Wolf Ch. 01

Aithete, Wyoming.

Just a crossroads really, one two lane stretching from the Fort to St. Elias School, and another stretching from Freemont the nearest town to the Oil patch. One corner housed the mission farm and school. This was where orphan, abandon and latch key children went to go to school, participate in programs, and get a good meal. Some walked for miles, and some were bussed in from the Fort. Another corner held a small gas and a convenience store, across from that was a Church and the last corner was bare. Cotton wood trees flanked the buildings and spread out from the area to a point, after that the sage and scrub reclaimed the land.

I was adopted into this culture of American Indians, because my mother had recently married my step-father, John W. Whiteman, they had met at her job in town, and dated for a few months before tying the knot. John was a nice middle aged red man, who in his element was a nerd. He was a computer programmer, and found a niche teaching at Reservation Schools in the county. At this time both he and my mother were gone, on a belated honeymoon, and here I was in Aithete, staying with Aunty Eva. Eva wasn't blood related to John, but had taken him in when her best friend, John's mother, had died in an accident. Eva had one daughter about my age. Theresa was a wild child, always getting into trouble, and dragging me with her, we had become friends. My mom called us partners in crime.

On this hot July day, T and I had lazed around the house, eating bowls of cereal, Listening to Rock music and messin' with makeup. Both of us wore our daisy dukes, both wore tank tops with rock band titles emblazoned on them and both wore Sketchers on our feet. She was a long haired Indian beauty, and I was Caucasian as the day I was born, brown curly hair falling down past my shoulders and a tanned lithe body, my eyes a turquoise blue.

"Jen, let's get out of here for awhile, if we don't mom will have us cleaning again." She chuckled. "Let's walk over to the corner 'Loaf & Jug' Mart and have a pop. Gotta get me some gum too."

"Sounds good, do you think they carry any Cozmo magazines there, or a People magazine, I'm bored." Jen asked.

"Never know what or who you'll find at the LJ, wished we could get some beer or coolers, but that's all the way to town with Eugene and I don't think I could stand him that long today."

Eugene Friday was Theresa's faithful, older by a couple of years, Eugene had a job in town at the Gas-n-Go, manning the pump desk, he owned a small hatch back, and the best part of all, was old enough to buy. It was tough being old enough, to vote and get married, but not old enough to get into bars and clubs For T, Eugene wasn't fast enough, and did practically everything she asked, following her like a puppy. T called him when she needed booze or booty, and kept him hangin'.

The trip to the LJ took us past the project, the government housing that looked like a Sim game, house after house, all the same, dirty, some abandon, most weren't habitable. Most of the houses had been stripped, copper wiring, and fixtures sold to pay for alcohol. One was a burned and hollow shell. Old cars, toys and various items littered the yards. The housing that was occupied looked the same as the abandon units, except they might have a newer model car in front, or laundry hanging outside. At the end of the units stood a playground with an old basket ball court, with cracked and dry cement, and weeds springing up here and there. At the back of this was a shelter, where some of the locals went to lift weights, an old bench and universal trainer were left so all could use and abuse it. That is where I saw him first, hair braided at each side of his head hanging passed his shoulders onto his pecs. His pecs and biceps bulging and straining to lift the weights, jeans molded to his lean hips and legs, and moccasin knee highs of tanned suede. He paused in his labor to appraise us as we walked by and spat out a word, glaring at me with fierce black eyes.

"Who?"

"That's Abner, Abner Thunder, we avoid him, he joined AIM a few years back, American Indian Movement, Uncle John says, 'Assholes In Moccasins'. They don't like whites and give the 'Apples' a hard time. He's just a hater, and an equal opportunity ass, Eugene says he even deals with Spirit Arts, he's a Medicine Man, bad mojo."

"He's, very 'Hot', to bad it's angry hot"

"Just keep clear of him Cuz, let us find you a nice boy, maybe a breed, so my mom don't freak, she thinks cross pollinating a species is a bad idea. Don't tell Uncle John though Okay."

When they finally reached the store sweat was running down between her breasts, and the back of her neck was damp, she needed a cold drink, back at the coolers she reached for bottled water, and held it against her neck, heaven, she wished they could go to the Hot Springs, or the river to swim. Closing the door, she stepped back and into some one.

"Sorry" she said.

Turning around, she found herself looking at a sculpted male chest, one that could only belong to the man she had recently been warned off. Her gaze traveled upward, and took in light hairs sprinkling his chin and upper lip like he neglected to shave for a day or two, strong broad base nose, and deep coal eyes. His jaw was set and hard, and he refused to acknowledge her, just glared at her as if she were a bug.

He drew in a breath, and his throat rumbled out a growl. He grabbed for bottle water from the case, and turned quickly walking away.

Jen felt stunned, no one had ever treated her this way, she was a cute girl growing up and people commented on her pretty face, her curly hair, and her sea blue eyes. He looked at her, as if she had a wart in some conspicuous place the size of a Mountain. He also scared her, the hair stood up on her arms, she shivered in the heat. Something was really off about him, and not just that she was white, or a girl from town. He looked like he really hated her, like they were mortal enemies. Jen walked to the front of the store where she was joined by T, Theresa put her stuff on the counter and let Jen pay for them. Jen reached for a magazine and added it to the growing pile. After paying, T took the bag from her and carried it out, she took her items and handed the bag back to Jen, who immediately un-screwed the water and drank deeply. She wandered along the edge of the road, humming a tune that had just been on the radio.

Suddenly, Jen was being pushed into the grassy ditch to safety as a large black truck sped by close to us, almost striking T.

"Asshole, that asshole, are you okay Jen, I'm gonna tell mom he did that, and see if the counsel will pull his license, he was so close."

"Who was that?"

"Fucking Abner, son of a bitching freak."

She bushed the dirt and weeds from herself, and picked up her bag, there was a small scrape on her calf, and it bled running down to her ankle. Other than that she was good to go, they hurried almost power walking the rest of the way to the house. Eva was up, and in the kitchen when they walked through the back door, drinking coffee and dipping donuts.

"Mom, that fucking dickhead from down the road almost hit us!" she whined.

"No cussing, ladies do not cuss." Aunt Eva said. "Now tell me what happened"

"Abner Thunder, he ran us off the road with that black truck of his, we had to bail and jump into the ditch, Jen got hurt. Earlier he was yelling at us from the playground, then we saw him at the store, and after he drove at us on he road, so close we had to move or be hit."

"I'll let Bill Whiteplume, at the ShoRap Center know, he can send a cop out to talk to him, I told you to stay away from him Theresa, he's bad news, running with those activists, and practicing the old ways, he's just not right."

Eva threw down the dish towel, and walked to the phone. After a short conversation with Bill, she walked back over to the table, and took the magazine away from Theresa.

"Bill said there's not much he can do, but he will talk with him, but for the next week, no playground, no store, by yourselves. Sides you got enough to do round here, I want that room cleaned, and then you can start in on the kitchen, them cupboard need washing, and the floor wants a scrubbing. That should keep you out of trouble till I get off work tonight." Eva ordered them as she went to her room to ready herself.

"Awstay" Theresa cussed in Shoshone.

"I got dibs on the kitchen, I'm not cleaning that scary room of yours, at least, I know what most of the green stuff in the kitchen is, mold." She stated herself as she went to start the breakfast dishes.

After taking everything out of the cupboards she wiped them down, and put it all back neatly with some sense of order. She got the broom and swept the floor, and went out to the back porch where the bucket and mop was kept, glancing across to the housing project, she saw the DOI cop pull up beside the black truck and look it over, then he went to the door and knocked. She could here raised voices, but could not tell what was being said. Several times the cop pointed to Eva's house, and at one time punched a finger into Abners's chest to make a point. After issuing him a ticket, probably for wreck less driving the officer returned to his patrol car and left. Abner stayed on his porch, and looked across the road directly in her direction. He tore the paper up the cop gave him and threw it on the ground letting it blow away. Then with his hands on hips, just glared across the space between them. Jen gave in first, turning with the mop and bucket going back into the house. The ringing of the phone jogged her out of the trance she was in, but before she could answer it, T had grabbed it. After talking on the phone for twenty minutes she returned to the kitchen, and placed it back in it's cradle.

"Hey, I'm outta here, Eugene's coming to get me, were gonna go over to River City, and catch a movie, want me to bring you anything back?"

"Didn't your mom tell us to stay home T?"

"Ha, old lady can't keep me in, I'm of age & I didn't do nothin' wrong, besides she don't get back till around eleven and we'll be back by then, if not cover for me and say I went to bed. C' ya!" As she ran out to the car just pulling up, the hatch back shook with getto rap, Eugene waved good-by, and backed out of the drive.

"Damn it"

Jen, hated lying to Eva, she hoped that T would get back before her mom, because she wouldn't lie for her. After six, she made soup, but didn't eat more than half of it. It was to hot to eat. After checking the channels on the TV, what channels there were out in the boonies, she decided she would go for a walk, away from the store and project, away from civilizations trappings, she walked toward the river.

Through the cottonwoods and scrub, lay a path well traveled, it led to a natural swimming hole, T had shown her this spot several months ago, and they had jumped in buck naked, swimming in the afternoon sun, tanning afterward, and dressing before returning to the house. She wanted to take a dip and cool off, she was sticky from cleaning all day. She sat for a few moments listening to the silence, looking for signs of people, or wild animals, before beginning to remove her clothing. Not as brave as T, she left her thong on, and wadded into the river. Small rocks and pebbles covered the floor of the river, this spot sank to 6' deep and was shallow at both ends, leaving about twenty, twenty-five feet of swimming area. Trees hid the area, moss and grass covered the bank on one side, and boulders the other. You could jump off those rocks and into the deeper part of the river. Of course she knew better than to dive in and hit her head. That's how many kids died from drowning.

The cool waters flowed over her skin and she sighed, she jumped up and down, bobbing in the water, avoiding the minnows that gathered at her feet, nibbling them and making her giggle.

Her instincts rushed her, chicken bumps raised on her arms, the hair at the back of her neck stood on end, and she felt fear. Was that a branch cracking, she heard? Looking back at the bank, she saw the large black wolf, his yellow eyes glimmered in the twilight. He stood near her shirt and shorts, baring his teeth in a doggy grin, letting his tongue hang out of his mouth, he lowered his head nosing the clothes, with more interest in the shorts, and huffed out a short breath. The wolf sat on the bank, waiting, she swam near and splashed water at him so he would leave, he just sat, pink pencil hard-on protruding from his belly.

"Eww, stop that, go away, bad dog."

The wolf whined, but made no effort to leave or attack. Jen being hot all day was now getting colder, and wish she hadn't left her things on the bank, her leg cramped up and she began to falter in the water, finding it hard to stay afloat she went under twice, when she felt a splash, she was pulled upright and into two strong arms, against a muscular chest, and she looked up into two black eyes, with traces of gold.

"What are you doing out here alone, you stupid little white bitch?" Abner stared down at her, noting how her full soft breasts with pointed nipples grazed his chest. "Are you just looking for trouble? Well you found some little girl."