Page 29 of Abdominal Snowman

Risk

Sage’s heart was racing, thumping steadily in the background as she waited for his response.

Soren couldn’t avoid it forever. Not if he wanted to gain her trust. And she really hoped he wanted to trust her.

“I’m an abominable snowman. That’s the official term, I guess you’d say,” he finally answered.

Her breath hitched, and Soren took a sip of his beer. When she didn’t speak right away, he pointed his fork at her. “What’s the next question?”

Her eyes widened just the slightest before she recovered from the surprise and leaned into the table. “Were you born here?”

“Right here in Berrysburg.”

Sage leaned back, taking her beer bottle with her, and studied him.

Soren circled the rim of his bottle with his finger as she decided her next question.

“Why are you out here all alone?”

His gaze jerked to her, surprise freezing his features for a split second. “I don’t like the heat. And abominables don’t mix well with the human population.”

Sage tilted her head to the side. Why? “How come? When you look human, you seem perfectly normal to me. If I hadn’t already seen you… otherwise, I wouldn’t question it.”

“You not questioning something? Must be pretty impressive then,” he teased.

“Hey!” she chided. “I’m naturally curious, what can I say?”

His chuckle was thick and sweet like honey. “It’s just easier to be up here. It’s private, there’s no one around to pry… usually,” he drawled, a pointed glance in her direction.

Sage rolled her eyes at his dig. “Yes, yes, I’m nosy. Tell me something I don’t know. Like, do you never go into town? Do they even know about you?” she asked, leaning forward.

“Of course they do. How else do you think I get groceries?”

Sage avoided his gaze and sipped her beer guiltily. He didn’t need to know how she thought he was out here surviving.

“Really?” he asked. “You think I hunt rabbits and deer or something up here?”

Oops. “What else was I supposed to think?” The question burst out of her with a slight laugh. “It seems like you’d be on the top of the food chain up here. Am I wrong?”

Soren grumbled something under his breath. “I mean, no. But the animals respect my area, and I respect theirs. They know I’m something more.”

She gasped, then blurted the first thing in her mind. “Holy shit, do you mark your territory like a dog?”

Soren lifted his gaze to her, and she let out a loud laugh at the absolute horror on his face.

“I am not a dog,” he stated sternly over her laughter. “I do not mark my territory like a dog.” He sat down his beer. “They know by my smell that I’m something different.”

“So… are you dangerous?” she finally asked.

“Wouldn’t that be a matter of perspective?” he countered.

Sage narrowed her eyes. “Are you planning to murder me out here and bury my body in the snow?”

He choked on a laugh and cleared his throat, settling down in his chair with a shake of his head.

Sage shouldn’t be looking at him this way. He was just so… handsome. And the little lines that appeared around his smile seemed rusty. She wanted to loosen them up a bit.

“You ever killed anyone?” she teased.