Wolf Camp (Bear Naked 2)

Chapter 7, Part 4

When Amanda rose the next morning, most of the camp was quiet. Connor was up, helping his father make pancakes on a cast-iron skillet over the fire. She looked at Jonathan's tent. He was usually an early riser but there was no sign of activity. She sighed and let it go. What good would it do, pestering him to talk? If he wanted to talk, he could bring it up.

She found a towel and her bathing kit. "I am going to run up to the shower before everyone else starts waking up," she told Connor.

As she stepped out on the road, Tricia joined her from Arthur's camp. "I was just heading that way myself," she said, "just let me grab my towel."

Amanda had the feeling that it was an excuse but she nodded and waited while Tricia went for her towel. When the other girl was back, they headed for the distant shower house together. They made idle chit chat for most the way. Amanda suspected that Tricia had something she wanted to talk about but let her get to it in her own time.

"So what happened last night?" Tricia said after some time.

"What do you mean?" Amanda asked.

"With Connor, why was he so upset?"

Amanda looked at Tricia hard. There was no guile in her face. "Arthur hit Jonathan," she said.

"So?" Tricia replied.

"So? Does he often hit his kids?" Amanda asked.

Tricia squirmed as though realizing for the first time, this was not typical. "Umm, yeah. I mean that was nothing. That was just a little tap to get his attention."

"Has he hit you?" Amanda asked.

"Damn," Tricia said. "I got marks I don't think will ever go away."

"Have you ever told anyone?"

"Like who? Mom? He beats her, too. He's alpha, Amanda. I don't know what that means to bears but I know what it means for wolves."

They had arrived at the shower house. It was empty. Amanda was thankful. She felt like this conversation needed to go on. "I meant DHS, someone at school, someone not part of the situation."

Tricia laughed. "Are you kidding? What am I going to tell them? My uncle, who is an alpha werewolf, rules his farmstead the way he sees fit and beats anyone who defies him? What is DHS going to do to a werewolf? No, I am sorry Amanda, this is just a fact of life."

They both undressed quickly and stepped into the open shower room. As the showers came to life Tricia said. "I like you, Amanda. I think it must be very different for bears. If I were a bear, maybe I would want the gift."

"No, Tricia," Amanda corrected, "you've got it wrong. It's not just bears. Aaron isn't like that. Connor isn't either. I don't care if he is a werewolf, what Arthur does is wrong."

Tricia blushed and looked down. "Well, it's still a fact of life for me," she muttered.

They didn't speak for the rest of the shower. Amanda didn't know what to say, what could possibly change things for Tricia. Halfway back to the camp another thought hit her. "Hey, I have a question," she said.

"Shoot," Tricia said.

"I am confused. Jonathan's got two sisters who are both alpha to their mates, right?" she said. Tricia nodded. "But I could have sworn someone told me he had three sisters. In fact, I think he said it once, not that he talks about family much."

"And no one talks about the third sister," Tricia said quietly. "I was ten when it happened."

"What?"

"She didn't convert," Tricia said.

"So?"

"So," Tricia said, "she comes home from camp and Arthur calls her into the kitchen, right in front of all of us and says, 'you have twenty-four hours to pack your things and leave the farm.' That was the last anyone heard from her. And no one is allowed to talk about it."

Amanda shivered.

"If I don't convert," Tricia said. "And I hope to God I don't, I am going to go look for her. I figure maybe she can help me get started in human life."