Early Sunday morning, Winifred left with her empty cookie plate and a truck bed full of metal. I leaned in the doorway, watching the taillights pass through the trees.
“What should we work on today?” Mary asked. I caught her upward glance and followed her gaze. A sky, dark with heavy clouds, promised a day of rain and storms.
That meant inside work. Ann and Mary had done a good job sewing yesterday. Ann had taken several pieces with her to her room last night to make things for the baby. Earlier, Leif had come to take breakfast back to her. She wasn’t feeling well.
“Sewing, I guess.” Not my favorite pastime. A rumble echoed across the clearing, and I retreated indoors. Sewing beat being soaked, though.
We’d barely made it to the table when a loud boom made us both jump. Seconds later, rain lashed at the main room’s window. Mary and I looked at each other. Anton had only managed to repair a few more windows on the second floor with the salvaged glass. Casements that had once held broken shards, a partial barrier against the elements, were now completely empty thanks to our repair efforts.
Rain whipped through the air from the east, the direction of the clearing. We ran from the room to start checking windows. The intensity of the deluge brought a concerning amount of water through the moderate openings in more than a dozen rooms.
“We should have boarded them,” Mary said, eyeing the growing puddles on the floor.
I looked at the water and then tilted my head to look at the boards above. Drips of water fell from the ceiling of the room in which we stood. A little rain wouldn’t hurt the wood too much the first time, but I recalled the already sagging porch and wondered how many times rain had already soaked this wood. How long until it turned rotten? We couldn’t take chances like this.
Winifred had left me with thirty dollars from the items they’d brought to town. That made a total of forty-three dollars in my possession. It wasn’t enough to replace the boards in this place if they all went bad at once.
“It’s not too late to board the windows down here,” I said. “But I don’t think we can do anything about the second floor.”
“Winifred is listening to her radio. The storm should pass in a few hours.
The wind howled outside, and further down the hallway a door banged shut. Above the noise, I heard someone call my name.
“Here,” I called back.
Anton found us staring at the wet room.
“Come on. I have something to show you.”
In the main room, we found several squares of wood set on the tables. They were all just a bit bigger than the size of the windows. A man stood near them, waiting for us.
“Hello,” I said, meeting his gaze.
He nodded. “Before Henry and Paul left, we started to make these with a few of the broken boards from the shed. They fit over the windows for the most part. I have more started but ran out of nails.”
“These are perfect,” I said, lifting one to eye the construction. It was a frame covered by boards. The frame would fit over the casement that stuck outside. I counted six on the table.
“Totally awesome. Thank you,” I said, looking at the man again. “Let’s put these on. I have some money to go get more nails when it stops raining.”
I’d made it a step from the table when Thomas opened the door from outside.
“Not you,” he said with a frown. “We’ll do it. Once we have these on, we’ll do what we can to protect the rest of the windows.”
The man picked up a stack, Anton plucked the one from my hands, and the three left.
“What was the point of coming to get us?” I said to Mary. She shrugged.
It took them an hour to board the exposed windows. They used old, rusted nails and whatever else they could find that was solid enough to drive through the wood. It took Mary and me even longer to clean up the water. By the time we finished, the rain was letting up.
We brought the wet cloths and the pots to the kitchen. As soon as we walked into the main room, I smelled cooking meat. Two birds already roasted on the fire, and when I checked the oven, I found two more in low pans. Carrots and potatoes crowded around the baking birds. My mouth started to water as I stared at the carrots.
While Mary dumped the excess water, I pumped some more into a pot for rice. I couldn’t wait to eat.
The door opened with a bang, and a group of four men I didn’t recognize strode in. Rain dripped off their naked skin. I froze; my hand, full of dried rice, posed over the water. The gaze of the first man through the door settled on me.
“What do we have here? I thought I smelled smoke.”
I flicked a quick glance at Mary. She was staring at the men with wide eyes. I hoped she was mentally screaming at Winifred or Thomas. I did not want to use my will against these people any more. They were beaten enough without me adding to it.
I tilted my hand, dumped the rice into the water, and fully turned toward the men.
“Welcome. There are dry clothes in the entry. You can help yourself to what you need. Food will be ready soon.”
He stared at me as a slow grin spread over his features and lit his eyes.
“We were told to come here. No one said there would be unClaimed females to tempt us away from our choice to become Elder.”
Understanding why they’d suddenly appeared helped ease some of my fear.
“We’re not here to tempt you, but we are the reason more Elders are needed. Winifred will return Friday. Until then, you’re welcome to take one of the rooms on the first floor and some clothes.” I really hoped they’d get the hint and put some pants on.
The man in front didn’t lose his grin as he took a step toward me. A hand clapped down on his shoulder, stopping his advance.
“Remember why we’re here,” the second man said.
The third stepped forward. “We’re here because there aren’t enough females for all of us. Yet, here are two, and one seems a definite possibility. We haven’t committed to anything. Why not explore the possibilities.” As he spoke, he began to change. Most notably, his teeth.
I wasn’t about to allow another bite. I struck out suddenly and violently with my will. Wait outside. All four men stumbled back and blinked dazedly. Then, as one, they turned and left.
Mary gave me a shaken look as I exhaled slowly.
“What did Winifred have to say about them?” I asked, hoping Mary would think Winifred had sent them out.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think of her. I just reached out to Thomas. He’s on his way.” She paused for a moment. “Winifred is speaking to them now and to Thomas. He’s angry none of the men he left here stopped them from entering.”
I turned away from Mary, not wanting her to see my worry or frustration. All of Thomas’ talk about protecting, and where was he? And Winifred? I thought she reached out to everyone who came here to tell them not to bite me.
“Can you set out the bowls and plates?” I said to Mary, keeping my voice level and calm. I went to the fire, removed the two birds, then set the food on the tables.
Outside, a chorus of growls rose loud and fierce. Because I was near the window, I automatically looked up.
Thomas strode from the woods. He focused on the wolves crouched near the door. I glanced at them as well. Anton, Bine, and Gregory surrounded them. Both sides eyed each other warily, with the strangers growling and casting glances at Thomas. One of the wolves looked back at the window and caught me watching. He stared at me. He shifted his position slightly, angling himself more toward the window. His muscles bunched. Would he really try to get to me through the window?
Quickly looking away, I focused on Thomas. He saw the wolf watching me, and his face twisted in rage. Instead of walking or running the last few yards, he jumped. As he flew through the air, he shifted from man to wolf and landed right in front of the one watching me. The newcomer twisted at the sound of Thomas’ landing and growled. Thomas dove for him.
Mary tugged me back. “We need to go upstairs. Now. Winifred’s orders.”
“No. Tell Winifred, I will keep you safe. I need to know what’s happening. I thought they were here to be Elders.”
“Winifred says their actions show their selfishness. None of them would have passed. Two have already challenged Thomas for leadership. The three will fight. The last one standing commands the pack.”
I turned to look out the window. It seemed that the two challengers had decided to help each other. One taunted Thomas while the other tried to sneak behind him. Thomas was too smart for the move. He carefully kept himself positioned so he could see both of them while he slowly backed away from the building.
One of the wolves looked back at the two who still hovered near our door. Anton, Gregory, and Bine moved to block them from joining the fight. The two outsiders shifted back into men, crossed their arms, and widened their stance. Gregory nodded his approval, and the three turned back toward the fight.
One of the outsiders glanced at the window and grinned at me. While still meeting my gaze, he edged closer to the door. His companion remained close, guarding the movements of the first man so they wouldn’t appear obvious.
“Mary, tell Thomas not to worry about us and to stay focused on his fight, no matter what.”
I stepped away from the window and waited. It didn’t take long for the latch to move. As soon as the door opened, I swung out. Leave.
This time, the man and his companion flew backward, out into the yard. One knocked into Bine and almost brought him down.
Anton, Gregory, and Bine immediately shifted into wolves. They surrounded the men, their snarls and poised positions keeping them where they lay.
I stepped out into the rain and looked down at the fallen men.
“You are no longer welcome. Leave,” I said, pointing to the trees. They rose, growled at me, then turned and ran. Anton and Bine followed them to the edge of the trees while Gregory stood in front of me.
Their retreat distracted one of the wolves fighting Thomas. Thomas used that opening to lunge forward. He clamped down over the other’s muzzle. If the wolf bled, the rain washed it away before I could notice.
A wolf ran from the trees a distance from where Bine and Anton still stood. I didn’t take my eyes from the fight. However, from my peripheral, I recognized Grey.
Thomas shook his head, maintaining his hold and knocking the other wolf off balance as Grey raced across the clearing. The second wolf noticed Grey, too, and hesitated. He turned sideways to watch Grey’s progress and the fight.
Halfway across the clearing, Grey shifted. I, at first, thought he meant to join the fight. Instead, Grey stopped just in front of me, shielding me. Gregory tried to nudge me to the door, but I tapped him on the nose in annoyance, and he didn’t try again.
Seeing that Grey and Gregory had no intention of interfering, the second wolf launched himself at Thomas, trying to clamp down on his neck. Thomas twisted, keeping himself free while continuing to subdue the first challenger.
I didn’t see how two to one fighting was a valid challenge for leadership. What kind of leader would the pack have if he needed help to fight his battles? The thought stopped me. A leader shouldn’t jeopardize his people when he wasn’t willing to jeopardize himself. But a good leader would accept help when needed, too. Whether Thomas asked or not, he needed help.
I watched Thomas finally let loose of his hold on the first challenger. The wolf’s muzzle bled profusely, but he paid it little attention. Instead, he worked with the other challenger to circle Thomas. They managed to maneuver until one stood before Thomas and the other at Thomas’ hind leg. The one at Thomas’ back coiled, ready to spring.
“Can’t either of you take Thomas on your own?” I asked, loudly. The second wolf hesitated to attack again. “If not, what kind of leaders will you make?” A snarl arose from those in Thomas’ pack. “I think you’ll find yourselves challenged by others in his pack.” I gently laid a hand on the backs of both Gregory and Grey. “You’re both attacking him at the same time because you know he’s special. He has the loyalty of his pack, and even if you defeat him, what will you have gained? Gregory will Claim Mary in an instant to protect her, and they will leave, as will the rest. You’ll be the leader of nothing.”
The one hesitating growled at me. I didn’t stop speaking, though.
“If you want to be part of something great, then stop fighting. Concede to Thomas and join his pack. Don’t try to lead it. You were never meant to.”