The Impending Wolf

As Dodie Rae and Bay Lynn reluctantly stepped out of the diner, a chill swept across their skin like a cold breeze through an open window. Dodie Rae reached for her grandmother's hand as they walked through the parking lot toward the unfavorable treeline.

"Why the hell did we park near the trees?" Dodie Rae whispered, her grip tightened.

"Stay close," Bay Lynn instructed, her voice steady but low as they continued forward. She winced as Dodie Rae's fingernails bore into her skin like a spider's fangs slicing through silk.

They exchanged anxious glances and headed toward the car when suddenly, the sound of a twig snapping stopped them mid-stride.

"Did you hear that?" Dodie Rae mouthed the words.

Bay Lynn nodded, her heart quickening. The nighttime sounds of scampering feet, crickets' songs, and the wind seemed to fade as an unnerving primal growl shattered the silence.

As they took another step, the bushes at the edge of the treeline parted, and a wolf emerged, mightier than the one they'd seen at the white wooden house earlier that evening. Beneath the moonlight, its fur shone a rustic blend of silver and black speckled with flecks of red, spatterings of bloody drool from its mammoth jaws. The eyes they'd thought earlier looked protective now held an unsettling, ominous glow and pinned them in place with an unyielding gaze.

Dodie Rae instinctively wanted to scream, "Run!" but the air surrounding them felt too thick and paralyzing. Suddenly, movement of any kind was not an option.

To the women's surprise, the wolf stepped forward to observe them, its head tilted as if it were trying to solve a riddle.

Bay Lynn matched its stare, studying the creature's body language, and instantly felt a connection like a mother feels for her child. "It's Riley," she whispered, half to herself, half to her granddaughter. "We are not in immediate danger."

Dodie Rae felt a smorgasbord of emotions: fear, wonder, confusion. "What does he want, Mama?" she asked.

Before Bay Lynn could respond, the wolf raised his muzzle, took in their scent, and began to circle the women slowly, each movement deliberate and calculated. It seemed almost as if it were gauging their heartbeats. They stood frozen as it closed the gap, then abruptly stopped when it was just a few paces away.

"This doesn't feel right, Mama." Dodie Rae's voice cracked.

"We're good, Cher," said Bay Lynn, her eyes locked on the beast. At that moment, something familiar vaulted into the wolf's gaze. "It's certainly, Riley," said Bay Lynn, torn now between feeling an overwhelming urge to trust this creature while still fearing it was a harbinger of doom.

"Perhaps it's here to guide us," Dodie Rae said, her voice steadying, her heart opening to the possibility.

At last, the wolf paused and peered deep into Bay Lynn's eyes as if searching for something. With a final growl that Bay Lynn could feel rumble like thunder deep within her chest, the wolf turned, sprinted back toward the treeline, and disappeared into the darkness.

"What just happened, Mama?" Dodie Rae breathed, releasing her grandmother's hand.

Bay Lynn exhaled, the tension easing ever so slightly at last. "I think he marked us, Cher." She trained her eyes on the spot where the wolf had vanished, then gave into the feelings of fear and awe coiling around her heart and lungs, forcing little puffs of air out through her open mouth. She envisioned the wolf changing course and returning to dismember them.

"But does that mean we are safe, Mama?" Dodie Rae asked.

"Safe enough for now. But we have to pay attention to the signs, Baby Girl. This wolf, Riley, is a warning and a reminder that we continue to be in danger."

As they turned toward the car, somehow, the night felt less oppressive. Still, the bulkiness of the encounter lingered. They understood that the world outside had become unstable. Somehow, they had crossed into a territory where the extraordinary was more than mere whispers in the dark.

"Look, Mama," Dodie Rae said, pointing to the four men opposite the Interstate.

"I see them, Cher," Bay Lynn replied, listening to Will's voice echoing in her mind.

"You must not trust Riley, Bay Lynn, for he is the wolf coming for you and Dodie Rae. His intent is clear to my brothers and me. He desires to be an Alpha Male, and he will stop at nothing to secure this position. I sense your connection to him; you are the reason for his existence, like a mother, but you must beware. You cannot trust him. He will destroy you and your granddaughter to ensure his reign."

As they drove back toward home, the neon lights and Will's voice faded, and the air became almost magically lighter and full of possibilities again. A strange intuition settled inside and let them know they were now part of a greater cause, one sewn into the very fabric of nature itself and the Brother's Four.