The Mating(45)

“Oh, no! Don’t change your plans for me. I haven’t been out for a while and I can use the exercise. I can even show Elise some of the spots where Kane, Ryne, and I used to go when we were all pups together.”

Elise and Julia looked at each other, but made no comment. It had been over an hour without any snide remarks coming from Marla. The reprieve had already lasted longer than either of them thought possible. Was this the start? Hopefully not.

Julia gave a little bounce and clapped her hands in what was probably feigned excitement over Marla’s participation. “All right then. Marla and I will act as your tour guides, Elise. Follow me!”

They walked across the lawn and ensured they were actually into the woods where the trees started to thicken, before shifting into wolf form. It was private land and while the chance of someone from the outside seeing them transforming was negligible, it was better to be safe than sorry. Elise noted that Julia had become a dark grey wolf, while Marla’s animal was a rather dull, mousy brown, which was totally in contrast to her flamboyant blonde human physique. Was that why Marla wasn’t as fond of her wolf side and hadn’t been in the woods recently?. Being a plain, ordinary animal probably vexed the other woman no end.

Elise had always been pleased with her own wolf’s appearance. Her fur was thick and silvery with touches of black near the tips of her ears and tail. Idly, she thought that she and Kane made a handsome couple, his solid black contrasting nicely with her silver.

The air was crisp and clear, carrying on it intriguing scents. Julia was prancing, eager to begin her run and Elise quickly followed her, carefully noting all that she encountered. The ground was slightly damp and spongy underfoot, providing a good grip as they raced along. Elise darted her eyes from side to side, taking in all the sights, her ears pricked with curiosity. It had been several days since she’d been out in wolf form and it felt incredibly good to be back in the wild.

Instinctively understanding that Elise would want time to absorb her surroundings, Julia politely stopped at a number of spots along the way. Elise yipped her appreciation and sniffed the ground, trees, and bushes, her wolf’s brain sorting and storing the various scents while making a mental picture of the land and the animal life that inhabited it. Deer, rabbits, squirrel, and even skunks occupied the woods, and Elise anticipated going hunting in the near future. While she seldom killed her prey, she loved the thrill of the chase.

For her part, Marla trailed behind them and flopped down disinterestedly whenever they stopped. It was only when the scent of water indicated that they were nearing the river that she seemed to perk up. Marla began trying to take the lead and head south while Julia kept cutting in front and herding her in another direction. In frustration, Marla snapped and snarled but Julia stood firm, growling and lowering her head in warning. After a moment’s hesitation, Marla backed down. Julia relaxed and then phased into human form, but as soon as she could talk, she verbally began to rip into Marla.

“Will you stop being such a bitch? You know Kane’s forbidden anyone to go near that area unless accompanied by himself or one of the more experienced patrollers.”

Marla returned to her human form and immediately countered Julia’s claim. “We’re not that close and besides, Elise is new here and wants to see more of the territory.”

Elise had changed while Marla spoke and knew something was up by the way the two women snarled at each other. She decided it was up to her to break the tense atmosphere that was developing.

“I do want to explore more, but it doesn’t have to be today. I can wait until Kane takes me. What’s so special about that part of the river anyway?”

Julia glared at Marla while explaining. “Well, first of all, it’s where the oil spill was. We haven’t gotten conclusive results back yet to prove the area is safe, and until he knows all the contaminants are gone, Kane doesn’t want anyone there. Secondly, it’s very rocky and dangerous, which is one of the reasons the oil spill got as bad as it did; a lot had leaked out of the containers before anyone came by and noticed.”

Elise nodded. “Kane mentioned there was a particularly treacherous area, but I didn’t know exactly where it was. Oh!” She suddenly remembered the phone call earlier that morning. “And he got a call about the oil spill this morning. The lab wants to do further testing. There was something about the oil having leached into the ground and the possibility of having to do a major environmental cleanup in order to prevent further damage.” Elise noted the worried expression on Julia’s face and tried to offer some reassurance. “It wasn’t definite though—they were just checking.”