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Finally giving up on sleep, I sat up and pulled my boots on. Maybe a short walk and some fresh air would help.
The common area was empty and the moon was a sliver giving very little light. I’d never seen darkness like this. Wolf Creek wasn’t a large town, but there were always lights on somewhere. Streetlights, signs on shops, even windows in people’s homes. Someone was always awake whenever I went out, no matter the hour. Crossing my arms over my chest against the cold, I kept walking.
I was pretty sure I was the only one awake right now. My heart ached and my throat felt a little tight. I’d been lonely my whole life. When I was younger, I was desperate to belong. I wanted friends just like anyone else. As I got older, I convinced myself I was better off without them. Spending a week here might have made everything worse. I had a brief shining moment of feeling like I fit in. I was welcomed here. Nobody treated me like I was contagious or pushed me around just for existing.
My feet had carried me to the woods and I hesitated as I stared into the darkness of the trees. Without the sun, it was pitch black in there. While my sense of direction had improved, it probably wasn’t a great idea to try to navigate in the dark.
I turned and took a few steps before I heard a twig snap. Heart racing, I turned around, half expecting to see a bear or some other bloodthirsty creature.
“It’s just me,” Alec said.
“What are you doing out here?” My eyes widened when I realized he was naked. “Without clothes?”
“I went for a run,” he said. “Couldn’t sleep.”
“Naked?”
“I shifted,” he said.
“Of course you did.” I felt like an idiot.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked.
“It’s hard when I have no idea what to expect tomorrow,” I said harshly.
“I was going to talk to you about that earlier tonight, but I got the sense you didn’t want to see my face,” he said.
“I didn’t. I did. I mean, I don’t know what I wanted,” I said.
“Look, about the mark, I didn’t expect to see it.”
“The part that bothers me is the fact that you think I’d lie to you about it,” I admitted. “You and your friends saved my life. I know the risk you took bringing me here. I wouldn’t disrespect you that way. I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me.”
“I know,” he said.
“You have to know that I’d rather take my chances in the woods alone than bring harm to anyone here. If I knew they were after me, if I knew about the toxin…” I sighed. There wasn’t much I could change now.
“Tomorrow, we’ll drive to the edge of Wolf Creek and hike in. You said your mom lives in the trailer park, right?”
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“While you go there to retrieve whatever you can find, I’ll prepare what we need to break the bond. Is there a place we can meet that has strong community ties but isn’t too crowded?” he asked.
“There’s an old barn on the south end of town. They have most of the ceremonies there, but it’s not used during the day,” I said.
“Good, we’ll meet there once you find what you need,” he said.
“How do we do it?” I asked. “Break the bond, I mean.”
“Greta gave me some tips, things we can try while you’re closer to him.” He moved closer to me and I held my breath. I could see him better out of the shadows of the trees. Even in the darkness, seeing him naked sent a wave of lust through me. I still wanted him.
“Okay,” I said. “I’m trusting you with this.”
“I know,” he said.
“After the bond is broken, do you think they’ll stop coming after me?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said.
“Good.” I was too afraid to ask about what would come next. Would I be welcome back here? Would Alec and I ever get beyond this awkwardness between us? Part of me was still confused while the rest of me was ready to jump on him right here.
“I should go.” I couldn’t trust myself to stay any longer. There was too much at stake tomorrow. Once we did what needed done, I would figure out what was going on with Alec.
“Try to get some sleep, Lola,” he said.
“You too.” I turned and walked back to Sheila’s tent without looking back.
