The Wolves

Old Flame

Annie and her family went along the many roads and made it a point to not stay in the same hotel room for more than a day or two. Opal and Annie remembered the last time they had done this. Mike had made threats against her life... He had fallowed her home and then made attempts to get inside their house at the time.

It had scared the whole family and caused Annie's parents to get mad at her. Opal was the only one that seemed to care enough to protect her sister and took them to a new town. The one that she had met Ulf in, although they loved that place and the people they had met there but Mike was a bigger threat than they could explain...

So this left Ulf heartbroken and longing to find her and keep her safe from anything that she was scared of but she moved to quickly for him to catch up. After all she had a car to bring her place to place and Ulf only had his legs and strength that powered his attempts. He felt that he was just getting farther away from her. All the while he felt that something was coming closer to him though... He would look back ever mile or so and feel like something was coming, this offend pushed him to run that extra distance and forget to rest. But when he did rest he felt uneasy and a small guilt start to set in.

He had arrived at a motel off of the main road that he had been tracking from and entered the parking lot. He wandered around and out of the corner of his eye, saw a set of curtains being drawn shut swiftly. He went up to the door and smelt the edge. That was her alright, Annie, Opal and her son were inside. He was sure of that, he knew their scents and he finally felt a sense of relief wash over him. Ulf laid across the doormat and finally let sleep catch up to him. He didn't fight it and it was bliss darkness.

Meanwhile inside the motel room, the girls were worried about the animal outside, well more so Opal than Annie. She was calmly sitting on her bed and facing the door way. Her sister stopped her nervous pacing to look at her sister and ask her what was wrong. A smile formed on Annie's lips.

"I know it's odd, but I have a feeling that Ulf is standing just outside that door..." Annie said in an almost hushed voice as though no one but the two sisters would hear her. Opal looked at her and then at the door.

"You know that the only thing behind that door is a wolf that could probably tare us all to shreds if we go outside or even open the door, right?" Opal said as her sister noticed her panic.

"I know wolves are dangerous... But I get the same feeling I do from whatever is behind the door that I do when Ulf is beside me, trust me, we'll be fine." Annie said as she laid down on her side and started to drift off to sleep, much like her nephew that had long since turned in for the night. The sun was just barely going down in this area but by the time that the moon was high in the night sky. Annie had woken up, the movements of a restless infant in her belly. She took a deep breath as the forming life form inside her was practicing it's punching and kicking of an enemy that it did not yet know. She rose to her feet and quietly went for a walk outside in the parking lot, she knew it was risky but she needed the new air. Being stuck in hotel rooms and cars wasn't the best thing she had ever been through. Right now she just wanted to feel the nature around her and maybe that would make her feel like she was somehow back home.

Ulf had by then moved from the doormat and looked up from his post when he saw Annie walking around. He wanted to go to her so badly, he noticed her belly and his eyes went wide with awe. Before he knew it he was on his feet, taking human form and walking up to her. She jolted a bit when she heard footsteps.

"Annie, it's me." Ulf said, his voice was weak and tired but her face softened and tears formed in her eyes.

"Ulf... H-how did you find me . . . W-why are y-you here?" She asked as he put his hands in hers.

"I've been trying to find you, I've been catching up to you ever since you left... I just wanted to make sure that you're alright." Ulf said as that was enough for the two of them to spill tears, Annie was almost sobbing into his shirt as Ulf let his tears drip silently as he wrapped his arms around her. Not wanting to ever let her go like that ever again. He missed her too much to let that happen. She tried to sob out an apology to him and explain why she had to leave their town. He caught bits and pieces but it was when he heard about Mike... That's when he held her tighter. She knew that his face was squished with a pleading sadness for her not to apologize anymore to him. He was doing his best to comfort her.

She clung to him as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear. He looked up at the sound of a door opening and saw Opal standing there. She was scared at first and then her face tuned to anger as she saw Ulf. She yelled as she crossed the paved area. Annie breaking away from him as he knew that he was in trouble.

Opal yelled at him and hit him, he got her little sister pregnant and she didn't want her to end up like her. With a kid right after high school, not being able to support him. She was angry but tears soon clouded her rage. Ulf never lifted a finger towards Opal and took his beating. He knew that he could many fights but this was a defeat and bruising he deserved. Finally when Opal had gotten her anger out, she looked at her sister and told her to get inside. Opal left and Annie stood there wondering where Ulf was, he was quiet but he heard him move closer to her.

"Annie, I know I've been terrible to do this to you..." He said as he looked down at her face, so perfectly framed as the streetlamp hit it with orange light. He placed her hand on his arm band and his hand over it.

"This band is for me to swear my word, my word is my bond and this bond cannot be broken by anything in this world... My bond it between me and the gods. And to them, by swearing on this band I also swear to you Annie... I a lonely Heathen in this world that I will make this all right. When you come back home, I'll take care of you and this little life until the day I die and I promise to live a long life if it means making all this up to you. " Ulf said as she fought back the picker of tears in her eyes again. He let go of her hands and gave her a soft kiss, whispering that he loved her more than she would ever know before he said his goodbye and disappeared into the night.