out!” said Glory. “ Werewolves ?”
Jill shook her head. “Not werewolves, like in books or movies. Just men who have a wolf spirit inside them who can shift their bodies. It sounds strange, but is it any stranger than being fifty years in the future?”
“But…” Glory looked helplessly around. “Am I on Punk’d ?”
Jill cackled. “Nope. This is the truth. And we are so glad to have another woman in the Clan.”
The other women all agreed, and Glory thought they were all sincere, even Sandra.
“I have five sons,” said Tara almost tearfully. “Now at last I have a daughter.”
Tiny, protective mother hen Tara thought Glory was her daughter-in-law? Good grief.
Sandra made an angry sound under her breath, and Tara turned quickly to her.
“Of course you"re my daughter too,” she said quickly. “But Jimmy White Elk isn"t wolf-born, so you aren"t mates. Not like Shadow and Glory are.”
Ouch , thought Glory. Dissed by the mother-in-law. Maybe that was why Sandra seemed a bit sour. “Where are the other women?”
Stands Tall, who Glory thought looked as much Norwegian as Lakota, shook her head.
“We"re all the women there are in the Clan now.”
Glory looked around. There had to be fifty teepees in the camp. And there were only five women? If she were living in a tent on the prairie with dozens of men who could turn into wolves but only a few other women, she"d be glad for another one too. But werewolves?
They had to be pulling her leg.
“Are any of you … uh, wolves too?”
Sandra shrugged. “I"m from Littleton. I didn"t know much about the Clan before Jimmy married me.”
Glory looked at Emma, who by her looks, must have been born to the Clan, but Emma said, “Women can"t be wolves.”
“Geez, sexist werewolves? Seriously?” Glory glared at the nearest dog. “What a scam.
Who knows about it? I mean that you guys have wolves in the Clan. Like the white people in town. Is it a secret?”
Emma shook her head. “It"s not a secret. We"re respected, although some townies fear us.”
“When Del claimed Naomi as his mate, her brother tried to kill him.” Tara frowned at an old memory. “He stole her and brought her here. They ended up being happy, but it made bad feelings between the Clan and some of the people around here.”
Jill leaned forward again. “Del died about ten years ago. Naomi took their son to her family and tried to reconcile, but her brother refused. It split the Clan. Not in a bad way. We were getting too big to feed ourselves easily. So some of us live near Kearney now. That"s Taye"s Pack. The rest live here. We are the Clan; they are the Pack. Naomi never liked living free as we do. She and Del only had one son live to grow up, so she adopted some Clan boys, and they made a settled home for themselves near Kearney. Some of the young men went with her. It"s a nice place. It has hot running water. Naomi tried over and over to be accepted by her old family, but they never allowed her back. She took that sorrow with her to her grave.”
A settled home with hot running water—and maybe flush toilets?—sounded good to
Glory. These people with their inner wolves and Wolf Clan fantasy were just plain weird, and she"d kill for hot running water. “I"m sorry for her. But I"m not staying here, either. I need to go somewhere with walls and floors and furniture.”
Now all the women paused to stare at her. Tara wailed, “You can"t go! My son would be devastated.”
Emma nodded decisively. “Shadow wouldn"t like that. It would be too dangerous.”
“Well, I can"t stay here. I need to get a job.” Out of the corner of her eye Glory saw Sandra and Stands Tall whisper together. “I"m not comfortable here. I need my own space, you know? Maybe I can find a job in Kearney.”
No, apparently none of them did. Emma said, “Glory, I don"t know if Shadow"s wolf will allow you to leave the Clan.”
“Tough Twinkies,” Glory snapped. “He doesn"t own me.”
There was
Jill shook her head. “Not werewolves, like in books or movies. Just men who have a wolf spirit inside them who can shift their bodies. It sounds strange, but is it any stranger than being fifty years in the future?”
“But…” Glory looked helplessly around. “Am I on Punk’d ?”
Jill cackled. “Nope. This is the truth. And we are so glad to have another woman in the Clan.”
The other women all agreed, and Glory thought they were all sincere, even Sandra.
“I have five sons,” said Tara almost tearfully. “Now at last I have a daughter.”
Tiny, protective mother hen Tara thought Glory was her daughter-in-law? Good grief.
Sandra made an angry sound under her breath, and Tara turned quickly to her.
“Of course you"re my daughter too,” she said quickly. “But Jimmy White Elk isn"t wolf-born, so you aren"t mates. Not like Shadow and Glory are.”
Ouch , thought Glory. Dissed by the mother-in-law. Maybe that was why Sandra seemed a bit sour. “Where are the other women?”
Stands Tall, who Glory thought looked as much Norwegian as Lakota, shook her head.
“We"re all the women there are in the Clan now.”
Glory looked around. There had to be fifty teepees in the camp. And there were only five women? If she were living in a tent on the prairie with dozens of men who could turn into wolves but only a few other women, she"d be glad for another one too. But werewolves?
They had to be pulling her leg.
“Are any of you … uh, wolves too?”
Sandra shrugged. “I"m from Littleton. I didn"t know much about the Clan before Jimmy married me.”
Glory looked at Emma, who by her looks, must have been born to the Clan, but Emma said, “Women can"t be wolves.”
“Geez, sexist werewolves? Seriously?” Glory glared at the nearest dog. “What a scam.
Who knows about it? I mean that you guys have wolves in the Clan. Like the white people in town. Is it a secret?”
Emma shook her head. “It"s not a secret. We"re respected, although some townies fear us.”
“When Del claimed Naomi as his mate, her brother tried to kill him.” Tara frowned at an old memory. “He stole her and brought her here. They ended up being happy, but it made bad feelings between the Clan and some of the people around here.”
Jill leaned forward again. “Del died about ten years ago. Naomi took their son to her family and tried to reconcile, but her brother refused. It split the Clan. Not in a bad way. We were getting too big to feed ourselves easily. So some of us live near Kearney now. That"s Taye"s Pack. The rest live here. We are the Clan; they are the Pack. Naomi never liked living free as we do. She and Del only had one son live to grow up, so she adopted some Clan boys, and they made a settled home for themselves near Kearney. Some of the young men went with her. It"s a nice place. It has hot running water. Naomi tried over and over to be accepted by her old family, but they never allowed her back. She took that sorrow with her to her grave.”
A settled home with hot running water—and maybe flush toilets?—sounded good to
Glory. These people with their inner wolves and Wolf Clan fantasy were just plain weird, and she"d kill for hot running water. “I"m sorry for her. But I"m not staying here, either. I need to go somewhere with walls and floors and furniture.”
Now all the women paused to stare at her. Tara wailed, “You can"t go! My son would be devastated.”
Emma nodded decisively. “Shadow wouldn"t like that. It would be too dangerous.”
“Well, I can"t stay here. I need to get a job.” Out of the corner of her eye Glory saw Sandra and Stands Tall whisper together. “I"m not comfortable here. I need my own space, you know? Maybe I can find a job in Kearney.”
No, apparently none of them did. Emma said, “Glory, I don"t know if Shadow"s wolf will allow you to leave the Clan.”
“Tough Twinkies,” Glory snapped. “He doesn"t own me.”
There was
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