The Wolf's Daughter

7 - Bonding Time

My head tilted up as Wren's bedroom door opened and she sauntered out, rubbing at her eyes.

'Evening.' Mounting my sniper to my back, I bent down to lace up one of my boots. 'Good nap?'

'Yeah, not bad.' She stretched, wincing a little.

'Still hurtin'?'

'A little.' Her blue eyes scanned over me. 'Where you going?' She asked, curiosity piqued. Getting back up, I picked up two empty med-kit boxes from the kitchen counter.

'Going to stock up.' Swinging one of the yellow metal boxes, I tossed it her way. Wren snatched the empty case instinctively as it flew at her chest. 'You wanna come?'

'Sure. I love daddy-daughter bonding time.' She gave a cheeky grin before following me out the door.

***

It was a refreshingly cool evening, a light breeze easing its way through the branches of the trees. Wren walked in step beside me as we followed the track up to the meadow. Iridescent humming birds lit up the clearing, feeding from the plants that we also sought. Producing two small knives I handed one to her and we got to work. Pressing the blades to the petals, we nipped and sliced at the plants in unison. My now long hair drifted into my sightline and I batted it away.

'Need a haircut.' I grumbled under my breath, draining yucca sap into a small plastic tub and screwing the lid on.

'I mean, I'm no barber but I can give it a go.' Wren joked waving her knife in the air. I chuckled at her lightheartedness before continuing to work. 'You're pretty rapid at this! I guess you probably did a lot of foraging in the military right?'

'A bit. Weren't a great deal of plants in the desert though.'

'I wish I could've seen the world before it was all fucked up.' My daughter mused, fumbling with the sticky sap covered knife in her hand. She was so naïve.

'World's always been fucked up little red.' At my long sigh, Wren looked up at me with an inquisitive expression.

'Is that why you and mom won't tell me about life before the Collapse?'

'Back to this again huh?' I caught her gaze and leant back, sitting down into the long grass and screwing another lid on to one of the pots. 'You gotta stop focussin' on the past.'

'But-' She faltered, screwing her nose up as though she was unsure as to whether she should carry on or not. 'But it's important to me. I want to know where I came from and who my parents actually are. Or were.' The knife in her hand slipped and sliced her finger. 'I just feel lost like I don't know what makes me, well, me.'

'Wren,' Taking her hand into my own, I took a finger-full of sap and drifted it over the small cut to stem the bleeding. 'Nothing that came before matters. You are the very best of me and your mom, that's what's important.' It was for her own good. If she knew what I'd done before all of this, hell, she'd hate me.

'I don't even know my damn family tree Dad! It's not fair...' Her gaze dropped to the floor and she removed her hand from my own, busying herself with draining the yucca sap though she was making a messy job of it. My sturdy face softened as the moonlight caught her freckled cheek. She looked so much like Athena.

'You had two uncles on my side. None on your moms.'

'You had brothers?' She perked up, irises a glittering blue.

'Yup. There was John, the youngest. Didn't see much of him because I left for Iraq when he was a baby. And then there was Joseph.' My incisors pricked at my tongue. I didn't want to lie to Wren but she couldn't know that he was still alive. He was too dangerous. 'Me and him were close at one point. They both died in the Collapse though.' Swallowing thickly to cover up my dishonesty, I peeled away another yucca stem and tossed it onto the ground.

'Wow... bet you and mom were surprised when you had a girl then! Seems like boys run in the family.' She seemed pleased that I'd given her a titbit of information, even if it wasn't entirely true.

'You were a big fuckin' surprise full stop.' I chuckled, filling up the last tub before securing the medkit box. A sly smile creeped up Wren's lips as she snapped her own case shut.

'You gonna tell me about when I was conceived?'

'Absolutely fuckin' not.' I rubbed a sticky hand to the back of my neck as I got up with great effort. 'Come to think of it, I don't think either of us knew when you were conceived.'

'Oh dad, you dirty dog!' Wren jumped on my back, her weight baring down on my body.

'Jesus Christ Wren! I'm sixty-four!' I grunted as she clung onto me, waving her now full medkit in the air wildly.

'You are such a grump!' She cackled, reaching over my shoulder and taking the other box from my hand. 'Onward noble steed!' Wheezing a little, I trudged back to the house with my seventeen year old stuck to my spine like glue.

'Aren't you supposed to be injured?' I groused as we reached the porch and she hopped off with ease.

'I'm young, we rejuvenate faster.' Wren winked, opening the door and placing the medkits on the counter. I followed her in, rubbing the base of my back. It felt like I'd carried a tonne of bricks home. Athena was sat on the stairs waiting for us, a cheery smile on her face.

'Supper's in your room Wren.' As Athena finished speaking, a grumble came from our daughter's stomach and she scarpered into her bedroom without a backwards glance. Athena smirked and then got up, pressing her front against me and pushing the unkempt hair from my eyes. 'There's my handsome mountain man.' Placing a soft kiss to my bearded mouth, she drew back with a creased brow. 'What's wrong?' I cast a glance to Wren's closed bedroom door and shook my head.

'Not here.' Beckoning Athena upstairs, I collapsed onto the bed and dragged my palms over my face. 'I had to lie to her.' I felt a light weight sink down beside my legs and a grasp on my knee.

'About what?'

'Joseph. I told her he was dead.'

'Jacob!' Athena scolded me. 'Are you insane?'

'What else was I meant to do?! She kept bringing it up!' Exasperated, I let out a deep growl. 'She's so persistent. Wonder where she gets that from?' Pulling a hand away from my face, I side-eyed Athena accusingly.

'It's a good trait to have!' She shrugged defensively before sighing and shaking her head. 'Maybe we need to be honest with her-'

'No. No, no.' Sitting upright, I braced my broad hands on her shoulders. 'It's too dangerous. She'll go and look for him. He'll manipulate her or kill her-'

'That's not what this is about is it?' She interjected, brushing the hair from my face again and cupping my cheek. 'You've got that wild look in your eyes again.' I could feel her thumb rubbing against my scarred skin gently. 'Jacob, she won't hate you for the things you've done.'

'She will.' I protested, leaning into Athena's gentle touch. 'I can't lose her, not like that.'

'Sweetheart, you're her dad. She'll forgive you.' Pressing a kiss to my forehead, Athena pulled away and started to get ready for bed. 'The further you spin this, the worse it'll be when she finds out the truth.'

'She won't find out the truth.' Pulling my coat and military jacket off, I chucked them onto the floor. 'I won't let her.' There was no response from Athena. She simply slipped beneath the covers and let out a deep exhale. Undressing myself, I clambered in beside her and allowed her to drape onto me.

'Just think about it okay?' She breathed, planting another kiss to my cheek before snuggling close. Looping an arm around her shoulders, I stared up at the dark ceiling and let it swallow up the room whole. I began to count every terrible thing I'd ever done that Wren could hold against me. No. She could never find out. I had to make sure of that.