The thoughts continued to race through her brain until she finally fell into a shallow sleep. It was more than welcome, and she needed it to finish healing. A dream slipped in and out of her consciousness, something about running through the woods and falling, falling, falling, and then she was awake and looking at the early morning sunlight flooding through the bedroom window.
She shifted and showered before going out, not wanting to smell any more like a bear than she had too. She knew that he could smell her, just as she could smell him, but that would be intensified after having slept in bear form all night.
“How are your wounds?” he said, already on his feet and making breakfast when she came out.
“They are a lot better. Most of them have closed up or are gone completely.”
“Most of them?”
“The gash on my lower leg is still open, but it’s not nearly as nasty looking as it was. I’ve cleaned it up and replaced the butterfly bandages on it. It should be at least closed up after another night.”
“Good. I’ll feel a lot better about letting you get on your way if you are at least out of danger of getting a staph infection or something.”
“Me too. So, what is on the agenda for today?”
“I figured we’d eat breakfast and then go out to that lake behind the campgrounds, get some fresh air. The shop should be in touch before lunch to give us an update on the bike, so we’ll see what happens from there.”
“Sounds like a plan. Hope the bike is good news and not more bad.”
“Hopefully. We’ll do our best to stay positive.”
“What’s for grub then, Chef Wolfie?”
“Very funny. We’re having bacon, eggs, and toast with toaster waffles and syrup. It should be enough to hold you until lunch. If not, you can always shift and jump in the lake to scare you up a mess of fish.”
“Now who is being funny?”
She laughed and pulled up a stool to the small bar that ran between the living room area and the small kitchenette, watching as he plated a healthy portion of food for her and a smaller one for himself. It didn’t feel very ladylike to eat so much, but she was starving after a second night in bear form with her healing kicked into overdrive. Tonight would be the last night she was afforded the luxury of a roof and a bed and she’d be hunting her food, so she might as well enjoy it while she could.
“Where will you go after this?” he asked as they began to eat.
“I don’t know. As far away from the Yukon as I can get. I’ll keep the bike for as long as I can put gas in it and then just park it somewhere out of sight and hope it’s still there when I can come back for it. Hopefully, that will get me to a place where I can make do in the woods until I can find a means of supporting myself.”
“Sounds pretty rough, honestly.”
“Yeah, but it’s better than my other options, you know? I’ll get through it.”
He nodded and said nothing, finishing his food and putting his plate in the sink behind him.
“I’m going to go get a shower while you finish eating,” he told her.
“Okay,” she replied, wanting to offer him a hand but sensing that he needed a moment to himself, for some reason.
He returned in a clean pair of jeans and a denim button-down shirt over a t-shirt bearing the likeness of a man who looked vaguely familiar that said: “Werewolves Never Really Die.”
“I don’t get it. Who’s the guy?”
“Michael Landon?”
She shook her head from side to side, picking up her plate and putting it in the sink beside his before turning around to lean against it, watching his expression of disbelief.
“Little House on the Prairie? Touched by an Angel?”
“Oh, that guy. What’s he got to do with Werewolves?”
“You’re kidding me? Does I Was a Teenage Werewolf ring a bell?”
“Nope. I’ve never seen it. I’ve seen other werewolf movies, but not that one. Is it new?”
“You’re killing me. It’s from 1957. Michael Landon starred in it. He died in 1991.”
“Ah, Werewolves never really die.”
“Now you’re getting it. Are you ready to go?”
“Yep. Let’s go to the lake!”
She was surprised at how nice it was outside after the rain they had been having, but the sun was shining and everything seemed to be drying up quickly now that the downpours had stopped. They walked along the path that led from the cabin area, past the campgrounds and down to where the lake began.
“Hey, there’s a canoe rental place. You wanna?”
“Sure. Sounds fun.”
The truth was that she was grateful to have something to do other than sit around and wait until she could move on. Last night had been wonderful, but she wasn’t sure if it would be repeated, and it was right that they shouldn’t get too attached. The sooner they parted ways, the easier it would be.