Five

“So that’s it? They just returned unscathed?” I asked disappointedly. 

Call me wicked, but I hoped there would be a raunchy tale to tell. Something to fantasize about when I go to sleep at night.

“I can only repeat what I know.” Teresa shrugged. “The girls weren’t harmed in any way; they came back with the same excuses. That the men were searching for the ideal woman, but they never found the right one,” she finished. “Personally, I think that most of them went looking for trouble. Most seemed disheartened when they came back unfulfilled.” She scrunched her face in revulsion.

Chloe giggled and even Teresa relaxed and saw the funny side. The scientist in me was rolling my eyes, calling this out for the bullshit that it was, but after the night I had, something Teresa had just said resonated with me. Like an itch I just had to scratch or else it would bug me.

“I thought I heard wolves howling outside the guest house last night,” I told them. 

Chloe frowned. “Kids love to pull pranks this time of year. The local boys do it to scare the girls. So, if you hear a commotion tonight, that’s what it’ll be,” she reassured me as if it was nothing more than a juvenile prank.

Teresa’s eyes widened in surprise at Chloe’s news, then turned to face me.

“Make sure you keep your window closed, honey. It isn’t kids you ought to worry about. Wolves can pick up a scent from miles away. You don’t want that poor, sweet girl going missing now, do you?” She eyed Chloe accusingly. “Isobelle is fresh meat, and you know what they all say about that. Fresh meat, new target.”

“What do the wolves have to do with the story, anyway? What’s the connection between the men and the wolves?” I asked with interest, wanting to learn more about the local folklore. “Do they impersonate them? Are they civilized or are they wild men of the forest?”

Both Chloe and Teresa shared a furtive look, then Chloe attempted to ease the tension.

“It’s like I said, it’s just a story to put off tourists from going into the forest and stumbling across something they shouldn’t. But don’t worry about that. Sure, we are right on the border of the forest, but not a man or beast would dare come near the house because of Lincoln,” Chloe spoke with pride in her voice. “It’s his territory.”

Teresa chuckled. “Ahh, Lincoln Anderson, now there’s a fine piece of man meat if I ever saw one. Nothing will come to get you with that grizzly standing guard, you mark my words.”

Our conversation was interrupted suddenly by one of the waitresses dropping a plateful of food. The sound of shattering crockery startled us. Diners left their seats and rushed towards the windows, desperate to see what was going on outside. I made it just in time to witness a young man streaking buck naked past the windows, his flaccid dick slapping against his thighs. My mouth fell open with shock.

“See,” Chloe chuckled. “What did I tell you?”

“Oh, those darn teenagers,” Teresa muttered, shaking her head, “always playing pranks on the eve of the full moon, scaring the poor girls like that. Why they ought to be flogged raw,” she seethed.

Chloe’s shoulders vibrated in silent laughter. “Oh, Teresa, weren’t you ever young once?”

I couldn’t help but join in, seeing the funny side. A few of the locals found it amusing too. Watching the girls clinging to their fathers and boyfriends, seeking protection just in case it was one of the men from the woods coming to take them away.

“But why run around naked?” I asked out of sheer curiosity.

When Chloe finished her giggle fit, she explained. “Well, as the story goes, the men in the woods are always nude when they hunt. So, the resident boys dare one another to strip and run through the town, scaring girls. It’s become quite a tradition. Don’t worry though, the local sheriff will chase them off and tell their parents all about it.” 

I rolled my eyes, thinking how typical it was of boys to behave that way. It was a funny prank, I had to admit, and it lightened the mood. But where there was smoke, there had to be fire. There must be some shred of truth hidden within the stories, even if Chloe thought they were bullshit. Teresa believed them. We finished our lunches and headed back to the guest house. There were things I needed to discuss with Peter before he returned to Michigan.

We took a drive around the area so that Chloe could give me a brief tour of the place. A fleet of luxury boats lines the harbor. Chloe explained that if I went on one of the guided boat tours, I would sail down White Lake, which would take me past Whitevale, the oldest town in Whitehaven. Apparently, there was an island at the center of the lake that was home to the landowner, Mr. Alec White. Dense woodland kept his castle hidden from view, which was such a shame. I would have liked to have seen it. Something so magnificent shouldn’t be concealed from the world, it should be appreciated. He should make it the town's focal point if it stands for something important. Chloe explained that Mr. White’s fiancée was arriving shortly, and it was why the neighboring towns were having a huge makeover. The work was almost complete, and I was glad I would be here to see it finished. The hopeless romantic in me was impressed by the amount of effort Mr. White put into making everything so perfect for the love of his life. He seemed like a true gentleman, but Chloe assured me that people weren’t always what they seemed to be, and not to be blindsided by how much money they threw around.

She told me that Mr. White had his reasons for living in seclusion, cut off from the rest of civilization. We all harbored our demons. Even those who seem perfect to everyone else may feel differently about themselves. I knew how that felt. My love life left a lot to be desired. Men found me attractive, but they complained that I talked too much. I bored them with my interests. Joanne used to say it was because they felt emasculated by me and it was their problem, not mine. I didn’t have guys beating down my door to ask me out. My 5ft 11in height acted as a boyfriend deterrent, especially when I added heels to the mix. 

Peter was waiting for us when we returned to the guest house. His tweed jacket was draped over his arm as if he was waiting to leave. Chloe and the kids collected their purchases and hurried inside to hide their gifts for Lincoln. I hung back, hoping to have a private word with Peter.

“Hi, Isobelle. I trust you’ve settled in well. I just wanted to say on behalf of the university, how happy we are that you decided to take us up on the offer here. Your input will be invaluable to our cause.”

He seemed to mean what he was saying. I appreciated that. At least he wasn’t trying to bullshit me by blowing smoke up my ass. “It’s an honor, Peter, I’m grateful for the opportunity,” I replied humbly.

His friendly eyes creased behind the lenses of his glasses as he smiled. “I just wanted you to know that you were chosen specifically for your academic achievements. Once my colleagues read your profile, they knew that you would be the perfect woman for the job. I’m confident they won’t be disappointed with their choice.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, who are your colleagues? Who will I need to send my weekly reports to?” I hadn’t thought to ask before.

“Oh, shoot,” he said, swatting the air as if he’d accidentally left out a vital piece of information. “I should’ve mentioned this to you earlier. You should report your findings to me. The investors are not interested in scientific jargon. They only want facts. Your job is to prove that rare wolves can be found at Whitehaven,” he explained. “It’s the vital proof we need to secure the conservation project. I moved the research equipment to your room. I hope you don’t mind.”

I blinked and shook my head in a silent apology. “No, of course not. Sorry if I seemed abrupt with you, Peter. I assumed the university provided the grant. No one told me about the investors. Silly me, not doing my homework first.” I tried to make a light-hearted joke to conceal my embarrassment. “But this will mean the pressure is on for me to provide substantial evidence within a set timeline or else they’ll cut my funding. That’s generally how it works.”

The last thing I wanted was to have the funds pulled suddenly from beneath me. And they could easily do that if they were dissatisfied with my work. It wouldn’t go down too well on my resume and my whole career could take a huge nosedive. This industry would never take me seriously again, that much I was certain. I could kiss goodbye to everything I’ve worked hard to achieve. No, failure wasn’t an option. My job was to study wolves in their natural habitat, prove they need protecting, and that stringent measures should be put in place to safeguard the forest. So that was exactly what I intended to do.

“I’m sure anything you report will suffice. You come with such high recommendations. Maybe I could even learn a thing or two from you.” He tapped my shoulder in a friendly gesture.

“Well, thank you,” I replied, flattered by that. It meant a lot to me.

Peter glanced at his watch. “Jeez, is that the time, already?” He blew out a forced breath. “I should get going. I’m giving a talk at a seminar tomorrow morning and I really ought to prepare. Goodbye, Isobelle, and good luck.”

I returned his warm smile with one of my own. “Thank you, Peter.” I stood aside as he plodded down the front steps to get to his car. 

It wasn’t luck I needed. I know what I heard last night. There were wolves in the forest. I just needed to show Peter the proof and prove they were worth saving.