Wolf Lake (Werewolf / Shifter Romance) (2 page)

Then De Fray hurried off and waved to me on the way by. I waved back and looked to the neighboring cabin, but the men had gone inside. Their lights were turned on, reminding me that if I didn't want to bump into a priceless antique I'd need to get my own lights clicked. I returned to the cabin, but was so tired I bagged the idea of the lights and went to bed.

The morning sun shown into my room and into my face. I scrunched up my face and buried it beneath a pillow, but my internal alarm clock shooed sleep away and told me it was time to wake up. I sighed and raised my head to look at the clock I'd brought. Seven in the morning. Sometimes I really hated myself.

I slipped out of bed, realized the temperature was just a smidge above freezing and a little below cool, and wrapped myself in the lowest bed sheet. I shuffled into the kitchen, put a pot of coffee on the machine, and sat down to contemplate the woodwork in the table until my wake-up juice was ready. There were two windows in the dining room, one at the front of the house and the other on the right side. I sat at the head of the table with my back to the kitchen and noticed the curtains were drawn and the front window had a good view of the road.

A figure strode down the road toward the men's cabin. He was a handsome man of about thirty-five with dark black hair and a clean-shaven face. The man walked with a confident gate and wore a dark ensemble of a t-shirt, pants and shoes. The road was about thirty-yards from the window and I sat ten feet from the front of the cabin, but the man paused and stared inside and straight at me. He smiled and waved at me. I sheepishly smiled and gave a weak wave back, and he thankfully walked onward. I'd just met the mystery man in the neighboring cabin.

My coffee was ready and after breakfast I dressed for an exploration of the lake. I stepped outside and inwardly groaned when I noticed Mrs. De Fray hurry toward me. She always seemed to be in a rush to talk to everyone.

"Good morning, Miss Stevens! I have no doubt you slept well on our quiet lake," she greeted me.

"Like a log," I replied.

De Fray's eyes flitted over to the neighboring cabin and she lowered her voice. "Did you happen to see our handsome gentlemen in the Campbell cabin?"

"I did notice them last night. Do they own it?" I wondered.

"Oh yes. The Campbell family has owned that cabin since before any of the others were built. The dark-haired gentleman, his name is William Campbell, he's the current owner and comes up here for some quiet time away from his traveling. He arrived here a few days ago and plans on staying for at least the month."

"So his business takes him away a lot?" I guessed.

De Fray laughed. "No, my dear. Will is quite rich. He hardly needs to lift a finger and he makes millions. No, he spends his time traveling. I've heard he's had quite his share of adventures in Africa and Eastern Europe."

"So he doesn't come here much?" I asked her.

"Once every few years, but this is the first time he's come around for our annual party, at least since he was a boy." She squealed and clapped her hands. "It will be such fun to have him among the ladies. He's quite the charmer, and his companion is very polite. The most regal servant I've ever seen. I asked Will where I might find one and he said only in the deepest parts of Eastern Europe. You see, the companion's a foreigner, a Mr. Dmitri Vuk. Isn't that such a funny name?"

"A very unusual last name," I agreed.

"Well, I must be off. There are other friends to see and so much to plan for the party. Oh, before I forget." She pulled a slip of paper from her purse and handed it to me. "The itinerary for the party. Ta-ta!" She gave her farewell and scampered off.

I glanced at the paper and saw it had the date and time for the picnic party along with what was being served. I was pleasantly surprised to find that hot dogs and other summer fare would be served along with a side dish of caviar and wine for drink. There was something about a wolf hunt that intrigued me, but there weren't any particulars that told me what it entailed. I pocketed the paper and walked to the road. The road led left and right, and I decided on the left. It would lead me past the Campbell cabin, and I was curious to catch a better glimpse of my neighbors.

I leisurely strode by the cabin and caught my first look at the front. There was a small step in front of an old wooden door, and I could see the rock foundation disappeared into the dirt. Like my cabin there were windows looking out on the road, but the heavy curtains were closed. The car was parked in the driveway, but I didn't see anyone around the front or back. The cabin had a dock much like mine, but narrower and older. An oar-powered boat sat in the water with the rope wrapped around a post connected to the dock. I was disappointed not to see anyone, but I had other sights to see.

Chapter 3

The road wound its way leisurely around the lake and I with it. The weather was warm now, but the trees provided shade and a cool breeze swept off the lake and refreshed the air. All the cabins were occupied, some with couples, but others with children. Their toys were strewn about the yards, but the day was too early for them to be prancing around just yet.

In an hour I reached the public park behind the rules sign. There were a few people setting a boat into the water for some morning fishing and others sat at the picnic tables that dotted the grass. Thick-trunked old pine trees provided shade as I strode down to the water. On the right side of the large dock was a roped off beach for families to enjoy the water without fear of boats knocking into them.

I stood at the edge of the water, closed my eyes, and wrapped my arms around myself. The cool breeze of the lake brushed over me like a soft lover's kiss and the corner's of my mouth twitched up in a smile of contentment. Maybe I wouldn't be killing my boss after all. In fact, I wouldn't mind stay there all summer enjoying the view, the smells, and even the neighbors. Alas, my food stock wouldn't last that long and my vacation was only for two weeks.

"It's a magnificent view, isn't it?" My eyes shot open and I turned my head to find the dark-haired gentleman standing beside me. His gaze looked out on the lake, but he turned and smiled at me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," he apologized.

"I-I wasn't startled," I stuttered. He raised an eyebrow, and I shrugged. "I guess I was a little startled," I admitted.

He held out his hand. "William Campbell. I've been told we're to be neighbors for two weeks." Thanks, Mrs. De Fray.

"Grace Stevens," I returned, and shook his head. He had a tough grip for a playboy. Must have worked out a lot. "So what brings you to the lake around this time?"

He chuckled. "I see Mrs. De Fray is as good at telling others about me as she is at telling me about others."

"She didn't give too many specifics. I don't know your weight and height," I teased.

"Five-eleven, and one-hundred and eighty," he told me.

I nodded approvingly. "Not bad, but you still haven't answered my question."

"I see you know how to focus," he commented.

"It's a useful skill when you're juggling eight different tasks at the same time for the president of a large company," I pointed out.

"If you must know, I thought I'd see the festivities. I haven't been to the annual celebration in quite a few years, and wondered if it had changed much," he revealed.

"Is it really that exciting?" I asked him.

"It can be with the fireworks, and of course the Wolf Hunt the day after," he replied.

I furrowed my brow. That was mentioned in the pamphlet. "Wolf hunt? Are there still wolves around here?" I wondered.

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, not anymore. I remember my father telling me about them, but the last time one was seen was forty years ago. The Wolf Hunt is a reminder of the days when the wolves were thick and people used to hunt them for their pelts. It's a sort of hide-and-seek game played at sunset. Anyone can join, and six people volunteer to be the Hunters. The others are the wolves, and they hide in the woods above the road close to our cabins. When everyone is ready the Hunters comb the woods looking for the wolves, and tag them. When a wolf is tagged they lose and join the spectators on the road. The last wolf to be tagged is the winner."

"And very lonely. What's a wolf to do without a mate?" I mused.

His eyes brushed over me and there was a strange glint in them. "What, indeed? To be the last wolf would be very lonely, but the game can be played several times, so long as it isn't too dark when the last game finishes," he replied.

"It sounds like fun. Maybe I'll join in," I commented.

"As a Hunter or a Wolf?" he wondered.

I shrugged. "Maybe I'll try both sides just to see what each one is thinking," I suggested.

He smiled. "A very philosophical answer."

"It's more fun if you try everything, anyway," I pointed out.

Campbell chuckled. "You have a very interesting view of the world. It's a pity more don't have it," he complimented me.

I glanced past him and grinned. "I think Mrs. De Fray would be willing to try being a Hunter. She's pretty good at tracking down everyone on the lake." Campbell followed my gaze and sighed. Mrs. De Fray was headed straight for us from her car parked in the parking lot near the fork. She wore a large sunbonnet and thick sunglasses, and had a long cigarette clenched between her fingers.

"How funny! I was just looking for both of you, and here you are!" she greeted us.

"Good morning, Mrs. De Fray," Campbell returned.

She wrinkled her nose and waved her hand. "None of that formality, Will. I've known you too long to have you call me Mrs. De Fray. It's Olivia to you, and to you, too, Miss Stevens," she added as she turned to me. "Besides, Mrs. De Fray makes me feel older, and I'm hardly past fifty." She looked well over sixty.

Will bowed his head to her. "Very well, Olivia."

"That's better." She paused and frowned. "Now why did I come here? Oh yes! With your two cabins being the closest to the Wolf Hunt area I was wondering if you two could help set up the perimeters." She leaned toward me and giggled. "Has this flirtatious rascal told you about the Wolf Hunt?"

"He has," I told her.

"Good, now I'm sure you'll accept my plea for help," she replied.

"I'd be delighted," Campbell accepted. They both turned to me.

"Sure, I can help," I agreed.

Olivia clapped her hands. "Wonderful!" She reached into her purse and pulled out a small bundle of colored flags on metal rods and a piece of paper. "These need to be placed along the border, and here's the map for where we want them put." I took the flags and Campbell took the map.

Campbell opened it and looked over the area. He raised an eyebrow and glanced over the map at Olivia. "This is quite large," he commented.

Olivia smiled and nodded. "Yes, we have quite a few families attending this year and we want to make sure everyone has a good hiding spot."

I leaned toward Campbell and inspected the map. The square area was about the size of four football fields. "I hope I won't get lost," I joked.

Olivia laughed. "Nonsense! Not with Will here. Why, when he was a young lad he used to go out for hours wandering the woods. Said he felt more at home in the trees than in the cabin."

"I just liked climbing," Campbell protested.

"Well, don't go putting any of the flags in the trees. We need them on the ground where everyone can see them," she scolded. She glanced at her watch and gasped. "Look at the time! I have to see how the ladies are doing on their dishes!"

"Dishes?" I asked her.

"For the picnic dinner. We have a few volunteers making the salads and such. Nothing big. The men have the big job of cooking the hamburgers and hot dogs," Olivia explained. "Now if you will excuse me I must see how they're all doing. Ta-ta!" She hurried off to oversee the operations.

I glanced down at the bundle of flags in my hand, and then up at the man by my side. "I hope you still know your way around the place," I commented.

He smiled and shrugged. "I guess we'll see," he returned.

I frowned. "That doesn't give me comfort."

"I'm afraid it doesn't make me feel very comfortable, either, but if we should get lost I offer myself as emergency rations," he told me.

I looked him up and down. He was well-built with a lot of muscle and not much fat. "I think you'd be a little chewy," I told him.

He chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment, but shall we start placing the flags? If the brush is thick this might take a while."

We made our way back to our side of the lake. There was silence between us for a while, and I took the opportunity to cast glances at the handsome dark man. "You're not used to talking with men, are you?" he asked me.

I blushed and stared at the ground. "I don't really have too much experience in idle chat with them," I admitted.

"Then maybe I should start the conversation. Olivia told me you are the secretary for Alfred Trimble. How do you like working for him?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "It's a living."