Prince of Shadows by Susan Krinard

Alex forced herself to relax. Julie wasn’t staring at all, wasn’t challenging her. There was no threat here. It didn’t make any sense to antagonize her neighbors.

“Do you… want to come in for coffee?” she asked awkwardly.

Julie shook her head. “I’m willing to bet you don’t even have your coffee maker unpacked yet. Anyways, I’ll want to bring the kids over so you can see they’re not so bad.” She grinned. “Pretty good kids, actually. And since your mom and mine used to play together—”

“Your mother knew mine?”

“Yeah. A long time ago. Knew your grandparents, too.” Quick as summer lightning her expression sobered again. “We heard about your mom. I’m sorry.”

Sorry. Sorry about something that had happened seventeen years ago. But Julie still wasn’t staring at her face, and there was no pity in her eyes.

Alex looked away. “Thanks. About the kids…” She flexed her fingers on her arm. “No snowmobiles. No guns. It’s important that the animals, the wolves, feel safe here.”

“I understand. I’ll keep them in line, and they won’t come too far in. Thanks.”

As simple as that. Alex ventured a smile and tested the unfamiliar feeling of satisfaction. Someone—another human being—had needed something from her and she’d given it. Such a small thing, really. It hadn’t hurt at all.

“You sure you… won’t come in?” she ventured.

“Can’t. Got to get back to the rez. But listen—” Julie pushed her hand into the front pocket of her coat and searched it thoroughly before switching to the other. “Damn, I know it’s here somewhere. Ah!” She grinned and pulled out a smudged, wrinkled card and held it out. “I’m Merritt’s resident mechanic, by the by. You got a pretty nice truck there, but you never know. You bring her in if you need anything and the repairs will be on me.”

Alex took the card. “That’s very nice of you.”

“It’s nothing.” Julie lifted one show shoe-clad foot and knocked caked snow from the bottom. “I’m sure we’ll see each other in town. I’m there most days. You drop by my shop on Pine Street and we’ll chat some more. I’d like to know about this work you’re doing with the wolves.” She met Alex’s eyes. “We’re Wolf Clan, you know.”

Alex watched Julie make her way across the clearing and vanish among the trees. Wolf Clan. She went back inside and into her bedroom, hardly feeling the warmth of the fire she’d started in the stove. She opened her journal to the page she’d left.

Julie Wakanabo. I like her. But I’m afraid, Mother.

She paused, reminding herself that no one would ever see the words she wrote here. No one else would know how afraid she was.

I know what you’d say. Maybe I will talk to her again. But once I’m working, I won’t have much time to socialize.

Socialize. The word sounded false and forced and alien. She hadn’t had any friends in school. And long months in the field alone, tracking and studying wolves, hadn’t added anything to her minimal expertise with people. Her work had given her every excuse to avoid them.

I know wolves better than I’ll ever know people. And the wolves need me—here as much as in Montana and Idaho. No matter what else happens, I’ll still have that.

She hesitated a very long time before she wrote the next line. I was happy here once. Maybe I can be again.

Happy, yes. Happy if she could just stay out here, alone with her wolves.

She ended the entry as she always did.

I’m sorry, Mother.

She closed the journal and put it back on the bed table. She couldn’t put off going into town much longer. And she couldn’t expect anyone else in Merritt to be like Julie Wakanabo.

She wondered if anyone would remember her at all, that beautiful and naive little girl who’d suddenly stopped coming so many years ago.

Alex shrugged into her coat and headed for the door, gathering her hair into a ponytail at the nape of her neck, pulling it smooth until her entire face was exposed.

“They’ll have to get used to me sooner or later.”

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