The White Wolf of Winter

Part Fifteen, Dad's New Wife

Chapter Twenty Four,
    I hitched up the sleigh and me and the dogs headed to the airport to pick up Dad and his new wife.

    "Hey dad," We embraced and he introduced me to his new wife, Jennifer. Dad was still tall and muscular but his hair had turned grey. He wore it in a flat top and he looked as distinguished as ever. His new wife had short curly blonde hair and grey-green eyes. She was about 5'5" tall and about 150 lbs., very pretty and smiley.

    "Mary, I'd like you to meet Jennifer. Jennifer, this is my daughter, Mary."

    "It's very nice to meet you, Jennifer."

    "It's nice to meet you too, Mary."

    "I hope you don't mind riding in a sleigh. I had to borrow the shopkeepers horses and sleigh to pull us all. We don't have much in the way of roads out here."

    "Oh, this is fine, Mary."

I think Jennifer actually enjoyed the sleigh ride. She was laughing with Dad and seemed totally content. When we got home dad offered to take the horse drawn sleigh back and retrieve our sleigh and dogs. So Jennifer and I sat down in the kitchen to chat over a cup of tea.

    "So, you stay out here all by yourself?"

    "Yap, just me and my two dogs."

    "That has to be scary for you."

    "Well, we don't get a lot of crime out here in the middle of nowhere."

    "But on the map you are only about thirty miles from the big city. Why hasn't anyone put in a highway and some roads?"

    "Well, I think all of that cost money, Jennifer and since nobody is complaining, we just make do with snow mobiles and sleighs."

    "Oh, I see."

    "The pilot who brought us here was talking about a boy being murdered not too far from here. Did you know him, Mary?"

    "Oh ya, I knew him."

    "Well, that must have been devastating for you!"

    "Oh ya, devastating."

    "Well aren't you scared with a murderer running loose?"

    "The police say it was a wolf, Jennifer, not a human."

    "Oh, I see. But even a killer wolf would be petrifying living out here all alone."

    "Well, I think we"ll be ok."

    "If you say so."

    Dad comes home and I make him a cup of tea and bring out some decorated cut out cookies.

    "Thank you, Mary, did you make these yourself?"

    "Actually, Jennifer, I had a little help from a friend."

    "Where is your friend now?"

    "My friend went home for Christmas quite a ways from here."

    "Oh, that's too bad. We'd like to have met her."

    "Oh ya, won't be back till New Year's."

    "So,how did you meet my dad?"

    "Oh, I work as his secretary on the rig."

    "Oh, ok you two spend a lot of time together. So I guess you came to know each other pretty well."

    "Oh yes, we've been together for a few years now."

    "Wow, that's wonderful."

    "Well, Mary, your dad and I would like to go to our room and freshen up after our trip, if you don't mind."

    "No, I don't mind at all. We have a few days to talk and get to know each other."

    "I'm just going to take my dogs out a while and gather some more fire wood. You just make yourself at home, Jennifer."

Chapter Twenty Five
    Dad and Jennifer left the day after Christmas. It was just me and the dogs again. I can't wait for New Years Eve to see Dan again.

The week went so slow. Because I needed to see Dan so bad. Just to hold him and tell him how much I love him.

    It's New Year's Eve when the phone rings. It's Dan.

    "Dan, I miss you so much. I can't wait to see you!"

    "Hey Mary, did you get your period yet?"

    "Um, yes, I did, are you glad?"

    "Very much, Mary, like you said; you need to finish school and you're way too young to be saddled with a baby, especially one that could change into a woof one day."

    "I love you, Danny, I would gladly have your baby someday. I thought you said there was no cell service where you're at?"

    "There isn't Mary, I borrowed the Alpha's satellite phone. Which I have to give right back to him. So I can't talk."

    "Oh, ok Dan, thanks for calling. I look forward to picking you up at the airport tomorrow."

    "Bye, Mary" Click

    Bye, Mary, click? I don't understand? Why did he have to hang up so fast? Maybe the Alpha took the phone away from him. I'll just be glad when he gets home and things go back to normal.

    I waited at the airport for Dan's plane to come in. We had agreed on five pm. It's now six and still no plane. It's seven and then eight, still no plane. I needed to get home. It's getting colder and I have a ways to go. I left my name with the man in the hanger and started up Dan's two seater snow mobile. If he wasn't coming back, why would he leave his snow mobile?" I don't understand. I hope nothing happened. I hope he's ok. I have no way to reach him. Maybe I will get home and sit with my phone beside me, waiting for his call telling me he's ok.

    New Years came and went, still no Dan, still no phone call. I am so worried and so depressed. And I have to go back to school tomorrow. A school with no Dan.

    I get up the next morning and force myself to get dressed and go to school. The hallways seem so empty and lonely without Dan. People ask me about him. I tell them I don't know where he is. Because I don't.

    After school I decided to venture into the woods to find Dan's tree house. After a time I come up on it. I walk up the winding stair case and push open the door. It opens right up. Everything is gone, all of Dan's clothes and even the pretty green, cut glass lamps are gone. The place is cleaned out except for the furniture. I don't understand. Who could have done this? And, where are Dan and his sister, Rose? Why hasn't he called me?"

I start up my snow mobile and head back home. My heart is broken into a million, tiny pieces. I can hardly see through my tears to drive back home.
When I get there a strange snow mobile is parked outside of my house. Who could it be? And where are they?