The White Wolf of Winter

Part One, Introduction

Chapter One

My name is Mary. I am seventeen years old and soon to be a senior at Winter Haven High School in Alaska. My father is a supervisor on an oil rig. He comes home, whenever he can.

Up until this year, I was mostly away at an all-girls boarding school. So, public school has been a culture shock for me.

I am five feet two inches tall and weigh one hundred and ten pounds. I have long, thick, wavy blond hair and blue eyes.

My mother's name was Rose; she ran off with a truck driver when I was six months old, so I don't remember her. My father, Jack, says I look just like her, maybe that's why he stays away so much. But he pays all the bills and makes sure my debit card has all the cash I could ever need. So I can't complain.

We live a little off the beaten path, but I have a few trusty snowmobiles and two Alaskan Huskies to keep me company, a gift from my father. He taught me how to shoot, hunt, trap, and ice fish. But I just stop at the store after school and get what I need. And the shotgun? I keep close by for protection. But my dogs do a great job of keeping people away. We have lots of property and it's all fenced in. Dad installed a large doggy door for my dogs, Sammy and Jake, to run in and out as they please. We also have a big bear skin rug in front of a wood-burning fireplace. This is their favorite spot and mine too.

I dread the first day of school. I'm not used to being around boys. I don't even know how to act or react.