ALASKA // WOLFSTATE CHRONICLES [PUBLISHED IN EBOOK + PRINT]

{chapter four}

CHAPTER FOUR

Chloe woke the next morning, not bright eyed nor bushy tailed. She was cold, the ancient log home draft ridden the entire night. A knock on the door made her shoot up, her hair matted around her cranky face.

“Chloe! Time to get up! Seven O'clock!”

She rolled her eyes and flipped on her stomach, grumbling, “Yeah, yeah...”

The sounds of her dad getting ready across the hall correlated with her buzzing phone. Grabbing it, she shut it off. Her thoughts wandered back to the night’s main attraction, a vivid dream about wolves and in particular, a large grey one with bright green eyes.

Rubbing her forehead, the picture him standing in front of her; head low, a soft grey coat under her palm as he brushed against her, burned in her mind. It had been too real.

“Too much fresh air already going to my head.” She got out of bed and walked across her room to her open suitcases. Trying to dress for the weather, she chose a pair of leggings, four layered shirts and a long sweater that capped mid thigh.

“I look like a blimp. A short one, but a blimp...” she grumbled

Trudging out of her room with her purse and cell phone in hand, she made a quick pit stop at the bathroom to douse her eyes in mascara and brushed her unruly auburn hair.

Feeling bored with her appearance, she huffed, leaving for downstairs.

Her stomach began to growl; the caribou stew was not something she had indulged too much in the night before.

In the kitchen, she found her dad at the table eating a bowl of corn flakes.

“Wow, Dad, some things never change.”
“Corn flakes are the best way to start the day, Loe!”

She rolled her eyes at his enthusiasm, “so, tonight can we have something normal to eat?”

“Normal?” he tugged at the collar of his uniform.

“Yeah, you know, things without antlers?”

“I have some beef, I guess.”

“Cool,” Chloe nodded and opened the fridge. She found a crushed pack of bread and removed it, “you need to clean this thing out. There might be murder cases in there for you to investigate.”

He chuckled, “you always were a funny one, Loe.”

She popped some crushed bread in the toaster as there was a sharp knock at the front door.

Her dad got up, “That's Grayson.”

Chloe groaned and turned back to the toaster. She heard her father greet wolf-boy and invite him in, still she kept her eyes on her toast.

Her dad walked back in, adjusting his duty belt and slipping on his jacket, “Well, I'm off.”

“Huh...” Chloe swung around. Wasn't a father supposed to be protective of his daughter? Why did Grayson Holtz get a free pass!

Quick with her eyes, she took in the gigantic boy stepping into the kitchen. His eyes came to her and he smiled. Her response was a sneer.

“Morning, Chloe,” he tried.

“Morning, Grayson,” she hissed and turned away.

“See you tonight. Thanks again, Gray!” Her dad walked out of the house and left the two seventeen-year-olds.

“So?” Grayson started once Henry was out the door.

Chloe had no interest in striking a conversation with him.