She hurried them both to the cabin. Needing to get them both warm and dry, she used her balled up clothes to break a window and unlatch the door. She would owe Alice Black a new window pane, but she doubted the woman would mind. She wrapped them both in blankets and retrieved an ancient first aid kit from under the kitchen sink to treat Gealach’s wounds as best she could. She had scratches on her knees from falling down and her palms were scraped raw from the rough bark of the branch she’d wielded, but otherwise Maggie was fairly certain she was simply in shock. They spent the night curled up together, awake and wary.
Maggie watched in awe at sunrise as the blue mist appeared and the air sizzled. She’d never watched him shift back into man. She always awoke in his arms. She fell into them now. Neither mentioned the argument from the day before. Not then or when they’d patched up the cabin window as best they could. Maggie averted her eyes when they passed the blood-drenched scene and the two bodies’ nature had already claimed. In silence, they walked home wrapped only in the blankets they’d commandeered.
While Aidan showered, Maggie took the home pregnancy test. While he shaved, she watched the little pink positive sign fill the urine-soaked window. She hid it in her underwear drawer when he entered the room and they dressed in eerie silence before climbing into the truck. Maggie drove, as the bites on Aidan’s right arm resumed bleeding every time he moved it, and finally broke the ice.
“We should get our story straight now. The easiest explanation is the truth, but leaving Gealach out, of course. We had an argument. I went for a walk in the woods to cool off and I got lost. I got attacked by a small pack of wild wolves, you got to me just in time, and we killed two, but you got injured in the process. We cleaned up in the stream and hid out in the Blacks cabin ’til morning just in case the final wolf came back.” Aidan nodded but didn’t look at her.
“You realize, Maggie, Gealach killed the leader, too.” It was Maggie’s turn to nod and stare straight ahead. “You realize last night is exactly the reason why we shouldn’t be together. As long as we are, you’ll be in danger.”
Maggie resisted the urge to punch him and retorted instead, her voice full of the anger she felt, “You’re an asshole. I was just thinking that I keep endangering you and you keep saving my stupid ass from one near fatal encounter after another. You realize that when news of this gets out, the fanatics are going to return.”
“That’s the least of our worries, Maggie.” He reached for her hand, but she ignored him and they finished the trip to town, close together in the truck but worlds apart. Maggie pulled into the parking lot next to the doctor’s office and ran around to the passenger side intending to help Aidan out. He shook off her attempts and Maggie dropped her hands. He gingerly stepped down — his left leg was badly bitten, too — and started to limp toward the handicap ramp, Maggie following behind. Before they’d made it to the office door, Betty Barnes ran up to them.
“Oh my God, thank goodness you are both alright. When we heard the news this morning, we just knew it had to have been you, Maggie, though God only knows what you were doing out alone in the woods that late.” Maggie’s blood ran cold as she considered the woman, only one word coming to mind: How? The woman just continued to ramble.
“These two boys — well men I guess since they’re in their twenties I imagine, but when you get to be my age twenty-five-year-olds look like boys — anyway, they were out camping in the woods last night, not far from Jake Black’s cabin, smoking that marijuana if you ask me. And they saw this woman get attacked by three wolves. They said they were just getting ready to step in when this large gray came out of nowhere and started fighting off two of the pack, while the woman killed the third herself. Finally it was just down to two, the biggest of the pack and the gray hero left fighting over the woman. They said the woman ran down the hill and out of sight. Then the two remaining wolves started coming toward them and they hightailed it out of there. Drove straight to Jimmy’s Bar and told everybody all about it.” Betty stopped to breathe.
“Everybody figured they were stoned and just scared themselves stupid, but when they described the woman, everybody thought of you, Maggie. And then they pulled out their camera phone — the picture is too dark to see anything and it’s real shaky; those boys were scared — and when they weren’t whispering to each other, you can hear the fighting in the background. Frightening to listen to, I heard it twice already this morning.” She stopped, staring at them both wide-eyed with curiosity.
“Aidan and I had an argument last night and I went off on my own into the woods to sulk but got lost. A pack of wild wolves found me and probably would’ve had quite the meal if another alpha hadn’t jumped in and challenged the leader. I fought one off and ran like hell toward the Blacks’ cabin.” Maggie adjusted their cover story, inserting Gealach instead. Aidan, the smoother liar, took up the thread from there.
“I was already out there searching for Maggie. When I heard her screaming, I just started running. And ran right into the battle between the two alpha males; I got bit up pretty good. I must have just missed those boys. I followed the blood trail and found Maggie at the cabin. We hid out there ’til daybreak. I’d like to know why those two saw fit to record Maggie getting attacked by wolves rather than try to help her.”
Betty Barnes smiled. “Not everyone is as heroic as you are, Aidan Gael. Or as prone to attract trouble as Maggie is. Well, I’ll let you guys go get checked out by the doctor; you both look pretty torn up. Call if you need anything.” Maggie shook her head as the little old woman scurried away to scoop her friends.
“The whole town will have our version over breakfast before you’re patched up, baby.” She opened the door for him and Aidan smiled at her, hesitantly. Maggie saw the uncertainty in his eyes, wrapped her arms around him, burrowed her face into his chest, and told him, “We’re going to be okay.”
He held her tightly with his uninjured arm and though his heart beating under her cheek was a comfort, Aiden’s silence ate at her. A matronly woman Maggie didn’t recognize coughed delicately, and they separated so she could pass. As soon as they entered the doctor’s office, the severity of his injuries got Aidan moved to the head of the line. If Maggie weren’t so torn up over the events of the last twenty-four hours, she’d have been amused by his obvious discomfort at the fuss the nurses were making.
As the doctor sewed up Aidan’s arm and leg, the nurse checked Maggie for lingering signs of shock and bandaged her ravaged hands.
“I know how the gossip mill in this town works — how good are you and the staff at protecting patient privacy?” Before the nurse could respond and lie, Maggie added, “Understanding, of course, that since I’m from the East Coast and a city girl at heart, my gut reaction to a breach of patient/doctor confidentiality is a medical malpractice lawsuit.”
“We always respect the privacy of our patients, Ms. O’Connell, the doctor wouldn’t have it any other way.” The glint of fear she saw in the nurse’s eye assured her that her privacy might actually get respected.
“I’ll need to see the doctor when Aidan is finished, make up a reason if needs be.” The nurse nodded and ran off. As Aidan was escorted back to the waiting room, Maggie passed him on her way back.
“What’s the matter? Are you hurt? I thought you were okay,” he asked. The nurse responded quickly, making it unnecessary for Maggie to lie.
“The doctor just wants to get a look at her hands, make sure there isn’t any sign of infection or foreign matter. She’ll be right out, Mr. Gael.”
“Thank you,” Maggie whispered as they continued back to the examination room. Later, at home, a prescription for prenatal vitamins and a referral to an obstetrician hiding in her underwear drawer with the positive pregnancy test, Maggie fixed breakfast for them both. Her mind was full of the fight, the baby, the distance between her and Aidan despite the hug they’d shared at the doctor’s door, and she burned the eggs twice. She was just starting a third batch when the doorbell sounded.
Maggie shut everything off and hurried through the house; she could hear Aidan talking to someone having obviously gotten to the door first. She saw Aidan as she turned the corner, then Sheriff Teague came into view and Maggie’s step faltered. Distance or not, she crossed directly to Aidan’s side, taking his hand in hers.
“Morning, sheriff.”
“Good morning, Miz O’Connell. Heard you two had some excitement out in the woods again last night and thought I’d come see how you were doing.”
“We’re good, a little banged up, but nothing serious. You want some coffee?” Aidan’s easy manner went a long way to calming Maggie. She wasn’t nearly as cool or as experienced a liar, something she’d have to get over and fast.
“No, I’m good, just ate a little bit ago myself. Before I ask you both about the events of last night, I’ll tell you I’ve heard what Betty’s telling folks and I’ve seen, or heard really, the video those two nitwits filmed on their phone. And I already had a conversation with Doc about your wounds, Aidan. I just need to confirm how things went down. The town’s planning on convening a meeting to decide if something needs to be done, and I’ll need to have the facts.”
“I’m sorry, sheriff, I’m not sure I understand. Done about what?” Maggie asked.
“Miz O’Connell, we’ve had two wolf attacks in the area lately. People are getting concerned. We’re considering putting together a couple hunting parties, see if we can’t either dwindle down the local wolf population or at least drive some of them further into the woods where there’s less likely to be hikers and the like.” Maggie wondered how much fear a body could take before it just gave up as a fresh wave of panic coursed through her.
“There’s no need for that, sheriff. It seems if I just stay out of the forest, problem solved.” Teague chuckled and Aidan squeezed her hand, whether to reassure or to caution her, she didn’t know.
“As for last night, I hear you guys had yourselves a little spat and Miz O’Connell took a walk to calm down but got lost. Is that right?”
“Yes. Sheriff, we told Betty Barnes all of this; I’m sure what you’ve heard is accurate.”
“I’m sure it is, Miz O’Connell, but I’ll need your statements anyway.”
“Okay. But please, call me Maggie.” She gripped Aidan’s hand tighter. “I realized I was getting close to Alice Black’s lands and sat down on a felled tree to rest for a minute, get my bearings, you know, decide whether I would be better off heading to their farm, the road, or back home. I heard something in the woods, I assumed it was Aidan coming to find me, but it was a small pack of wolves. I stood, the leader advanced on me, and I screamed for help. A lone wolf appeared and began fighting the larger of the two; I took a tree branch to the third. I … I killed it. Then I threw the branch at the wolves that were still fighting.
“I must have hit the leader, because he gave up the battle and turned on me. The latecomer attacked him mid-pounce. The final member of the pack was dead on the ground and with nothing standing between me and the path to the cabin, I bolted. I got down the hill and fell alongside the stream. That’s where Aidan found me.” She was visibly shaking.
“The big gray? It was protecting you?” Maggie stared at him, her expression intentionally blank until Teague explained, “Those boys said it looked like the big gray was trying to protect you. In fact, they said you screamed something weird and the animal came out of nowhere to stand between you and the pack.”
“Sheriff, I was screaming for help. And the gray was not protecting me. I thought they were fighting over,” she paused and shifted her gaze to the floor before she lied, “meat.” She shuddered and Teague looked at Aidan pointedly, obviously wanting to give Maggie a break.
“After Maggie had been gone for awhile, I started to worry and headed out to look for her. I’d gotten pretty far in and was considering turning around when I heard her scream. God, Ed, you’ve no idea how terrifying that was. All I could think was those men had come back. I started running as fast as I could toward the sound of her screams.” Aidan released her hand, wrapped an arm around her, and pulled her close. “Like an idiot, I ran straight into the fray between the two alphas. I got bit a couple times, but they were more interested in tearing into one another. I found a blood path, followed it past the wreckage and down the hill, where I found Maggie, blessedly unhurt but in shock.”
“I cleaned up Aidan’s wounds in the stream, and then I broke into Jake Black’s cabin where we holed up until daybreak. I’ll pay to have the window fixed.”
“Don’t worry about that now, Maggie. That tracks with what Betty told me and what those two knuckleheads saw. You must have just missed them, Aidan.”
“I was coming from home and I imagine they were headed toward the road. We were running in different directions from different locations. But I wouldn’t mind running into them now; cowards sat and videotaped Maggie getting attacked when they could have stopped it.”
“Aidan,” Maggie cautioned.
“No, Mags, don’t ‘Aidan’ me. It was probably their camp that drew the pack in the first place. And what would they have done had the leader torn your throat out and the three began feasting on you? Would they have taped that, too?” Maggie felt her gore rise and she ran from the room, her hand clamped over her mouth. She only barely made it into the bathroom and as she vomited, she silently thanked Sheriff Teague for interrupting breakfast. But for the grace of an official visit she would’ve been bringing up a full meal. She cleaned herself up, brushed her teeth, and rejoined them just in time to hear a tinny version of her voice scream, “Gealach!”
Maggie heard the choking sound but didn’t realize it had come from her until both men’s heads whipped her way. Teague quickly flipped his phone shut, essentially ending the video replay. Aidan leapt up, moving quickly to take her in his arms. He rubbed her back and whispered, “Okay, baby. It’s okay.”
“I’m sorry. I’m real sorry about that. I’ve got all I need and if I think of anything else, I’ll call. You both get some rest, you hear.” He walked over to Maggie and laid his meaty hand on her shoulder, gently rubbing. “You were very brave.”