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Eva
We’d been back at the cabin a day and Tanner still hadn’t come home. I’d not seen him since the night of the party, when he heard me ask about Jessie-Lynn. Both Cole and Silas had told me not to worry, but that didn’t stop me from catastrophizing.
Life had taught me good things rarely lasted long. The kitten I’d adopted as a kid disappeared soon after. Pa took the beat-up bicycle Grandma gave me and threw it in the creek when I annoyed him. My gran, the only good person in my life, died. And so it went on.
I’d learned to close off my feelings and keep them locked away. Meeting the guys had cracked open my defenses, causing all my emotions to tumble out. It was all a little too much, and right now, overwhelming.
I knew in my heart that Tanner was like me: he didn’t know how to handle the big emotions, but whereas I shut down, he lashed out. At some point, we both needed to sit down and talk.
Functional relationships were new to me, but I’d read books and watched the occasional movie. Even I understand that communication was a two-way street. The women at the senior care home where I used to work after school were always moaning about their husbands and boyfriends. Refusing to talk about stuff was a common theme among the male population.
Sitting around, wallowing in self-pity, wasn’t doing me any good. I needed to be busy. Cole had told me Tanner was away dealing with some pack-related stuff this morning, and that he’d likely be back tonight.
I hoped that once he came back, we could talk, but to sweeten him up, I decided to bake some blueberry cookies again. After all, the last time I’d done that, it had led to other things.
OK, so sex wasn’t the same as actually talking, but if it stopped him freezing me out, I would take it as a win.
Cole had gone to check the perimeter, whatever that meant, and Silas was in his office. I pulled on my boots and coat and stepped outside. The sun shone high above the trees, warming my face as I stood on the deck with my eyes closed, listening to the birds singing.
There might not be any berries left now, but it was worth a look. The trail leading up the mountain and away from the cabin was well-used. We’d had some more snow, but there were plenty of small footprints and tracks from various forest creatures, as well as wolf tracks.
I smiled as I remembered how Silas’s wolf had rolled in the snow like an over-sized, exuberant dog when we returned yesterday. It had made me laugh, although Cole hadn’t been quite so amused when Silas shook snow and grit all over him after Cole shifted back.
The trail took me through the trees, climbing steadily up toward the ridge overlooking the cabin. I frowned as I tried to remember where I’d seen the blueberry patch. Surely it was closer than this?
The last time I headed this way, there had been more snow on the ground and the forest looked different. I paused for a moment to get my bearings. The guys had told me not to go too far from the cabin, but when I looked back, I couldn’t see the cabin anymore.
Maybe I should turn around. I must have gone the wrong way. Birds and squirrels had probably eaten the blueberries, so no doubt I was wasting my time.
I started back down the trail in the direction I’d just come from. The temperature had dropped in the 30 minutes since I started walking and I shivered with the sudden chill. Tucking my hands inside my pockets, I sped up.
The birds had all stopped singing, which was strange. Ten minutes ago, the entire forest was a symphony of noise. Now, deathly silence reigned. A ripple of unease snaked down my back and my neck prickled, like someone was watching me.
“Cole?” I called. “Are you around?” He couldn’t be too far away, and I knew he had excellent hearing.
Silence.
A twig snapped nearby, making me jump. “Cole?” I tried again, but there was no answering grumble or growl. Just more silence.
By now, the sensation of being watched was seriously creeping me out, so I started jogging along the trail, trying to watch my step, fired up by adrenaline. Echoing footsteps followed me and I broke into a run. The desire to check behind me was intense, but I didn’t dare look back in case I lost my footing.
It was precarious in places along the trail, with icy patches and hidden obstacles. The faster I ran, the more my feet slipped and skidded in the snow, catching on tree roots and rocks. Just as I reached the turn where the path curved around a large rock formation and sloped down, something large and solid hit me from the side.
My hat flew off, and I screamed as I tumbled into a snowbank. I tried to scramble to my feet, but a thickset man stood over me, his face cast in deep shadow. Terror sent my heart rate through the roof and I screamed.
“You must be Eva.” The man’s voice was gruff and slightly out of breath. “Brent’s been searching for you.”
The mention of Brent’s name jolted me out of my temporary paralysis. I couldn’t let him take me again. I refused to be his plaything any more.
“Get away from me!” I yelled.
The man lunged down and knelt on my back, forcing my face into the snow. I couldn’t breathe. He was too heavy and strong. The more I struggled, the more my lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. Black spots floated in front of my eyes and my vision narrowed to a small pinprick.
Then I heard a loud growl.
Cole!
I got you, sweetheart.
