“Don’t cut down the tree because it blocks your view. Thatisselfish and arrogant. Trim it if it’s dangerous—but check it for nests first. Understand the structure attached to it. Make arrangements for any animals that depend on it. This isn’t very hard to do.”
“I don’t know,” Dan says. “It sounds pretty complicated.”
“It’s really not,” I reply, a slightly plaintive note in my voice. The frustration I feel about this topic causes an ache in my chest that never really goes away, and it always leaves me feeling like “ordinary” humans aren’t the same species as me.
“How about this,” I say. “Don’t kill spiders in your house. I hear a lot of people say they want to invite birds to their yardand have a relationship with them, but if you poison spiders, you also poison the birds.”
“But inside the house?” Dan asks, looking nervous. “I might be persuaded about outside, but you just said not to kill the ones inside?”
I stare steadily at him, feeling my power rising inside me.
“This is my house now,” I say. “Do not kill any of my spiders.”
“Your spiders?” Dan says, looking even more worried. “I don’t know if I can handle this.”
My anger rises, and I know I’m about to say something harsh, but a shout from outside breaks the mood.
“It’s Luke,” Dan says as Luke appears in the doorway.
“Perimeter alert!” he yells.
Dan leaps up, smacking the table and making everything on it jump. Even though cups spill over and food falls off plates, Dan doesn’t even notice as he bolts for the door, shifts, and disappears.
I look across the table in dismay, thinking about the gigantic mess I now have to clean up.
First day of marriage, and I’ve spent more time cleaning up after him than I have getting to know him.
I look down at my hands, swallowing hard as I try to shift the lump in my throat. I knew that Dan had lived rough, so I shouldn’t really be surprised by how the conversation went, but it hurts me that he’s one of those people who barely notice the living world around him.
The wind is always whispering. The birds pass on messages from miles away, and the bugs in the soil tell tales ofthe earth’s core. Every spider is a sister to a witch, helping her weave her spells. How can anyone ignore that?
The few moments I spent admiring Dan’s good looks come back to me, adding a sliver of fear to my sadness.
How can I get close to someone who has absolutely no sensitivity? He’s cute, but it sounds like he’s completely dead inside. He’s probably spent more time blowing up nature than admiring it.
With a sigh, I get up and start clearing the table so I can wash up. I really tried my best to make the most out of this morning, and now I feel worse than I did last night.
The way he bolted out of here, too… I know he has to protect the pack, no question of that. But he didn’t have to make such a mess on his way out.
A few minutes later, I’m finishing up with the dishes when Luke and Dan get back. I feel awkward and withdrawn, like I don’t know how to talk to him now.
It might be better if we don’t talk much. I can’t see any good coming from it.
“What was it?” I ask as the guys come into the kitchen.
“False alarm,” Dan says.
“Yeah,” Luke agrees. “Just some coyotes. Nothing major.”
Even though both of them use a relaxed tone of voice, they look tense.
Are they lying to me?
“Okay,” I answer. “That’s good news, then.”
“Yeah,” Dan replies. “We have to stay on alert, though. It’s new territory.”
“Of course,” I say, not liking the furtive looks the two of them share. “I guess we should go out and talk with our new pack, then?”
