Tuesday Teaser 10/49/18 Gina’s Wolf Part 29

Happy Tuesday!

Life is getting a little more stressful as I get closer to moving. The move is set up for October 27, so it’s less than 2 weeks away. Part of me can NOT WAIT to move! Or actually, be moved, since it is so much work. But really, I am looking forward to being on my own again. Living in more than just one room. Cooking for just me. Cleaning up only my messes.  Oh, and the cats’ messes  🙂 Having the bathroom all to myself. Wandering around in my jammies all day if I want. Sleeping without being woken two or three times a night by my mom. Being able to sit at my computer for more than 20 minutes without being interrupted.  Having a flipping window open to cool the place down when I get too warm. Mom prefers the heat set around 80 and I prefer it around 65, so I am DYING!!  AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGHH!!!!

OK, you get the picture. I’m sure there will be things I will miss. Maybe Cleo. He’s getting to the obnoxiously playful stage of kitten hood, but he’s cute. (see the pic above) But right now, I really want to be in my own place. Soon!

This may be the last Teaser until after I get moved and settled. I owe you all a huge apology for taking so long to write this book. I have a dozen good excuses, but really, they are just excuses. My apologies. Here is the newest little bit:

“It’s nice to meet you, Wolf’s Howl,” Gina said. “Thanks for the warm welcome.”

Suddenly, nearly every head cocked as if listening to something. She turned to Cole. “What?” she began.

He cut her off with a grim shake of his head. “Gunfire. It’s coming from the direction of the city gates.”

“Oh, no,” she breathed.

Wolf’s Howl seemed unconcerned, even excited. “It’s started! Finally. Those morons from Kansas-Missouri took forever to get here.”

Taye Wolfe came into the room. “Raven, Howling Wolf, White Horse, get to the hospital and bring Patia back here. Stone, Sand, Colby, with me. Sky, lead the defense here.”

Cole bent to give her a quick kiss, and she watched with her heart in her throat as he followed his dad out. Sky took her mind off her husband’s departure by putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Do you know how to use a knife?” he asked.

Gina stared. “A knife? Like, for cutting my meat?”

“No,” he replied with a smile. “I mean for gutting a man.”

She took an involuntary step back. “No.”

“You will,” he said cheerfully, and produced a knife in a slender from behind his back. He beckoned to his wife. “Rose, take this and work with Gina so she is comfortable with a blade.” He gave his wife the knife and a casual kiss and turned away, calling directions to the men in the room.

Rose seemed to take in Gina’s shock because she patted her shoulder. “Is using a knife scary for you?”

Gina considered. “I guess it is. I’ve always had guards to protect me.”

“We won’t be unprotected, but all of the Pack and Clan women have learned to defend themselves.  It makes our men feel better to know that we aren’t easy prey. Come out to the back yard with me and we’ll start.”

Carla met them in the mudroom. “I’ll come with you. There isn’t anything for me to do, and just standing around gives me too much time to worry.”

The three women went out to a patio of cement. Rose gestured for Gina to stand by the door while she and Carla went to the center of the patio. “Watch us first to get an idea of how to hold your knife.”

Holding the knife in its leather sheath, Gina watched the other two women go through some kind of drill. The ease with which her mother-in-law handled a knife was beautiful to watch. Maybe a little scary too. Should a woman who must be close to sixty be able to move with such deadly grace? Both Carla and Rose seemed totally comfortable with the weapon. Gina watched enthralled for ten minutes before they sheathed their knives and came back to her. They showed her the special sheaths sewn into the inside of their jeans.

“Did you have the sheaths put in when you decided to come to Omaha?” she asked.

“No, all of my jeans are made with sheaths,” Rose said. “I always have a knife on me.”

“Me too,” Carla agreed. “Years ago, when the den was attacked and I was injured, Taye insisted that I learn how to fight. I am always armed, even when I’m at home in the den. All the women there are.”

Rose promised to help Gina rig a couple of her pants with the same sort of sheath. “We’ll have to get you a knife of your own. This is Sky’s back up. It will work for you for now. Let’s practice holding the knife.”

The air was cool but after an hour Gina was sweating. Patia’s arrival gave her the excuse to take a much needed break.

“Oh, you’re sparring,” Patia said. “Good. I need the exercise.”

Rose shook her head. “No, we were showing Gina some basics, and now we’re breaking. Let’s do some easy stretches to cool down.”

The four women stood in a loose circle and began a series of stretches. Gina followed the others clumsily.

“What’s it like out there, Patia?” Carla asked.

Patia rolled her shoulders in large circles, almost like a shrug built into the stretching routine. “It’s quiet. Most of the City Guards and our men are on the walls, but there are pairs of men patrolling the streets too.”

“What about shots?” Rose wanted to know. “Are they actively fighting at the walls?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t hear anything, so maybe not.”

They were quiet for a while. The thought of the attack made Gina’s stomach feel uneasy. Todd and his army had never failed. The revenge he took on Omaha would make other retaliation pale in comparison. None of the other cities had sheltered his runaway stepdaughter.

Patia broke the silence. “So, Gina, how is the knife fighting going?”

Gina made a face. “I suck at it.”

“All of us sucked at first.” Rose laughed. “You’ll be able to defend yourself soon. You’ll never be completely vulnerable to an attacker again.”

Gina looked at the other women. “Have you ever had to kill anyone?” she asked.

Patia’s gaze slid to Rose and dropped. Carla studiously examined her fingernails. Rose smiled crookedly, her eyes seemingly fixed on something in the past.

“I have. Right here in Omaha. They would have raped me and Katelyn, and probably killed us too. So I had no choice.”

“Wow. That’s … That’s …”

“Awful?” suggested Rose.

“No, awesome.” Gina looked down at her borrowed knife balanced on the brick wall. “That’s what I want to be able to do if anyone ever tries to kidnap me or attack me. I want to stab them in the heart and get away.”

Rose shook her head. “Stabbing the heart doesn’t really work. The breastbone is in the way, and it is too strong for most knives to get through. Better go for the throat or stomach.”

“The eyes are vulnerable too,” Patia said helpfully. “But you have to aim carefully. The knife might just glance off the forehead or cheekbones.”

Gina grinned. “Gruesome! Let’s go again.”