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“I’m Zach. This is my family’s cabin. Now it’s my turn. Who are you?”
Decision time. How much of the truth should she tell him? “My name is Cassidy.”
“Okay, Cassidy. How about coming downstairs and telling us why you’re here.”
“I’ll go downstairs, but there’s not much to tell. I saw the cabin and needed a place to stay. It looked a lot warmer than a tent.”
“Regardless of the reason, please join us. It’s freezing up here.” His voice suddenly turned warm like hot buttered rum.
The sexy man turned and headed down the stairs. Cassidy had little choice but to follow. When she reached the main room, she checked out the other werewolf. His facial hair was fuller, and he appeared to outweigh Zach by a good twenty pounds. However, he, too, did something to her emotional balance. What the hell was happening to her? Control used to be her middle name.
She straightened her shoulders. It was best if she made the first move. Cassidy extended her hand to the second man. “Hi, I’m Cassidy.”
“Mike. Nice to meet you.” He held her gaze and the handshake longer than expected, but surprisingly she didn’t mind.
“I have some beer, if you want to join us for a drink,” Zach said.
They weren’t kicking her out? That was great news, unless they planned to stay there too. “I’m good, but you go ahead.” When Zach’s lips pressed together, her answer must not have been what he was wanting to hear.
If she hadn’t been so upset over these two finding her, she might have been a bit more cordial. “I have some beef jerky, if you want some.”
“That would be great. I’m starving,” Mike said as he sat down on the sofa—a sofa that wasn’t quite wide enough for three people.
She grabbed her backpack and pulled out her beef jerky sticks, hoping Zach would sit next to his friend. When she counted how many sticks she had left, Cassidy realized it might have been a mistake to offer them the last of her food, but she didn’t want to appear rude.
Once she handed them each a stick, Cassidy dropped down in front of the fire. It was her favorite place to sit. She loved the warmth and the calm that it brought her.
Zach carried over two beers and handed one to his friend. “How long have you been here?” he asked, sounding more curious than angry.
Sticking to the truth seemed to be the smartest way to go. “I don’t count days, but I’d say about two weeks.”
“How did you get in?” Zach asked.
“I pressed the latch and pushed open the door.”
“No door kicking?”
“It wasn’t locked. If it had been, I would have looked elsewhere for shelter.”
He explained that his sister had recently stayed there, and that she must have forgotten to lock it when she left.
“What do you do for food? Or did you bring several weeks’ worth with you?” Mike asked. “It’s a long walk out to the parking lot and quite a drive to the nearest store.”
She wasn’t about to tell them that even if she reached the lot, she didn’t have a car. They’d then ask how she got there. Stuff like that. “I hunt.”
Zach dipped his chin. “You hunt?”
Why did he sound so surprised? “Yes. Mostly rabbit. I have no use for anything larger. Besides, winter doesn’t usually give me a lot of options. I love mushrooms and berries, but they won’t be around for many months.”
Zach sat next to Mike and then leaned forward. “I’m curious how you trap them.”
“I don’t. I shoot them with a bow and arrow.”
“That’s impressive. Did you come here specifically to hunt?” Zach asked.
“No. I was just going to stay a few days, but when I found the cabin, I decided to remain a bit longer.”
He looked over at his friend. She didn’t need to be a mind reader to see they were telepathing with each other. Cassidy suspected they didn’t believe her. “Let me show you my equipment.”
