The Wolf You Feed Arc Read Online Free Page A

back. The warm May sun had allowed them to wear simple, light clothing. Tore stripped off his tee, athletic shorts and flip-flops and placed them in the bag. He shifted and turned his back to give the girls privacy. They slipped out of their light cotton dresses and ballet flats. Once she slid the clothes into the bag, Annike drew the drawstring tight and gave it to Tore.  
    Taking steadying breaths, the girls shifted.  
    Although blonde as a human, Annike’s fur was a rich chestnut. Nea, several shades darker than her, had a long coat with a thick ruff. She was small compared to her friend, not much larger than an Alsatian.
    They travelled east, out of Yellowstone Park towards Cody. As they got closer to town, Annike’s stomach churned. Growing up, she’d only had limited contact with humans. The men from the clan often sold their furs and meat to the townspeople, and the boys attended the local high school. But the women and girls rarely left the commune; they went to the clan school run by Nea’s mom. Isak didn’t think it was safe for females to be around human men.
    Rumors were rife amongst the girls. Exaggerated stories about men and how they treated their women circulated the clan. The boys added credence with their wild tales about promiscuous human girls. They bragged about their conquests. If what they said was true, humans had no morals.
    As they reached the city limits, Nea eyed the road into town. Are we going to stay in Cody?  
    No. I’m aiming for Thermopolis. It’s too close here, Isak will check Cody first. We won’t be safe. Tore trotted down the side of the road. The girls falling into pace by his side.
    How far is that? Annike had never heard of the place.
    About eighty miles. The girl’s faces dropped. Even in their wolf forms, that was two days travel.
    O..okay. So from Cody, we head north to this town and then up through Wyoming and Montana? Annike tried to envisage the route through the northern Rockies.
    No, Thermopolis is southeast. Erik will expect us to go through Yellowstone and follow the mountain range. But we’re going east to Nebraska.  
    Are you sure that’s wise? Wouldn’t we be safer in the mountains? We know the territory there.
    Tore shook his head. He didn’t dare stick to the Rockies. If he did, the clan would find them in days. It would be better if they moved out of wolf territory. No one in the clan would expect them to do that. We need as much distance between us and the commune, as possible. But Dad will expect us to keep to what we know best, if we go cross-country it buys us a few days, maybe a week. By the time anyone figures out we left Yellowstone, we’ll be long gone. We can worry about where we settle, after we lose the clan.
    But how will we travel so far in one day, Tore? Nea looked like she might cry.
    When we get to the other side of Cody, we’ll hitch a ride on the I-20, Tore said.
    Is that safe?  
    Yeah, I’ve done it loads of times.
    Swallowing their nerves the girls fell silent. Taking their lead from Tore they followed him along the side of the road. They didn’t dare dawdle, time was of the essence. Tore was right, the further they could get from the clan the better.  
    ***

    After leaving nearby Cody, they hitched a lift on the back of a truck. The driver took them fifty miles to the intersection with the 431. It was more than they’d expected, and their progress gave them renewed energy for their journey.  
    Despite the ride, it was late when they entered Thermopolis. Dark shadows loomed along unfamiliar streets. A loud siren startled them and they hid in a doorway. A car sped past, followed by the police. Tore pulled Annike under his arm and held Nea’s hand.
    “It’s okay,” he kissed Annike’s hair. “I know somewhere safe, we can stay.” The noise of the city didn’t seem to bother him and the girls held onto him for comfort.  
    They stopped outside a grand looking dwelling. “This is it,” Tore said.
    He left them in the