Frostbitten (27 page)

“History proves
otherwise,” Mr. Lockhart interjected. “One normal, albeit large, wolf stalked
these woods and now he’s dead. The story isn’t all that interesting. Besides,
the town wants to believe that they’re safe, and with this proof, there’s no
reason for them to live in fear any longer.”

Despite the fact that
her grandfather’s words had merit, Anastasia cringed at his insensitivity.
Feeling defeated, she turned to Frost and said, “I don’t think we have much of
a choice. We’re seventeen – how long can we really be on the run?”

Frost hesitated before
looking straight at Mr. Lockhart. “Fine,” he said through clenched teeth. “You
can have my father’s body
after
you’ve given me a chance to save these
men.”

“They need to be killed
now,” Mr. Lockhart argued, visibly upset. “There isn’t another option.”

“Let me worry about
that,” Frost said sharply. “In the meantime, no one else dies.”

There was a long, tense
pause which Anastasia’s grandfather broke with a heavy sigh. “You have twenty
four hours,” he replied, finally accepting Frost’s proposal. “What can I do to
help?”

“We can’t leave four
hunters and a werewolf out here – they’ll have to be taken to my father’s
cabin. Once that’s done, Anastasia and I will return to Cedar Falls, so you’ll
be standing guard over the cabin while we’re gone. Also, we’ll need a car, and
I’m assuming you guys didn’t travel from Cedar Falls on your snowmobiles.”

“No, we parked at the
end of rural road number fifteen in Hartfield, at the edge of the woods.”

“We’ll find our way,”
Frost said with a confident nod, taking a step toward one of the snowmobiles.

“You better have a damn
good plan,” Mr. Lockhart warned, momentarily stopping him, “because I won’t
allow Cedar Falls to get any more werewolves.”

“Neither will I,” Frost
promised. He began to rummage through one of the hunter’s camouflaged-patterned
packs, finding coils of rope and a change of clothes which were almost his
size.

Working together,
Anastasia, Frost and Mr. Lockhart secured each hunter to the snowmobiles, tying
them tightly so they wouldn’t fall off while traveling to the cabin. It was a
difficult task, especially as night fell upon them, and Anastasia couldn’t stop
herself from wondering if their plan would work – although she wasn’t entirely
certain what their plan entailed. When they were finally ready to begin their
trek, Anastasia’s grandfather abruptly pulled her aside, causing Frost to look
on in concern.

“Your mother’s here,”
he said solemnly. “When we called to see if you’d arrived home safely, the
truth came out – well, most of it. Kendall’s been worried sick for days, and
she still doesn’t know if you’re okay. Please, Anastasia, I can take you home.”

Processing her
grandfather’s words, Anastasia stared at him dumbfounded. She’d always thought
that her mother wouldn’t return to Cedar Falls for anything or anyone; now she
knew how completely wrong she’d been. “I’ll let Mom know I’m fine as soon as I
can,” Anastasia hurried to say. “I’m not going home, though – at least not
yet.”

Her grandfather opened
his mouth, likely to protest her decision, but he was interrupted by Frost, who
was already seated on a snowmobile and ready to leave.

“Time’s running out,”
Frost called to them in an urgent tone. “Are you with me or not?”

I’m with you, Frost,
Anastasia thought, while taking another look at the soiled land. She found it
hard to believe that a fight, which had only lasted mere minutes, could inflict
so much damage. In those fleeting moments, everything really had changed, and
she knew that none of them would ever be the same again. Yet, for all its
tragedy, this battle between man and beast had given Anastasia a new
appreciation for her life and the people who were still in it.

* * *

Part
Ten: Wolfsbane

The car’s headlights
illuminated the deserted, tree-lined road, creating an eerie, foreboding
sensation as Anastasia and Frost sped from Hartfield to Cedar Falls. Looking at
the neon green digits on the clock revealed that it was almost seven a.m.
They’d spent too much time – all night and a few hours of the early morning –
transporting Symon and the hunters to the cabin. With no direct access that
could accommodate snowmobiles, locating a path to the cabin proved far more
challenging than they’d originally predicated. Now, Anastasia and Frost had
less than eleven hours before dusk would fall, turning the hunters into werewolves
forever.

As if the task ahead of
them wasn’t hard enough, Anastasia and Frost were sleep-deprived and
functioning on adrenaline. After securing Symon and the hunters in the cabin,
they’d driven a snowmobile through the woods, searching until they found the
men’s vehicles and hitched trailers parked at the edge of Hartfield. Taking her
grandfather’s car, they’d only made one stop for fast-food before beginning the
next part of their journey. This had left Anastasia and Frost with little
chance to talk – until now.

“You seem so certain
about what we’re doing,” Anastasia said, referring to the look of concentration
which hadn’t faded from Frost’s face since leaving the woods. She, on the other
hand, had never felt so confused, anxious and overwhelmed in her entire life.

“I don’t know what I’m
doing,” Frost confessed, not taking his eyes off the road. “I’m just hoping
that I do.”

“Translation, please?”

“I’d never heard of
Incubation before, and any knowledge I have on the subject came from reading my
father’s journal. His references were vague, though, and he appeared to be more
interested in finding a cure than the process of turning a human into a
werewolf. I’m taking guesses here, Anastasia, but I think there’s someone out
there who has real answers.”

“Julia,” Anastasia
muttered. “Do you know who she is or, better yet, how we can find her?”

“Not exactly,” Frost
admitted, pausing briefly before continuing in an uncomfortable tone. “Kate’s
ancestors founded Cedar Falls. She’s the one we have to ask.”

Anastasia’s mind
instantly returned to the moment when Kate had made the claim that Cedar Falls
was
her
town. Now that she knew the truth, Kate’s haughtiness actually
made sense. Nevertheless, Anastasia felt her heart sink because there was
little to no chance that she would help them.

“Are you sure there
isn’t another way to find her?” Anastasia practically begged. “We could try the
phonebook or something,
anything
, else.”

Firmly, Frost shook his
head. “You know how small Cedar Falls is, so there has to be a reason why I’ve
never met Julia. Finding her is going to be tough, and if she really is Kate’s
ancestor, then we have no other choice. I just pray that Julia’s still alive
and able to tell us how to stop the transformation.”

With the snow-covered
roads becoming increasingly slippery, Frost returned his full attention to
driving. As silence filled the car, Anastasia finally had the chance to rest
her head against the cool window. She took a deep breath and then closed her
eyes, praying for even a few moments of sleep. Unfortunately, images of the
fight and, more prominently, Frost’s dead father kept circulating in her mind.
Realizing that a peaceful slumber wouldn’t be an option anytime soon, Anastasia
sighed and turned her gaze toward the horizon, where the sun was slowly
starting to rise.

Shortly before nine
a.m., Anastasia and Frost arrived in Cedar Falls. It felt strange being back in
what appeared to be a normal town, especially after experiencing such surreal
events in the woods. Adding to her unease was the possibility of seeing her
mother. If they ran into each other, Anastasia had no idea what she could say
to make up for all the stress and worry her disappearance had caused. This
latest incident might even be worse than her arrest – at least then her mother
had known her whereabouts.

Anastasia’s obsessive
thoughts were interrupted as Kate’s ever pristine house came into view. With
the curtains drawn and no cars visible, it appeared as if the McKinleys weren’t
home. However, that didn’t hinder Frost from pulling into her driveway and
coming to a stop. Although Anastasia had several reservations about being
there, Frost was clearly unwilling to let anything stop him.

“I think it’d be best
if you waited in the car,” Frost suggested tactfully. “Kate might be more
willing to talk if I’m the one asking the questions.”

“My thoughts exactly,”
Anastasia said, before he gave her a quick kiss and then exited the car.

As Frost approached the
large, wreath-bearing door, Anastasia rolled down the passenger side window slightly
and then crouched at the bottom of her seat. If Kate was home, she wanted to
hear their conversation without being seen. Anastasia tried to convince herself
that it was necessary to take these measures, but in reality, she didn’t trust
Kate to be alone with Frost.

The whimsical chime of
Kate’s doorbell was soon heard, followed by a silence that lasted for several
moments. Finally peering over the dashboard, Anastasia found Frost still
waiting for someone to answer. He was about to try again when the door suddenly
opened to reveal Kate, who was wearing a short red robe and looking beautiful
without any make-up on. Kate smiled widely upon seeing Frost, causing
Anastasia’s disdain for her to increase significantly.

“Hi, Frost,” Kate said
in a playful tone, before he could speak. “Should I have been expecting you?”

“No, and I’m sorry to
come over unannounced,” Frost started to say.

“Don’t be silly,” Kate
interrupted, while leaning against the doorway in a somewhat seductive manner.
“You’re always welcome here, day or night.”

Feeling her blood boil,
Anastasia had to literally grab onto the edge of her seat to stop herself from
running out of the car and slapping Kate. Although Kate must have known that
Frost was no longer single, she still obviously wanted to hook up with him – it
was so beyond pathetic. Trying hard to calm down, Anastasia remembered why they
were there in the first place.

“Um, thanks,” Frost
replied awkwardly. “Actually, I could really use your help with something.”

“Anything,” Kate
offered quickly. “You don’t have to be shy around me.”

“It’s about a woman
named Julia. I believe you two are related, and since I need to talk to her, I
was hoping you’d tell me where she...”

“Why would you want to
speak with her?” Kate interrupted for the second time, appearing disappointed
by Frost’s request.

“It’s kind of
personal,” he admitted slowly, “but it’s very important that I find her.”

“I can’t help you,”
Kate snapped, her whole disposition changing as she realized that he wasn’t
interested in her.

“You can’t or won’t?”
Frost asked, preventing her from closing the door.

“I know when I’m being
used,” Kate said, her tone harsh even though she was visibly upset. “Go back to
your freak of a girlfriend and leave me alone. We’re done here.”

Frost stepped back,
allowing Kate to slam the door in his face. He likely knew he deserved such a
response, but that didn’t change the fact that the information they desperately
needed was now completely out of their reach. No longer having a reason to
hide, Anastasia returned to her seat, while Frost entered the car.

“I overheard,”
Anastasia confessed. “Don’t worry – we’re not out of options. We can ask around
town. Surely someone knows Julia.”

“I’m not so sure about
that. There’s something really strange going on with that woman. Kate was
totally caught off-guard at the mere mention of her name.”

“Then we’re the perfect
people to solve this mystery,” Anastasia stated confidently. “Strange isn’t
exactly a new concept for us.”

Despite himself, Frost
smirked. “Okay,” he agreed, “we’ll try it your way.”

Frost started the car
and began to reverse, only to come to an abrupt stop seconds later. Startled,
Anastasia turned around to discover that another car had entered the driveway.
She furrowed her brow in confusion as she realized that the vehicle belonged to
Marissa. Anastasia had thought that Kate and Marissa’s friendship was long
over, so what was she doing here?

“We don’t have time for
this,” Frost stated quietly as a reflection of Marissa exiting her car appeared
in their rear-view mirror.

“It’s not like we can
just leave,” Anastasia whispered. “I promise this won’t take long.”

“Hey,” Marissa greeted
in a pleasantly surprised manner as she leaned toward Anastasia’s window, which
was still rolled down. “Chloe and I have been trying to reach you for days.
Everything’s alright, isn’t it?”

“Of course,” Anastasia
answered, touched by her friend’s concern. “We were sick,” she added quickly,
sensing that Marissa expected an explanation for her sudden disappearance.

“Yeah, you guys don’t
look the best,” Marissa admitted, probably noting their pale complexions and
dark bags under their eyes. “Well, at least you’re alive. I was starting to
think the werewolf got you or something.”

Suppressing the urge to
cringe, Anastasia asked hurriedly, “What are you doing here, Marissa?”

“I’m dropping off every
piece of clothing and
jewelry
that Kate has ever lent me. Sure, it’s worth more than my entire wardrobe, but
I’ll be glad to see it gone – just like her.” She paused slightly before
inquiring, “What are you two doing here?”

“We’re looking for
Julia,” Anastasia began to reply.

“Kate’s grandmother?”
Marissa interrupted in shock. “What in the world do you want with her?”

“You know her?” Frost
inquired with wide eyes, ignoring Marissa’s question in the process.

“I’ve heard about her,”
Marissa corrected him. “I think she’s like a family secret because Kate would
never mention her. Once, when I was at her house, I overheard Kate’s mom and
dad talking about Julia. They were discussing the possibility of sending her to
a better nursing home. It was obviously a
very
private conversation, and
Kate was so embarrassed by what I’d heard that she acted strange around me for
a whole month.”

Anastasia felt a
flutter of hope within her chest. Combined, there were probably only a few
nursing homes in Cedar Falls and the surrounding areas. This was exactly the
type of lead for which she and Frost had been praying.

“We really appreciate
everything you’ve told us,” Frost thanked Marissa as he restarted the car.

“I don’t want to
discourage you guys from seeing Julia, but I’m pretty sure she’s crazy. Why
else would Kate’s family be so hush-hush about her?” With that said, Marissa
gave Anastasia a small wave goodbye and then stepped backwards, allowing them
to drive away.

“Slow down,” Anastasia
cautioned as Frost sped along Kate’s street. “You’ll get a ticket – or worse.”

“I know what I’m
doing,” Frost reassured her, decreasing his speed nonetheless. “I remember
seeing a sign for Mourning Dove Care Residence. That will be the closest
senior’s home, and it’s still on the other side of Cedar Falls, practically on
the border of another town. We need to get there now.”

Studying Frost’s
intense gaze upon the road and the way he clutched the steering wheel, turning
his knuckles white, Anastasia knew that he was barely holding it together under
all the pressure. If they didn’t stop the hunters from transforming into
werewolves, she worried that he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. These
thoughts troubled her until they finally found their destination forty-five
minutes later. At this moment, she had new fears to deal with, such as if Julia
was even here, and if she was, would she agree to see two complete strangers? 

Although Mourning Dove
was settled amongst the beautiful scenery that Anastasia had come to expect
from Cedar Falls, it was a stark contrast to the building, which looked old,
gray and in need of some basic maintenance. Shivering, she rushed alongside
Frost and toward the entrance. For some reason, Anastasia felt as if she was
being watched through those small, frosted windows, even though no one appeared
to be there.

Passing through a set
of automatic sliding doors, Anastasia and Frost came to a reception desk that
was situated in front of a large, open concept room. This room, which seemed to
double as the living and dining space, was brighter than the exterior, but it
still lacked comfort and appeal – two essential features since the residents
likely spent a great deal of time there. Awkwardly, Anastasia realized that
almost all the elders were looking longingly at her and Frost, probably
wondering whose grandchildren were here to visit. This depressed Anastasia and
caused her to vow that she’d never end up in a place like this.

“May I help you?”
inquired a straight-faced receptionist, who wore a nametag which read,
Martha
.

“We’re here to see
Julia McKinley,” Frost said confidently, as if he was a regular visitor.