Imminence (26 page)

“In that case they wouldn’t have been worthy of Clarissa and what’s more, I don’t think any of them would dare pass up on the chance to try their luck. Think about it – this is an opportunity to procreate although they all thought it’d be impossible.”

“Ahem. I’m right here,” Clarissa reminded us. “You’re speaking of me as if I’m some sort of a baby machine. I’m not ready to start a family yet! I’m only sixteen.”

Marie threw Tiamhaidh a thrilled glance. She had nothing against having offspring with Tiamhaidh. Not yet, but later, all in good time.

“Those males have been waiting for decades now. They’ll bear to wait a while longer. But with you by their side they at least have a hope of begetting offspring who will also have the gift of immortality,” I tried to make Clarissa understand the men better.

“Whatever,” Clarissa shrugged with apparent nonchalance. “Today I intend to rest, though.”

“Good idea. I suggest we all get some rest. We’ll have hard days ahead of us. You didn’t think I’d let Clarissa go downtown alone with those men, did you? Wherever she goes, I’ll want the pack following her covertly,” I gave each member of my pack a stern look.

“We didn’t think otherwise,” everyone sighed with resignation.

As it wasn’t even nine o’clock yet, we all dispersed to sleep. This time I agreed to David’s wish and crawled into bed with him even though I hadn’t fully forgiven his terrible, cold rejection. I missed his warmth and his familiar touch, so I decided to ponder our relationship later and just enjoy the peace of the morning in his arms.

The weekend was over before we quite realized it and the honk of a car horn woke us to the reality of Monday. Blake and Fabio had rented a silvery Land Rover and packed it full of hiking gear. Peering out of the window, I saw them leap out of the big car with agility and stand on the yard in their new outdoor clothes. In their black windstopper wear they looked like dangerous military men rather than harmless hikers, and their dark grey woolen hats made them appear even less tame even though they were intended to convey the idea that they often spent a day in leisurely pursuits in the great outdoors.

I glanced at the clock and noticed it was only half past seven. Clarissa would have a fit. The first thing these men would have to learn was that Clarissa truly wasn’t an early riser. David was already on his way to wake Clarissa up, so I went to ask the men what plans they’d made for the day. I wrapped myself in my old, blue-striped dressing gown, thrust my feet in soft slippers, and went outside. The cold autumn air made my skin rise in goosebumps and my eyes water, and I wondered what Clarissa would have ahead of her.

They nodded, satisfied. I was not at all sure that a cold trip by boat to the Murder Cliff and climbing there corresponded to Clarissa’s idea of a date. On the other hand, I had difficulty imagining the seemingly matter-of-fact Blake and the calm Fabio climbing the cliffs as icy drizzle drenched them and cold wind penetrated their new clothes, chilling them. I sighed and called for Daniel and Gavin.

“You had best take my brothers along,” I said with resignation.

Blake gave Fabio a stern look but said nothing. They had agreed to our terms and I had the right to assign members of our pack to the meetings. I didn’t really think this one would last long, as the weather was becoming more miserable and Clarissa was unlikely to want to spend time in a cold boat or on a stark islet, soaking wet. But since the men had decided that was exactly what Clarissa needed, I couldn’t object. They would notice soon enough what Clarissa liked and what she didn’t like.

It hadn’t been more than two hours when the muddy Land Rover returned. An angry Clarissa banged the car door shut and marched inside without a backward glance. I shrugged apologetically at the men and they left, looking abashed. The entire week passed similarly. In the morning two eager young men would show up outside our house, and in the afternoon Clarissa would march home in dudgeon. We all found ourselves waiting for Sunday and when it finally came we sat in the living room in subdued spirits.

“Why?” Clarissa repeated. “Mathanan and Ciall are wolves, too, and they can still interact with humans and do the things humans do.”

“Mathanan and Ciall have spent so much time among humans that they’re familiar with human ways and preferences, but these strange he-wolves have taken human forms for your sake. They may look like humans but they can’t behave like humans.”

“Do you mean they’ve never been humans until now?” Marie asked.

“No. I’m certain they’ve taken human form from time to time, but they’ve never really had to be humans. Not for this length of time at least. This is extremely difficult for them,” I explained, looking at the sulking Clarissa with concern.

“But I don’t want us to help them,” Clarissa said stubbornly.

“I don’t think we have much choice,” I said. “If news of this reaches the elders, as I’m certain it will, they wouldn’t accept our decision if we didn’t give our visitors a real chance to get to know you and let you get to know them. We’ll have to revise the rules,” I said dejectedly.

We sat quite still, each in our own thoughts. Ciall was holding Clarissa’s hand and I knew that for a fleeting moment he had dared hope that Clarissa would send the other males away, giving him a chance to court her. That wouldn’t happen, though, and Ciall saw the answer to his question in my eyes. I had to call the males to a meeting. I sent them a reluctant summons and I knew that by nightfall we’d be sitting in our living room again, thinking of new clauses for our contract. I knew my pack didn’t want the strangers here, but I was bound by customs and etiquettes that had been in force for centuries. I also knew they knew this, but they’d still hoped I’d find a way to circumvent the established practice. Unfortunately, though, no hocus-pocus would help here. We would have to help the he-wolves even if they didn’t want our assistance.

I decided to go out to air my thoughts and think on the best way to deal with the upcoming negotiations. The autumn wind had blown our driveway full of leaves and I waded in yellow and red leaves of maple and birch, head bowed and hands thrust deep into the pockets of my coat. No-one had offered to go with me, as they all knew I wouldn’t make for cheerful company right now. Quite unwittingly I found my steps leading me to the Seita stone. The rain had made a small pond around the stone, but I managed to wade through without getting too waterlogged. The sun hadn’t been seen for the whole week and even now I felt small drops of water falling from the branches, wetting me slightly. Luckily there wasn’t much wind, as the air was already cool and even though I was irked, I had no inclination to sit on a wet stone in the middle of the woods, battered by downpour and gale.

I felt how the stone calmed my thoughts. I let the stillness of the forest fill my mind and enjoyed the peaceful sounds of nature around me. I pulled my coat tighter around me and lay down on the soft moss on the stone. The sky was entirely shrouded in a grey curtain of clouds. I closed my eyes and allowed my senses to enjoy the moment. I lay unmoving on the stone for several hours and only when I felt a cold trickle of water running along my neck and down my shirt did I stir. My mind was refreshed and I now knew with clarity what I would have to do.

I started homeward along the footpath and even before I’d reached our driveway I knew that everyone was assembled and waiting for me. I stepped in, accompanied by a cold gust of autumnal forest. I stood in the doorway like a fallen angel, dripping water, anger in my eyes. I directed my flaming glare at the visitors.

“I didn’t think you had,” I said dryly. “You need to learn human ways before we can go further. I want to change the terms and I hope you understand that it will be for your good,” I glared angrily at the men.

“I want you to have a real chance at wooing Clarissa and at this rate you’ll never succeed. Joshua and Jonas are the only ones who are even remotely close to the right track. However, I’m not convinced that taking Clarissa to the disco and scaring the other boys out of their wits if they so much as look at her is the best way to spend a Friday night,” I looked insistently at Joshua and Jonas.

“You need to learn to behave like human boys and forget the manners of wolves for a while, if you mean to have any chance of winning this competition.”

Joshua at least had the sense to look remorseful, but Jonas met my eyes without flinching. I sighed. This would obviously be much harder than I’d thought.

“You will spend the remainder of September and all of October in the nearby town. You’ll get to know humans. Observe them and their manners. Spend time with youngsters. Then we’ll resume the meetings.”

“What of the girl?” Igor growled.

“You may see Clarissa whenever and with whomever you wish, but I have the right to call off the meetings if you don’t behave properly or if you insult Clarissa,” I sighed.

A shocked silence followed my words and then everyone started talking. Clarissa in anger, my pack in irritation, and the strangers in flabbergasted excitement. I felt a headache pounding the back of my skull.

“Quiet,” Tiamhaidh growled. “Sofia has the right to decide and we must accept her decision and trust her. That goes for you, too, Clarissa,” Tiam said with a hint of reproach.

“This will mean a lot of work for the pack for the time being and I’m sorry about that, but I warn you that if any single member of our pack thinks you do not suit Clarissa, I may remove you from the game immediately.”

“Now you will let your landlords know you’ll be staying longer than you intended, and you will start merging with humans. Clarissa is going back to school tomorrow and the rest of us will get to our own jobs, with the exception that one of us will always be with Clarissa. You will call her and set up dates, and as for the rest, we will see.”

“Very well,” the men muttered and left one by one.

Two weeks passed quickly and we didn’t really see the visitors except for a quick glimpse from time to time. One of them might wait for Clarissa after school and bring her home, and a few times we ran into them in the mall, but otherwise the men kept out of our way. We began to wonder if they had given up and left town until Clarissa’s phone started ringing almost without pause. She agreed to movies, disco nights, riding expeditions, burger meals, dinners at restaurants, and cruises. Soon I heard her say her calendar was full for the time being.

Clarissa had gained a remarkable amount of new friends and her closest friends were irritated by this. The interest of handsome men towards Clarissa had launched the vultures and the other girls were ready to settle for Clarissa’s leftovers. Even a small portion of the magnificent males would have sufficed and finally Tiamhaidh had to interfere. He shooed the surplus of girls away from Clarissa and also persuaded her closest friends to back off a bit and allow Clarissa some peace. David was on the verge of losing his head. The mere thought of Adam gave him the creeps, but Adam was far away and these young men tried the strangest tricks to win Clarissa’s favor and were ready to do just about anything for one smile of her lips, let alone for a kiss. Fortunately there would be a disco at the school the following Friday and we would all go there, some of us as supervisors and others to enjoy the young people’s company.

Clarissa was dressed in tight black pants and a loose, natural-white shirt that left her back bare almost to the waist. She had tied her honey-blonde hair up in a disheveled bun and shadowed her eyes in a dusky shade. David had to stay home, as he’d have strangled any boy who so much as glanced at Clarissa. He couldn’t bear even the thought of some young fellow gluing himself to Clarissa and pawing at her lewdly, let alone the thought of one of the boys managing to kiss her.