Revealing the Wolf's Way: Book 1

Chapter 15 (Todd)- Kaija and the Wolf

April 14th, 2032
Alexandria, Minnesota

Todd stood on his deck looking over the land of his property. The sun was slowly setting and dinner time was upon them. He spent all of lunch listening to Charlotte. He had some difficulty believing all that she revealed to him. He was still trying to wrap his head around it. About there being lost knowledge and history. About secret societies and Families. About the threats used and done to keep knowledge hidden. About our past relationship with wolves. And how we turned against them. Talia, his wolf, was somewhere out in his property checking things out. He has also spent most of the afternoon trying to get her here without being seen, or noticed.

Charlotte told Todd that some of the hunters got word of him befriending a wolf and some how the anti-wolf people found out too. They were all on his tail and ready to do something about it. What they were waiting for he did not know, but he was ready too. He finally got into his hunting shed and scattered his firearms all over the house. His daughter would not be happy about that. Charlotte told him that in order to protect her, he would be forced to tell her most of what was going on. He knew that she would be ecstatic about a wolf living with them. He was going to surprise his daughter during dinner with Talia's presence.

Kaija Folkvar was finishing her first year of college. To Todd's surprise, she did not want to go away for school because she did want to leave him alone, at first. She let him know that once she finished with her prerequisite degree, she was definitely going elsewhere further away to continue her education. She had become such an environmentalist and activist; the complete opposite of how her father use to be. She was mostly inspired by the tremendous growth of the current Green party. As a teenager she was happy when the current President, another Greenie, had won. His daughter finally had hope that the change the needed to happen decades ago had finally started to happen. That people who could make a difference in America finally can. Even though, in the past, Todd felt that his daughter was a bit of a radical, the last 7 months with Talia made him realize that she was not wrong. He secretly and slowly started to become a radical and activist too. He was so proud of the woman his daughter was becoming.

When Kaija came home, Todd had dinner in the table. They hugged each other for a while. He tightly held her for a bit longer.

"Is everything okay Pappa?" Kaija said still in the embrace.

He let her go. "Yes dotter! Everything is good... Everything is good now, at least." He paused and smiled at her. "I am so proud of you. I just want you to know that."

"Um, all right Dad..." Kaija was perplexed, "What is going on?"

"A lot Kaija. A lot has happened that I have to tell. I also have a surprise for you later, but first we have to eat and talk!"

"Okay Dad, sounds good to me. I am famished! Thank you!" She kissed him on the cheek then went over on to the table.

During the end of dinner, Todd told his daughter what he could. In a way, what he was allowed to tell her. He mostly stuck to the Wolf secret and the threat to their lives. He shared with her the disbelief in it all but he assured her that it was real and he was serious. To further drive the notion, he went out to the deck.

"The surprise is out here!" Todd said to Kaija whistling in the direction of the trees.

Eventually there was the sound of an animal running towards then slowly climbing the stairs to deck. Finally Todd's brownish gray wolf, Talia, appeared. He knelt down to hug her and she gave him a big lick on the face. When he stood up, he saw that his daughter's mouth opened in shock.

"Kaija, this is my wolf... our wolf, Talia. I named her after your Mom. I hope that was okay. I could think of any other name to give her!" Todd looked down.

"Yes Pappa, that is okay! But how is this possible?!?" Kaija slowly approached Talia sitting down in front of her. Talia walked up to her. Kaija held Talia in an embrace getting a lick in return. "Forget about how this is possible, when did it happen?" She shook her head.

"About 7 months ago. She saved my life. We have been inseparable since!"

Kaija remembered that that was when her father stopped hunting. "Is that when you stopped hunting?"

Todd nodded.

Kaija stared into the wolf's eyes. All she saw there was love and protection. Talia licked her on the face again. "Everything you said was true then?"

"Every word of it... And so much more."

"So much more? Like what?" Kaija was getting curious now.

"Another time, the other stuff are not important... At the moment. Right now it is about the wolves. And the people who will kill to keep this secret hidden."

"Then we have to do something! Call the police, or someone! We need protection!"

Todd shook his head. "We can't trust the police. We can't trust anyone. They could very well be anti-wolf!" He looked down. "I know how you feel about my guns, and guns in general... But I have hidden them all around the house. For our protection."

Kaija took some time to think while still holding on to Talia. Todd could tell that she was working things out. His daughter spoke after a few minutes.

"All right Pappa. Against my better judgement, I am okay with that. Show me where they are. The threat could easily be anyone and could easily come home. We will need the protection. We will need to protect ourselves and our home. We need to protect Talia. By any means necessary."

Todd noticed a flicker of determination across Kaija's face. One that worried him for a bit but also gave him comfort that his daughter was growing up and truly becoming her own woman. By any means necessary. "Okay." He nodded getting ready to show her the rifle he hid on the deck.