Crissa's Mate

Chapter Seventy-Nine

Once the emotional air was lifted out of the room for the three, simply by the prospect of Julie beginning a new life soon in the mountains of Germany, she seemed more the girl both Crissa and David had known. A once absent smile was even seen to reappear on her face when David clumsily spilled his wine.

During the evening meal—a green salad and two pre-barbequed chickens, supplied by David and which the three of them cooperated on preparing, Crissa's phone unexpectedly rang. It was Brad, once more checking in on the situation, now safely, post-full moon.

"Crissa? How's things? How are our good angles? Both . . . back now?"

"Hello, Brad. Yeah. Things are good. In fact, we miss you here at our table."

She smiled at the two sitting opposite her.

"Glad to hear that. So . . . what's up between them now? Does Julie seem . . ."

"Julie's fine, Brad. Thank goodness. We told her about the project to get her back. And she's good with it.

"Great. Well I have news from Josh and Mary. Looks like they've arranged to fly out to Vancouver on Thursday. They'll help Julie with the details of getting out of the country. She'll need to meet them there for the flight schedule they've arranged. To get her first to Berlin. The rest will be the same itinerary we all took during the summer. To get to that village."

That's so cool!"  Crissa looked over and nodded to Julie enthusiastically. "I'll share that with her."

"Yeah, good. And get this . . . Josh had a German friend manage to contact the family we stayed with in Erlightof. The parents of Lara and Jannik? He managed to pass on the message to Andeas . . . Julie's young guy there. That she'll be returning to him!"

"Wow!"

"So I guess he was pretty thrilled with the news. Never gave up hope he'd see her again. But then, you know . . . wolves and their mates. Right?"

"Yeah, Brad. I do know. And hope to know it even better someday."

"I figured you would."

"I'll share the good news with Julie. She's right here."

"Nice. So, let me speak with the big guy there a minute."

As Crissa handed the phone over to David, he smiled back a 'thank you' and got up to speak with his friend in the other room.

Crissa then went about explaining in detail all of what Brad had shared with her.

"Oh my gosh, Crissa! This is so amazing! But . . . how will I ever get the money to travel there? I mean, it's so . . ."

"We're all putting up the cash for you, Julie. You see, we all understood that misfortune you suffered. How your heart was also broken, being pulled away from Andreas."

The girl's eyes welled up and she seemed too emotional to speak. She instead just nodded her head.

"And Julie . . . I understand probably better than most how you felt. How you still feel."

"Yeah, I guess you probably can now," she said softly, looking in the direction of the other room. They both could hear David laughing with Brad.

"Love is pretty powerful in people," Crissa finally said. "But there's another element to it in some species, I guess. You were unfortunate . . . and fortunate too. To tap into it. Something primitive there. Something pretty inviable as I see that connection now."

"I really don't remember attacking you, Crissa. But I'm so sorry . . . if I let my feelings . . ."

"Your instincts, Julie. I understand them. Just set them free now with Andreas."

"I truly will. Since the summer I've really only wanted that."

"I know. Never look back at what happened here . . . or up in Fairbanks, Julie. It all begins newly for you in another place now. And in both your worlds."

Julie stood up from the table and approached Crissa. She held out her arms for a hug, which Crissa welcomed, and embraced her.

As David re-entered the kitchen, he was smiling—both to himself for reconnecting with a best friend, and for also seeing the girl he loved in a moment of truce and final reconciliation with her nemesis.

* * *

That evening, the three former researchers prepared to spend the night in the cabin with intentions of rising early. Crissa told the other two about the rogue hunters she encountered in the area for several days and nights. She also informed them about the unconscionable things she had witnessed them doing to repel and decimate the local wolf population.

While Crissa and David that next day planned to take the bike down the mountain, Julie understood she would stay two more days there alone. The brief stay would only be until Josh and Mary would meet with her in the city to initiate her travels.

Picking up Crissa's parents' second car that next morning—following their planned departure to Alberta, would make all matters of transportation easier, Crissa knew. She could convene now better with Josh and Mary at their hotel and get Julie to the airport. She also saw a lifting of difficulties relating to her and David's prior commitments with work and school.

Late that evening, Crissa made a phone call to the RCMP hotline to report crimes in the mountain territories. While David and Julie listened intently, she detailed a description of the male intrudes—their vehicles, a license number, and the nature of their crimes, Including the attempted sexual assault on Julie. Following this, Crissa felt they could all rest assured the next day, following a much-needed, whole night's sleep.

It seemed hopeful that for at least the next twenty-four days, during the darkest of nights and the celebrated absence of any symmetrical moon, there might return to the three, some semblance of normalcy. And for at least that night, in the cabin, it seemed so, as each huddled together under blankets—deeply asleep on the living room floor.

* * *