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My heart was pounding in my ears. “I wanted to be with you. I quit my job.”
“I wanted to be with you. I quit my job,” the woman mocked in a high-pitched voice. “This is the woman you were telling me about? Remind me again, why are you dating her?”
“Louis.” I looked directly at him and ignored the scantily clad cheerleader. “What are you doing? I thought you wanted to go to the Christmas ball together.”
Louis’s arm moved from the cheerleader’s behind to her shoulders, and he pulled her closer. “I changed my mind. You really should’ve stuck to your job, Martha.”
I glanced between them, the pounding in my ears growing louder. Louis and his date turned back to each other and ignored me. For a while, I stood there, digging my nails into the inside of my palms, the bad taste in my mouth growing. Eventually, I shook my head and pushed my way through the gathering crowd, tears burning my eyes. Once I stumbled outside, I leaned against a large statue and emptied the contents of my stomach, the knots in the center of my stomach growing worse.
Seeing the two of them together was hitting me hard.
My throat burned, and my eyes were watery when I reached into my pockets for a tissue. I used it to wipe my mouth before I got back into the car and started the engine. My hands trembled as I placed them on the wheel and stared straight ahead. Slowly, I inched out of the parking lot and onto the main road, the low buzzing in the back of my head growing stronger.
What was I supposed to do now?
Music continued to play through the speakers until it stopped, and an advertisement came on, offering discounted prices at snow mountain lodges. With a frown, I turned up the volume and listened intently. Then I pressed down on the gas and took off in the direction of the nearest lodge, desperate not to spend my night crying and alone in my damp, cold apartment above my mom’s garage.
I couldn’t go back there like this.
I wouldn’t.
Since I’d wanted to vacation in the snowy mountains for as long as I could remember, I realized now was a perfect time. Not only did I not have to worry about Louis, who always came up with excuses to keep me from going, but I also didn’t have to worry about getting back to work anytime soon. Thankfully, I had my other jobs waiting for me after Christmas and my savings to tide me over.
And after the night I had, I deserved a vacation.
The roads ahead were dark and empty, with nothing but streetlamps for miles on end. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a gas station and stopped to fill up my car and stock up on snacks and clothes. When I got back into the car, I felt better about the trip, and a low thrum of excitement started within me. I turned the volume up, blinked back the tears, and kept driving, snow falling steadily around me.
In the distance, the mountains loomed, calling out to me.
Halfway there, a fierce wind began to blow, and the snow increased, whipping into a frenzy on either side of the car. Underneath me, the car trembled and shook, making me sit up straighter. I clutched the steering wheel tighter and peered into the darkness. Being the only car on the road was making me uneasy.
Suddenly, the car began to skid and swerve.
My heart jumped into my throat as I eased my foot off the gas and released the wheel. I couldn’t hear past the pounding in my ears as the car slid forward before coming to an abrupt stop, launching me forward. The seatbelt dug into my chest and ribs as it yanked me back hard enough to make spots dance in my field of vision. I swallowed and tried to undo the clasp with shaky hands.
Something slammed against the car, making it rattle.
I pressed my face to the glass, saw a pair of large teeth, and screamed. Hastily, I scrambled over the driver’s seat and into the back. I listened, heard the low growling and heavy breathing, and realized what was happening. By the light of the moon, I was able to make out three more wolves circling the car.
Frantically, I searched the car for a weapon to use.
Then I saw him, his face lit up by red and orange flames as he burst out of the foliage and towards the car, one arm flailing next to him. He skidded to a halt in front of the car and waved his hands up and down with the lighter, making low noises in the back of his throat as he did. One by one, the wolves bared their teeth at him before turning and racing back into the forest.
The door wrenched open when he yanked on it, and I stumbled out, colliding with his chest. He righted me and peered down into my face. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
I tilted my head back to look up at him and squinted. “No, they didn’t hurt me. Your leg…it’s bleeding.”
He shifted from one foot to the other and winced. “We need to get out of the cold. I saw a nearby lumberjack hut. Come on.”
With a pause, I stuffed my clothes and food into my bag and slammed my car door shut. The car’s headlights lit up as I locked it and matched my stride to the man’s. When a thin sheen of sweat broke out across his forehead, I took his arm and draped it over my shoulders.
Together, we hobbled in the darkness, shivering and damp, while the blizzard grew stronger.
Chapter 2
Albin
With a grunt, I threw my weight against the door, and it cracked open. Next to me, the petite blonde-haired woman did the same. Once it opened the rest of the way, she helped me inside in spite of my grunts of protest. Tiny particles of silver light poured in through the open windows, giving the place a soft and eerie glow.
