Bear moved a bit and tried to lick her face. The other wolves gathered around them but stayed just out of reach.
Cat turned her head and asked Titan, “Where did the bullets hit him?”
“As far as I can see, one is in his leg and the other is in his side,” Titan described the wounds to her.
“Can we get him back to Boots?” she begged. “Please? I know he may not be able to do anything, but can we at least try? He doesn’t deserve to die like this,” she cried out, “…not like this!”
Hawkins came close and said, “Honey, it may be best to leave him here with his own kind.”
“No!” She turned her head to where his voice had come from. “I understand that he could die but we have to try and save him.”
“Boss, what do you want us to do with him?” Wanderer asked as he pointed toward the downed man.
“Hell, bring them both back with us,” Hawkins grumbled. “Boots can look at both of them while we wait for the sheriff to get here.”
Titan slowly gathered the injured wolf in his arms and then got to his feet.
A couple of the other wolves growled.
Cat turned and spoke to them, “We aren’t going to hurt him. We’re trying to save him, please let us try to save him.”
Hawkins shook his head. “Honey, they’re wolves, they don’t understand a word you’re saying.”
Cat turned to him and snapped, “Don’t you believe that, they know.” Then she called out to Titan, “Where are you, babe?”
“Right here, grab my belt and follow me down,” he told her.
Cat held out her hands and when she found him, she grabbed onto Titan’s belt and they began walking down the hills and out of the woods.
Three of the wolves followed slowly behind them until they got to the tree line then they sat there watching while Titan and Cat went inside the clubhouse.
Hawkins turned to stare at them. He just shook his head.
Boots had just gotten back and was still sitting on his bike when they came down into the yard.
Titan looked over at him and growled, “You got a customer man, one you really need to save, so get with it.”
Boots grumbled, “I ain’t no damn vet.”
Cat turned in the direction of his voice and begged, “Please, you have to save him. Please, at least try?”
Boots growled and got off his bike just as Hawkins and the others came down with the wounded man. “What the fuck did I miss while I was gone?”
Hawkins grunted and told him, “This one’s got three bullets in him and I think one is in his lung. We need to get him stable until the sheriff gets here then he’ll go with him. I already put a call into the man’s office, so it shouldn’t take him long to get here and he’s bringing an ambulance with him.”
“And the wolf?” Boots asked. He was eyeing the tree line where the whole damn pack of wolves could now be seen waiting for their leader.
Hawkins turned around and his eyes widened at the sight of so many wolves that were there waiting now. “Shit,” he swore.
The men turned to look as well and they all brought their weapons out.
“Don’t shoot at them, but watch them,” Hawkins ordered. “They’re staying where they are for now, so nobody needs to bother them.”
Wanderer and Brutus carried the injured man inside the club.
Hawkins and Cash waited by the door for the sheriff and the EMT’s to arrive while they kept a wary eye on the woods behind the clubhouse.
“I hope Boots can help the one Cat calls Bear,” Cash told him.
Hawkins nodded. “Me too. Otherwise, living here just ain’t gonna be fun no more.”
“I heard that,” Cash muttered under his breath.
A few minutes later, they all heard the sirens as a Sheriff’s car pulled into the parking lot along with an ambulance.
Both Chief Allen Lemmer and Sheriff Mark Carter got out of the vehicle and walked over to Hawkins.
The EMT’s were motioned toward the clubhouse and they rushed inside.
“What’s going on here, Hawkins?” Chief Lemmer asked as he lifted his head to the tree line and gasped at the sight of so many wolves lining the outer edge of the trees. “What the hell?”
Hawkins warned him not to react. “I’d leave your pieces right where they are, boys. Just leave the wolves be. Let me explain what’s happened. A little while ago, we heard some shots from the woods. When we got there, we found Isobel McCormick and who I assume is Billy Ray arguing. They shot the leader of the wolf pack and were looking for a woman we found earlier. We heard Isobel telling Billy Ray why she shot Jesse that day, then she started shooting at us. We returned the fire right back at her and Billy Ray caught a few of our bullets. Isobel caught one in the shoulder but she turned coward and ran away, leaving Billy Ray behind.”
Allen Lemmer nodded. “That’s what the ambulance is for, Billy Ray?”
“Yeah, he’s inside. Our medic is trying to stabilize him until your boys got here,” Hawkins explained.
“And them?” the Sheriff asked, nodding toward the wolves.
“Well, that’s a bit of a long story, Sheriff,” Hawkins admitted. “Ever since she came back here, my granddaughter Catarina thinks the wolf pack leader is her old dog Bear. Now I admit the wolf might have a bit of old Bear in him and he’s taken to her too. When she found he was hurt, she had Titan carry him down for help from our man Boots. The wolves followed us as far as the edge and they are waiting for their leader to come back.”
Allen Lemmer, Chief of Police in Granite Falls just shook his head. “That just doesn’t happen, Hawkins. Those wolves are wild animals and they are capable of tearing a man apart in seconds.”
Hawkins nodded. “I would agree with you one hundred percent with any other pack. But I’ve seen the interaction between Cat and these wolves. Hell Sheriff, after she was hurt and lost her eyesight, someone carried her out into the woods and left her there, thinking the wolves would just tear her apart but they didn’t. Those wolves kept her warm and then took her to a safe place where we found her hours later. She woke up blind and helpless and their leader led her to the one place he knew she’d be safe and he even stayed right there beside her until we found her. I couldn’t believe it.” Hawkins shook his head. “Then when we went looking for Nash, she begged us not to draw our weapons against them, so we didn’t. We were able to get in there and get Nash out, without any problems.”
Cash shook his head. “You shoulda seen it, first morning she was here, Cat went for a walk and when she got back, Nash slapped her hard enough to put her on her ass and that big wolf came out of the woods and protected her until Titan could get to her. When she was little, she had a big old dog she called Bear. Then after she left, Bear was left behind and he might have seduced one of the wolves because it seems like their leader has a little bit of Bear inside him. We think it’s that connection they both recognize and that’s what’s saved her and us from being attacked.” He paused and looked toward the tree line. “It’s as if they know she’s trying to help their leader.”
Sheriff Mark Carter looked over at Hawkins and reminded him, “You said Isobel was wounded?”
Hawkins nodded. “She took a bullet to the shoulder. She also ran off like the selfish bitch she is.”
“Wait…back up a minute.” Allen frowned. “You also said you found another woman in the woods? Who the hell is she and what the hell is going on here? Most people just don’t find women in the woods.”
“Well, we did,” Hawkins assured him. “The wolves were going crazy and when we tracked them, their leader led us right to a woman. She had been beaten and left there. Then when we went to investigate the shots we heard today, we heard Isobel say something about her wondering where this beaten girl was.”
“Can we speak to this new woman?” Mark wanted to know.
“She’s inside.” Hawkins nodded. “She goes by the name of Luna Moon. And she and Cat have been friends since they met in a home for children when they were both young.”
The Sheriff looked over at the Chief and they both shook their heads. “That’s just a little too coincidental for me to believe.”
Hawkins and Cash both snorted.
“You think?” Hawkins stated. “Well, Isobel brought her here to trip us up is all we can figure. We aren’t exactly sure just who this second woman is or how she figures in with Cat but we are going to check into it.”
“So will we,” Mark assured them.
Just then, the EMT’s came out with a loaded gurney and headed toward the ambulance.
Mark walked over to get their report and then he nodded and made a call to get a deputy at the hospital to meet and stay with Billy Ray. He returned to Hawkins and said, “Let’s go meet this woman you found.”
They all walked inside and found everyone crowded around the Infirmary where Boots was removing a bullet from the wolf Cat called Bear.
Cat was there holding the wolf’s head while Boots was trying to extract the bullet.
Titan stood behind her and there was another woman standing there too.
Finally, they heard the clink of the bullet being dropped into a dish.
Boots brought up his arm to wipe the sweat away from his eyes and forehead.
Cat asked him, “How is he doing?”
“Well, I got the bullet out,” Boots replied. “The second wound was just a graze. I hope like hell he’ll make it now. I just have to close both wounds with a few stitches, then we have to wait.” He looked up at her and reminded her, “I have something for infection but it’s made for humans not animals, so I don’t know if I should give it to him or not.”
Cat nodded as tears rolled down her face. “I understand and I thank you for trying anyway. I couldn’t just leave him there and do nothing.”
Boots closed the wounds and wrapped them in bandages. Then he moved to clean the area.
Cat ran her fingers through his fur.
Titan looked around the room. When he noticed the Sheriff and the Chief of police standing there, he raised an eyebrow and looked toward Kota.
Kota looked over at the doorway and saw his dad standing there with the other two men. He looked down at Luna and shook his head. “Looks like it’s your turn to answer some questions.”
Luna glanced over at the police and gasped.
Cat raised her head and asked, “What’s wrong, Luna?”
“Nothing is wrong but I guess I have to go have some words with the police,” Luna whispered to her. “Will you come with me?”
Cat brushed her tears away and said, “I’ll always stand with you girl.”
“Then let’s go get this done.” Luna grabbed Cat’s hand and walked over to the door. “I’m guessing you need to talk to me.” She looked at the Sheriff and the Chief.
“Yes ma’am, we do.” Mark answered as he took note of her bruises and shook his head. Mark turned and led the way out to the main hall, with Allen, Hawkins, Kota, Titan, Luna and Cat, all following.
Cash and Wilder were already there waiting for them along with a few other brothers.
Luna sat down and Cat sat right beside her. Grabbing the other woman’s hand, Luna looked at the Sheriff and asked, “Ok, what do you want to know?”
Mark nodded. “Well, let’s start with your name.”
“Well, that might be a problem,” Luna told them. “I know my first name and my middle name but I don’t really have a last name. I was born Lorna Jane, so…no last name. I went into the system when I was five. That’s where I met Cat. She was a couple of years older than me but we grew up to be best friends.”
“Hang on,” Allen frowned. “What do you mean you have no last name? Everyone has a last name.”
“I always thought Moon was my last name but when I aged out, I was given my official paperwork. I looked for my last name, but it wasn’t there. The man I thought was my father was never listed on my birth certificate. He went to jail for abusing me, yet I didn’t know he wasn’t my father until I saw that birth certificate. And my mother’s last name wasn’t listed either. So that’s why I’m telling you I don’t know my last name.”
“So how did you get the name Luna?” Hawkins wanted to know.
Luna squeezed Cat’s hand before she answered, “When we were just kids, Cat and I were talking about our lives, and I told her I hated my dad. I hated him and always wondered about what happened to my mom. I didn’t want to be his child anymore and she said ‘then don’t be.’ She told me that I didn’t need the stain of his name for the rest of my life and that I should just pick out a new name.” She shrugged and said, “That’s when I became Luna Jane Moon. I chose Moon as my new last name. Who my parents are is unknown and I no longer care about them. They didn’t care about me, so I don’t need or care about them.”
“There is a possibility that Isobel McCormick could be her mother,” Hawkins told them. “But we don’t know for sure.”
“Your former daughter in law?” Allen Lemmer asked.
“We are doing a blood test to find out but it doesn’t make any difference,” Hawkins stated. “She’s here now and whether she is or isn’t Cat’s half sister, she’s got our protection.”
Mark stared at him, then glanced over at the two women who sat together. One looked beaten and the other was apparently blind. He then looked at Hawkins again. “You got wolves literally at your door, a murderess on the loose and a granddaughter that somehow helped to give evidence to free your son. Now, you’ve taken in a girl that may or may not be related to you.”
Hawkins looked at Titan then at Cash and Wilder. He swung his gaze back to the lawmen. “Yeah, that about sums it up.”
