The Last Shifter’s Baby

Halfway back, she decided to dig out her phone and call Maggie up in the front office. The man, Agent Wilson, hadn’t said a word to her since getting into the ATV, just stared. Coming to the conclusion that he was less likely to be FBI and more likely to be some sort of crazed serial killer, she decided he might be less likely to murder her if she were on the phone. Of course, she did have the strange black wolf that had apparently been following her around the habitat but with the way her morning had been going she wasn’t going to trust in anything. I hope Luke isn’t there waiting for me, she thought. She dialed the number with one hand, the other trying to keep them on the road.

It rang several times before Maggie answered, sounding breathless and frazzled, but that was how she normally sounded. “Hello?

“Hi, Maggie, it’s Rebecca. I was just calling to ask if you could radio one of the maintenance guys and ask them to meet me in front of the wolf habitat.” She said.

“Of course, I can. Why? We don’t have another breach in the fence, do we?” She asked, sounding worried.

“No, no, I just have-er-a guest that I need to have escorted off the premises. I’d do it but I’m supposed to be meeting Luke now.” She explained.

“A guest?” she asked, humming. “Is this an unwanted guest?” Rebecca glanced at the agent, trying to gauge whether or not he could hear Maggie’s loud voice over the phone, but he kept his expression cold and disinterested. “Yes.” she finally said.

“A hunter?” Maggie asked, all the warmth gone from her tone.

“I’m not sure, maybe? I’m sorry, Maggie, could you just radio someone? I’m almost to the gate.”

“Of course, of course. You be careful now. Oh! And stop by and see me in the office sometime. I’ll make you the best cup of coffee you’ve ever had.”

Rebecca smiled a little against the phone. “I will, bye Maggie, thanks.”

True to Maggie’s word, once Rebecca pulled through the gate there was a man, she vaguely recognized from maintenance waiting for them. She stopped the ATV but didn’t get out. “Hi, thanks for coming out of your way to do this.” She said but he was already shaking his head, looking sternly at the agent seated next to Rebecca.

“No need to thank me, Miss Rebecca.” He said.

“Just Rebecca, please, and make sure you see him all the way off the property.” She said and he nodded, waiting impatiently for the agent to pull himself out of the seat. If he was also intimidated by the shotgun, he didn’t show it.

Agent Wilson locked eyes with her. “I will be seeing you again.”

“Not unless you have a warrant…or a badge I can actually read.” She said and almost burst out laughing at the expression on his face. Obviously, he wasn’t used to being spoken to like that. He slung the shotgun across his shoulder and started walking without a word, a black trench coat flapping around his knees like an overgrown bat. The man from maintenance was quick to follow him out and when he was no longer in sight Rebecca let out a long rush of air. In all my life, I have never worked in a place with as much drama and danger as this one. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s making me go gray, she thought and absentmindedly touched her hair. That’s all my sister needs is one more thing to gloat over.

The drive back into the wolf habitat was much less tense and this time, she didn’t see the new wolf anywhere. When she arrived back at the clearing Luke was already there, sitting in his parked truck. She could see a holding cage in the back and knew the adult wolf was in there and knowing Luke, the pup was probably inside his truck with him. Just as she thought, when he got out, he was holding Henry in his arms, fingers scratching the scruff of his neck. She almost giggled as she took in his appearance, he looked rumpled, his clothes hanging off him in disarray and his hair tousled.

“Late morning?” she teased.

He grumbled a little. “Yes, ha-ha, I notice you’re quite a bit late too though. Want to explain that?”

She almost did, she almost told him everything that had happened to her this morning, but something stopped her. She didn’t know why but she felt like she should keep the encounter between the agent and herself a secret, at least for now. I doubt he was even a real agent. Maggie mentioned hunters on the phone, I bet he’s not the first local to break in and try to get one of our elk. She decided to keep quiet about it, just for now, she told herself. However, deep down, a little voice was telling her that she knew exactly why she didn’t want to tell him. She was afraid there would be some truth to Agent Wilson, that he really was after Luke, and that Luke was in trouble. She wanted to protect him from that if it was true, at least for now. It’s probably nothing anyway, she kept telling herself, just a hunter thinking he could sneak in and out without getting caught.

She smiled at Luke. “I got a little caught up with the new black wolf no one bothered to tell me about. Want to explain that?”