Bearly Holding On (6 page)

Awen giggled and kissed him deeply. She sucked on the tip of his tongue and a low growl settled in Mati’s chest. He pulled her hips harder into his, enjoying the pressure created by her grinding on his lap. Her hands began to wander downwards, lightly brushing the button of his jeans.

Mati stopped her. “Not like this.”

“I trust you, Mati,” she said softly, kissing him again.

He nearly let her continue unbuttoning his pants. His control slipped ever so slightly when she bit his bottom lip and pressed her chest flat against his—but in the end Mati had to do what was right.

He pinned her arms to her sides and gave her a stern look. “Awen,” he chided. “I don’t know what would happen. I’ll find the end of this curse and, when I do, I will love you for a lifetime and more.”

With that, Mati planted a brief but tender kiss on Awen’s lips.

The mention of the “L” word, however indirect, erased all her frustration, and she assented to move back over to her seat. She reached forward to turn the key but froze when she heard a long, terrifying howl. She flicked on the headlights, a shiver running down her spine when the light came to rest on the large figure of a wolf about twenty feet away.

“Oh no,” Awen whispered. She furiously turned the key. The engine turned over but wouldn’t start. She looked over at Mati.

He was staring straight forward, leveling his gaze at the wolf with all the ferocity he was able to exhibit. His eyes glowed a dull yellow, and his lips curled back into a snarl. “That’s the bastard that bit me.” He reached for the door handle. “I’ll take care of him!”

“No!” Awen cried, reaching over to grab his arm. “Look! There are at least five of them.”

Mati had been so focused on the wolf in their headlights that he hadn’t noticed the others circling the vehicle. He looked toward the large wolf again, who snapped his maw challengingly.

“I’ll heal,” Mati said gruffly. “This needs to be taken care of.”

“Mati!” she chided again. “I won’t heal, and if one of them jumps in when you open the door I’m toast.”

He knew she was right. “Get the car started.”

Awen wrenched the key forward again and again. Still, the car wouldn’t start. The wolves began to make their approach.

The large wolf jumped onto the hood of the Jeep, scratching at the windshield. His hot breath fogged the outside of the glass. Awen turned the key again, her hope beginning to fizzle out.

The wolf was jumping on the windshield by then, pounding his massive paws against it and rocking the whole car. Awen gave up on the key; she leaned over Mati to pull her gun from the glove compartment. She cocked it just as the first cracks began to appear on the glass.

Awen turned to Mati. “What are we going to do?”

His expression was steel. “Keep trying.”

Awen could tell that it was taking everything in him not to leave the car and shift, but the wolves were too close. If he opened the door they would both be vulnerable.

She went to turn the key again when she heard a crack; the large wolf had managed to crack through the windshield.

Awen screamed as Mati put an arm out to protect her from the paw that had come through the broken window. He wrenched the wolf’s leg down against the jagged glass and she heard a howl of pain. The leg retreated but the wolf began to pounce again. The hole began to get larger.

Awen still turned the key; it was the only thing she knew how to do anymore. She clutched the gun in one hand and the key in the other, relentlessly turning and turning again. The engine sounded so close to starting—they were a breath away from getting out of there.

Suddenly the wolf’s face plunged through the windshield, snapping his jaw. Awen leaned back as far as she could, feeling its acrid breath on her face as it wormed further and further inside the car.

Mati punched the wolf across the side of the face and it turned to him. He went to hit it again but it sunk its teeth into his arm, shaking its head viciously as it tore into the skin. Mati let out an anguished cry but managed to pull his arm free and, at the same time, bury a piece of jagged glass in the wolf’s eye.

It yipped in pain and backed out of the car, leaping down from the hood. There was a single howl and suddenly the wolves were gone. The forest was quiet again.

Awen turned to Mati. “Are you okay?” she asked desperately.

He held up his hand for her to inspect. She watched as the torn skin stitched together, leaving new pink skin that slowly faded to his natural skin tone. “I’m fine,” he said gruffly. “What about you, are you hurt?”

“Nothing that a stiff drink won’t fix.” She smiled reassuringly. “Do you think they’re gone?”

As if in answer there was a knock on the driver’s side window. Awen jumped in fright, only to realize it was just a man. Not just any man—it was Chief Enyeto. Mati immediately bristled.

Awen rolled down the window. “Chief Enyeto?” she questioned. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard there was trouble with wolves in the area,” he answered. “Having car trouble?”

“Obviously,” Awen noted. “And it looks like you are too, seeing as we’re in the middle of nowhere and you don’t have one.” Just then Awen noticed that his right eye was in the process of changing from a milky grey to its normal color of brown. Like it was healing.

Enyeto noticed the change in her demeanor and smirked. “I told you what happens when you back a wolf into a corner, Awenasa,” he drawled. His eyes began to glow. “You should have left it alone.”

“I’m not afraid of you.” She stuck her chin out in defiance. She could hear Mati undoing his seatbelt to get out of the car but she put a hand out to stop him.

“That’s what your boss said.” Enyeto grinned menacingly. “Right before me and the boys ripped his throat out.”

Awen noticed that the smaller wolves had re-emerged from the darkness. They padded around the car but didn’t attempt to enter. Just about then, she had had enough of Enyeto.

“Put your hands up, dirtbag,” she growled, lifting her gun at him.

Enyeto simply backed away slowly, his smile never faltering. “He’ll leave a bloody mess and disappear into the night,” he reminded. His wolves gathered in front of him.

“Take one more step and I’ll shoot!” Awen warned.

“Go ahead, Awenasa,” he told her brightly. “I can promise you, this isn’t the last time you’ll see me.”

In what seemed a seamless transition, Enyeto shifted into a large silver wolf and bounded off into the night. Awen was too shocked to fire—not that it wouldn’t do any good. Not against Enyeto.

“He’s a werewolf,” she squeaked, turning to Mati. “Holy shit.”

Neither Awen or Mati heard anything from Enyeto in the following days. Awen had sent her car to be fixed, claiming that the copious amount of blood and the cracked windshield were the product of an unfortunate run-in with an elk. It turned out that the oxygen sensor cables had been torn out, and she couldn’t help but think if she hadn’t stopped to make out with Mati she would have never been in such a mess. Although, remembering those hot moments made her wonder if it was, perhaps, worth it.

She pulled up to the end of the road to Mati’s place, making sure to grab her gun before she hopped down from the Jeep and set off into the woods. When she emerged into the clearing around Mati’s cabin, he was waiting for her.

His expression was soft, and he came to envelop her in a hug. “How did it go?” he murmured into the top of her head.

Awen squeezed him harder. “It was awful,” she sniffled. “It was a closed casket, but I got to see the body beforehand. He was unrecognizable.”

Mati nearly shook with rage, but he attempted to keep a level head so that he could best comfort her.

“Is there any evidence to place it on that sick mother fu—”

“No,” she interrupted. She pulled back from the hug and kicked a nearby rock. “None. Despite the fact that he was lured out of his car, they couldn’t find any evidence of foul play. The report concluded that it was just a wolf attack.”

“I’m sorry,” Mati offered, wrapping her in another warm hug.

She settled her head against his chest. “They want me to take a few days off. I think I’m going to take them up on it.”

Mati rubbed her back. “I think that’s a good idea. What will you do?”

“I’ve been meaning to spend more time with my parents, and the festival is coming up,” she said. “And it’ll give me some time to think about what the hell we’re going to do about this Enyeto business.” She looked up at Mati and couldn’t help but smile.

His dark eyes were peering down at her, filled with a combination of worry and affection. He leaned down to her, meeting her lips with his.

Awen dug her fingers into the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer to her. She deepened the kiss, needing that comfort.

Mati pulled back before her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear tenderly. “Let’s go see your parents,” he said. “Your mother made me promise I’d bring you by today. She came up yesterday with a basket of food.”

Awen smirked. It delighted her that he and her parents talked when she wasn’t around. She was also highly amused by the mental image of her mom hiking up there, lugging a basket and cursing every stone that got in her way.

They arrived at her parents’ house about an hour later. Aiyana greeted them on the porch, though when Awen bounced out of the car to hug her she saw that her mother’s expression was grim.

“You should come inside,” Aiyana said quietly, pulling her daughter into a tight hug. “There was another wolf attack last night.”

“Is everyone…” The look in Aiyana’s eyes caused Awen to trail off.

She shook her head sadly. “We lost Wematin.”

Awen reached for Mati’s hand. “Dad’s best friend?” she asked mournfully. “How is he?”

“Baying for blood,” Aiyana said. “He wants a war. Nobody else can know what we know about Enyeto, but I don’t know what else we can do.”

Awen said no more. Her and Mati entered the house, Aiyana trailing behind.

Her father was sitting at the dining room table, cleaning his gun. He made no acknowledgement of her entrance.

“Father?”

He kept cleaning.

Aiyana put a hand on Mati’s arm and led him over to the sitting room. Awen and her father needed their space.

“I’m sorry about Wematin,” Awen said, trying once more to get him to talk to her.

He didn’t even look up.

“We’re going to get Enyeto for this,” she assured. “He won’t hurt anyone else.”

“You’re damned sure he won’t.” Her father’s strangled voice nearly startled Awen. In one swift movement he had put the pieces of his gun back together, made sure it was loaded, and was headed towards the door.

“Wait!” Awen called after him, running out onto the porch. “Where are you going?”

Mati and Aiyana followed them outside but stayed back.

Keme turned to her, meeting her eyes for the first time that day. They were filled with anguish. “I just put a friend to rest!” he cried. “A brother! It’s time for me to make things right.”

“Father, he will kill you,” she warned lowly. “He’s a goddamn werewolf.”

“She’s right, sir,” Mati said, stepping forward. “I know you’re angry. I am too. But I’m the only one who can put an end to this.”

Keme threw his hands in the air in frustration. “Then end it!” he cried. “Or are you too busy trying to shack up with my daughter?”

Mati bowed his head in shame.

As Aiyana went over to scold her husband, Awen crept up to Mati and took his hand.

“He didn’t mean it,” she comforted. “He’s grieving.”

“He’s right though,” Mati conceded. “I’ve been so preoccupied with you...and a man has been murdered.” He stepped forward to the Chief.

Keme had tears in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I’m...it’s been a tough week. You’ve done so much for us. I shouldn’t take it out on you.”

“There are no words for the loss you have suffered.” Mati held out his arm to the Chief and looked him straight in the eye.

Keme gripped Mati’s forearm.

“I swear on my honor as a man,” Mati continued, “I will deliver vengeance on your behalf. He will not harm anyone else.”

“Make him feel the wrath of my people,” Keme whispered lowly. He squeezed Mati’s arm. “Let him feel my anger as a father, and as a brother. See to it, my son.”

Awen’s eyes widened. “What’s going on?”

“Protect Awenasa in my absence,” Mati said, ignoring her. “She is my heart and my home.” He turned to walk away.

Awen ran after him, clinging to his arm. “You can’t go!” she urged. “You can’t do this alone!”

He turned and kissed her deeply, holding her face in his large hands with a tenderness that shook Awen to her core. “I am not alone,” he breathed, running his fingers through her hair. “As long as your heart beats I will never be alone.”

And then he was gone. He jogged off into the forest before Awen had a chance to say anything else to him. A great roar resounded through the woods.

Mati’s bear was headed to what might be his final battle.