A Wolf In Taos Valley

By M. K. Dreysen

It was supposed to be a quick, easy, spring break trip to Taos. Skis. Snow. Good times.
Terra and company had the plan, they had the drive and the laughs and the good company. It was all so very good. Until the jerk in the truck stop refused to take no for an answer.
He followed her, them, all the way to Taos. And then it got worse.
Something's hunting Terra now. Someone. And whatever he has become now: jerk, wolf, it doesn't matter. He won't stop.
But neither will Terra. One of them won't survive this. Terra's going to make sure it's the wolf that feeds the carrion hunters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M. K. Dreysen
• Release date: Mar 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463897393

Book preview

A Wolf in Taos Valley

By M. K. Dreysen

Copyright © 2020 M. K. Dreysen

Base Cover Image by Adryanah at Pixabay

Cover Graphic Design, made with Gimp by M. K. Dreysen and Aimward Drift Publications

Aimward Drift Publications. Visit aimwarddrift.blogspot.com for news, updates, and upcoming stories.

Dedication

Family, friends, readers: Always for you.

Somewhere between Austin and Taos. That's when I started wondering just what in the world I'd signed myself up for. And buddy, that's a long drive to have to think about the potential error of your ways. I ended up needing all of it.

Now, I didn't really do anything outrageous. It just sounds like that, a few years down the road. I know what my parents would have said, did say when I got back home a couple weeks later. And I know how I'd react if my daughters did the same thing I did.

I plead the temporary insanity of a good concert, good friends, and just one too many tequila shots.

Oh, wait. My mother might be reading this. Worse, so might my girls.

Ok, let's back up and try it again. I plead temporary insanity, good friends, good vibes, and the concert euphoria. It all started when we got back to the car and the relative quiet behind the closed doors.

Matt and Mike (yeah, and they're cousins to boot) were talking about snow in the mountains. Breck hasn't had much, it's not worth the drive.

Vail?

Too expensive. College kids all, we'd barely been able to scrape up the cover charge.

Guys, Dani interrupted. You know we can't really swing Colorado.

The guys were in the back seat. Mike leaned up to where he could include Dani in the conversation. I thought you didn't like New Mexico? You said it was too icy to enjoy this time of year.

She shook her head. Icy's a heck of a lot better than no skiing.

Ah. Now I knew what they were talking about.

Besides, Angelfire I might be able to afford, Dani continued. If we stay in that Motel 6 at the turnoff.

The guys were cool with that. And I was left wondering how I was supposed to get home.

Neither of the M boys were mine, Dani was dating Matt and I'd known all three of them since freshman year. Matt had been Dani's and my physics lab TA. Mike was in the same year as us, on Dani's dorm floor and far too much of a brother for me to want anything like that to happen.

I'd never been skiing, not on snow anyway. A couple of friends in high school water-skiied on a regular basis, and they'd gotten a lot of entertainment out of my poor efforts. The thought of scraping my face off the ice and snow of a New Mexico mountain didn't exactly make me feel like a part of the group effort.

But they were getting ready to head out now! Spring break fever, I guess. Guys, I've never been more than a hundred feet above sea level. I'm not sure I'm right for this trip.

Dani turned to me. Did you have something better to do this week? The look on her face told me maybe I needed to rethink.

That, or I needed to go home and spend some quiet time thinking about who it was that I told my secrets to. What are trying to say, Dani?

You know exactly what I'm trying to say.

Matt and Mike, clueless as ever, were running with the New Mexico idea. Smart phones apparently made the snowpack rumors a lot more tangible. Taos just got a foot, came down over the weekend, it's nice and clean.

Mike chimed in. And it's late in the season, they've already cut their lift tickets in half, there's even a deal on the rentals.

Dani's face was a study, I could see the, well, lust creep across her face. Terra...

Oh, good lord.

It's been ages since I've been to the mountains, Terra. A foot of fresh snow, you have no idea, even learning, it's like falling into a pillow...

I don't have a coat. I only packed for overnight, remember? That should have done it. Except for the smart phone thing again.

There's a Goodwill on the way out of town. It's right off the highway, and it's one of the big stores, they'll have everything we need, and a whole lot cheaper.

Thanks Matt. Except for the part where I'd have to wait tables between classes when we got back. And just when I'd finally saved up enough money to quit that and go full time at the museum.

You guys are not helping. Didn't you hear the part where I said I'd never been skiing? I like my legs firmly attached where they're at, thank you very much.

Dani snickered. You said you hate your legs, just yesterday.

No. I said I hate shaving my legs, that's not quite the same thing. And so what if sometimes I think they're ugly? That doesn't mean I want to break them off at the knees.

Dani opened her door, turned and gave me 'that look' until I got the hint. I sighed and got out of the car. What?

What about your boyfriends? The ones you said you wanted to get away from this week?

Mr. Yesterday-almost, Mr. Tomorrow-maybe. They're not my boyfriends, Dani. Category error much?

I swear, she almost smacked me on the head. Terra, he's the closest thing you've got. Dani had her opinions. Tomorrow-maybe was top of her list, but Yesterday-almost was Matt's best friend. She had divided loyalties, to say the least. Right now she just wanted me to find a way to dump Yesterday with a little grace.

Which is exactly why I wasn't sitting in the dorm room. Why on earth would I waste my break time fighting myself? Someday, maybe you'll explain to me why my love life, if any, matters so much to you.

She frowned. I'm just trying to help.

Sure, uh-huh, and now I'm the one feeling guilty. How in the world do these things keep happening to me? Fine, let's go to Taos. Just to irritate her, I reached for my cigarettes.

She crossed her arms, tapping her toes and her fingers at the same time. Watch it, sister. Don't piss off the girl who's going to be teaching you how to fall off a mountain.

I leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. I do love you, but you're getting a little heavy handed with this. Let's go play in the snow and put this away for a while. I leaned back to puff on my cigarette, then grinned at her. Besides, you never know, I might just pick up a Biff or a Chuck, my own little snow bunny to bring home and pet for a while.

The look on her face didn't change; she wanted to stay mad. But she must have been able to get over it. Because she said, Just don't call him George when you're petting him, and turned back to the car.

I gave her the laugh she wanted, ditched the butt and took my place in the passenger seat. Right, now where we're going we still need roads, right?

And we were off on our next adventure. The Goodwill store was right where the guys (and Google) said it would be, and they did have what we needed for the trip.

I'm just glad I found matching gloves. Mike ended up with a mitten on one hand and a five-finger glove on the other, don't even ask about the hat we shoved on his head. Wait, my hair's long enough why do I need a damned hat?

Stow it, junior, his cousin replied. Matt was stuck with a knit cap that probably spent a little too much time at the last comic convention, or at least at someone's Firefly re-watch festival that got raided by the Quidditch teams on their way to blow up the Death Star. I say stuck; he went for the thing from across the room. The pictures are hideous, hilarious, and absolutely the best imaginable memento