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She gasps at the agony, glancing down at her arms, the point of origin for the millions of daggers shooting through her veins. The second gasp is louder. And it’s followed by a whimper. Deep gouges track up the inside of her forearms, jagged and bloody.
The wolf!
Elara glances around frantically, terrified it’s only just started. Flashes of golden eyes and ivory teeth echo each one of her frantic heartbeats. Except the beast is gone. She’s alone, sitting on her butt in the dirt. Somewhere an owl hoots.
How long has she been out? Oh god, Kira! Jordyn!
Elara goes to push herself up, only to cry out in pain the moment she puts pressure on her hands. She cradles them against her, the smell of blood sticking in the back of her throat. Not willing to look at her injuries again, she braces herself to try once more. She has to get to Kira and Jordyn.
She’s just tucked her legs under, hoping the shaky limbs can push her up, when headlights blind her. She lifts an injured arm to shield her eyes, blinking against both the light and pain. The sound of tires slows on the road next to her, and Elara blinks, trying to adjust to the darkness again. A dark blue sedan is only a few feet away. It’s a fairly normal car, one she wouldn’t question seeing in the city or driving around campus, but she’s not at either of those places.
She’s in the middle of nowhere. Injured.
After being attacked by a wolf.
With no idea whether the car door that’s now opening is a good thing or not. She needs help. But she also can’t defend herself if the person inside is more foe than friend.
A guy steps out, his boot crunching on the gravel. Elara’s gaze tracks up the jean-clad legs, then a loose, dark t-shirt that can’t hide the muscles beneath. Her pulse spikes once more. Whoever he is, he’s tall. And strong.
Her gaze shoots to his face and she gasps.
Him.
Elara blinks. She knew he was good-looking. That was obvious at a distance. But up close, he’s downright beautiful. Black hair flops over his forehead, almost brushing thick slashes of eyebrows. His cheekbones are just as sharp and bold, his features slicing down to a sculpted jaw. It would all be a little…angry if it weren’t for the cupid bow lips and blue eyes the color of a pale summer sky that have gripped her and not let go.
They study her. Hold her. And yet, give her nothing.
Even this close, he’s just as inscrutable. He glances down at her arms and his lips thin. Without saying a word, he spins around and pulls out a towel from the back seat of his car. With one sharp movement, he tears it in two. Elara’s eyes widen. Those muscles are definitely not just for show.
Kneeling beside her, he glances at her, those eyes piercing the darkness between them. “I’m going to wrap them up. Is that okay?”
She nods, hissing through her teeth as the pressure of the material makes the cuts burn all over again. Frowning, he wraps the other arm, too, his lips pressed tightly together.
He sits back on his haunches. “We need to get you to the hospital.”
Elara tucks her arms back in, even though they’ve just tripled in thickness. Without the grizzly sight of the wounds, she can pretend they’re not hurting as much as they are. “Ah, I don’t think so.”
For a second he looks surprised, then his frown returns. “Look, those cuts are?—”
“What’s your name?” she demands, pinning him with her gaze. She has a right to know. He’s been following her for weeks. And now he just turned up, coincidentally, when she’s been attacked by a wild animal.
His lips flatten even more, as if he doesn’t even want to answer that. “Kade.”
A nice name. A normal name. A very un-stalkerish kind of name. She frowns. Stalkers probably prefer nice, normal names.
She draws herself up a little, trying to gather some shred of pride as she sits in the dirt, her arms wrapped in terry toweling. “My name’s Elara.”
He nods and she wonders if he already knew that. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, you should get those cuts checked out. I can take you.”
Elara shakes her head but before she can talk, he huffs out a frustrated breath. “You can drive if you want, my car’s an auto.”
Despite the gruff non-communication, he’s trying to put her at ease? She shakes her head again, wondering if she knocked it when she fell over. “I can't go yet. My friends are still by theswimming hole. My friend Kira fell and hurt her leg, which is why I came to try and find help. That’s when…” She swallows, tucking her hands in closer. Tonight is fast becoming the most confusing night of her life.
“The cuts will heal,” Kade says, his voice soft. Almost gentle.
Elara looks back up, connecting once again with light blue eyes. What she finds there startles her. There’s sadness. Pain. And soul-deep anguish. And what’s even more surprising is there’s a powerful, primal part of her that wants to make it all go away. To see those lush, cupid lips turn up. Smile. Just for her.
With a quick flutter of too-long lashes, he looks away. “I’ll go get your friends. You wait in the car.”
