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She couldn’t imagine what he’d tell her or why. After all the happy celebrating they’d done, he appeared so sad. She sat next to him, worried, and yet enjoying being with him. “What is it?”
“I want you to know how very much I love you.” He smoothed her long black hair behind her ear.
“And I love you.” She leaned into his shoulder. She treasured being this close to her dad, but something bothered him. “Are you all right?”
“Of course. But one never knows when the last time will be that you will see your loved ones.” His calloused hand took hers.
She’d gazed into his wise eyes with puffy lids and could swear she saw a soul that had lived through a lifetime of sorrow and pain.
“I’m leaving in the morning.” He smiled. “And I want you to know what an honor it has been to be your father and watch you become such a beautiful, kind, and caring person. Losing your mother from a drug overdose when you were only five was tough. I have a feeling that’s why you became a nurse and why you volunteer at the drug rehab center.”
He was right. She didn’t want another little girl to have to live through the pain that she had.
Her dad continued. “I know I’m right. And you never complained when I moved us away from here to start over. I worried when you first married Matthew and decided to settle in Bear Claw. But despite the feud between our families, you’ve both made successes of your lives. I’m proud of you, sweetheart.”
She cuddled up to him, and he held her tight.
She always felt safe in his arms. “And I’m proud to be your daughter.”
He placed his hand to her cheek. “Remember to trust what your heart tells you.”
She’d put her hand on top of his and muttered, “I will.”
He had passed away from a heart attack two months later on a cold winter night. A STEMI, ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. His coronary artery had been completely blocked. She’d been mad at the doctors for not catching his problem but mainly mad at herself. She’d been so wrapped up in her own life that she’d neglected to check on him as often as she should have.
Movement came from ahead in the great shadow of the forest. A bear? Mountain lion? Both possibilities. She pulled the Glock from her pocket and froze, waiting to hear which direction the creature moved. She hardly dared breathe, listening.
Two eyes with a fiery white glow stared down the path at her.
A wolf.
Fear rippled over her. She bit her tongue, suppressing the scream lodged in her throat. Her father’s words came to her. “Never, ever turn your back on a wolf. And under no circumstances should you run.” Not moving a muscle, she stared at the creature, a prayer on her lips.
“You are the trespasser,” her dad had said. “Stand your ground, look him in the eyes, and let him know that you’re not taking your eyes off him. He needs to know you’re not a threat and that if he attacks you, you’ll fight back.”
Scared beyond belief, she stared at the wolf.
The animal sniffed the air and flicked out its tongue as it looked directly at her.
Dania didn’t so much as twitch; she maintained her stance as she focused on the creature, and her heart sledgehammered within her chest.
The wolf raised its head, with nose and mouth pointing to the stars, and gave a lone eerie howl that chilled her to her core.
Was the wolf warning her to leave? Dad had told her on one of their camping trips that the wolf was a misunderstood animal. A pack of wolves was dangerous, but sighting a lone wolf was a good sign. It meant that the animal had been sent to guide you. She’d dismissed what her father had said, even though he’d claimed the concept had been handed down from her great-great-grandfather. Standing here, staring at the wild animal, she hoped her father had been right. While she was frightened, she was also awed by the wolf’s presence.
The animal turned, headed up the mountain, and disappeared into the blackness.
Dania took a deep breath. The tale of a young shepherd who had called for help by shouting wolf came to mind. She didn’t cry wolf.
No. She’d stood her ground. Now what?
Should she move forward and hope the beast wasn’t trailing her, waiting for the right time to pounce?
No. She needed to backtrack and go the opposite way of the wolf. That was what common sense told her.
She remained, staring at the trail ahead. If she went back the way she had come, she could run into those chasing her. But if she moved forward, she might become the wolf’s dinner. The thought of returning to prison or taking her chances and following the wolf were both bad choices. But she had to make one.
Throwing common sense to the wind, she moved forward, staying on the trail before her. She was crazy. Stupid! Out of her mind. Despite her self-doubt, she kept going. Every once in a while, she checked behind her but then continued. Was she going in the right direction? Where did the wolf go?
