t scare off that easy. But by the time I was done giving Oscar the hiding of his life then fucking him into the mattress, with the occasional wolf howl adding an urgent counterpoint to our coupling, I couldn’t find it in me to care.
