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“What are you doing?” I scold. He should have stayed in his cabin rather than venture outside.
“We need to get out of here,” he says, examining his leg. His jeans are ripped, and he has a big gash on his calf.
“Are you insane? We can’t go anywhere in this.”
“Half the village has been crushed by trees. I can’t seem to connect to the pack, and the roof just blew off my cabin. We don’t have time for your stubbornness.”
I will never understand why fate wants us to unite when we clash so hard. We rub each other the wrong way, and it isn’t in a cute way. Our bond makes me pine for him, but his rejection is better for me. Maybe one day we’ll work out how to live in harmony, but for now, I’m too headstrong to submit to him.
“You need to shift so your leg will heal faster. Then we can try to figure out what we should do next,” I say. If what he’s saying is true, we can’t just venture out or we’ll be swept up in the storm.
“I’m the rule maker here. I don’t take orders from you.” He stands tall, thrusting out his chest, and his shirt tightens around his muscles. If I wasn’t so mad, my mouth might have watered.
I roll my eyes. His alpha ego is too much. “Okay. I’ll grab my coat, and we can go for a walk in a hurricane.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He towers over me. This is the most we’ve talked since last year.
“Going out there will get us both swept up into the air.” I point to the window, even though we can’t see outside.
He stares at me with his intense green eyes. Deep down, he knows I’m right. He lifts his shirt over his head, and I avert my eyes. Just because we have to spend the next couple of hours together doesn’t mean I have to give up on my book and go back to my unwanted pining.
He strips out of his clothes and shifts while I get comfy under the table, twisting my brown hair tightly over one shoulder. His wolf circles my den before settling at my side. Without overthinking it, I allow him to snuggle in close. Colt’s wolf is so much more agreeable than the man, and his smell of sandalwood is intoxicating. His thick grey coat is as soft as I remember. He closes his eyes, calmly resting his body.
All the regret and rejection swirl in my mind. I wanted so much more for us when I realized we were fated to be together. If I’d submitted to Colt, maybe I could’ve found a way to be happy. We never gave each other a real chance, even with the bond telling us we should. Fighting it is hard, but because we haven’t solidified our tie, it won’t kill us to be apart.
This cabin could have been our home, and I’d have had more children than the plants. I’d wanted to wake up next to him every morning and fall asleep in his arms. If I’d let him have his way and given up trying to save the trees at the local park, things might have been different. I would never expose what we are to the humans, but he didn’t like me hanging around with them. I became his unwanted mate and we’ve been stuck ever since.
It’s another twenty minutes before my roof starts to peel back. I scrunch up my fist as the sound of nails being prized from wood makes my stomach knot. I’ve never thought about how I’ll die, but this wasn’t something I ever imagined. Although I’d hoped Colt and I spend our last hours together, I didn’t think it would be at the age of twenty-five.
The roof completely lifts off. Colt shifts back to human form, and we cling to each other. As my earthly possessions disappear into the sky, it’s obvious only a miracle can save us. My stomach churns as we lose the battle to stay grounded. Up into the air we go, and I lose sight of him. My head hits something hard, and that’s when everything goes dark.
Chapter Two
BEA
My head hurts like I’ve been hit by a sledgehammer. Slowly, I open my eyes as the memory of yesterday comes flooding back. The hurricane tore through the pack’s property and my cabin was slowly blown away. Not everyone will have survived the storm, including my plants, and it hurts to think of who I might have lost.
“Colt,” I shout, feeling the panic in my wolf rise up my throat. Swinging my legs to the floor, I sit up from the large rock I landed on. A ripple of pain courses through my body, but I don’t care. I have to find him. “Colt,” I shout again. I’m still in the forest, close to Falcon Lake. The familiar smell of the wood and water is like nothing else.
Scrambling to my feet, I look around. There are trees and debris everywhere. My clothes are ruined and barely cover my body. There’s dirt in my hair, but none of that matters right now. My wolf is desperate to get out and look for our mate.
He’s not ours. He chose to abandon us.
Unfortunately, I care for him, even though I wish I didn’t. I’d know if he was dead. I’d feel it deep in my soul. He could be badly injured, though. If we’d been more prepared for the storm, we’d all be together. My fingernails turn into claws, and I fight for control. The need for the beast to find my pack is too strong, and I lose the battle, giving in to the rage that washes over me. My wolf runs through the forest, straight towards my cabin.
When we get there, it’s only the floor that remains. The furniture looks like shapes carved out of wood, and the plants are reduced to leaves. Sweet lily fragrances the air, and my heart hurts for the destruction. Searching through the rubble, I find clothing, and a teddy I used to sleep with. Almost everything is ruined.
A whiff of Colt’s sandalwood scent catches my attention. His belongings are tangled in the branches, and I smell his denim jacket. The sandalwood scent becomes stronger as I get closer to a large, hollow log. My heartbeat increases as I hear his soft breathing. Quickly, I climb into the log and run to him.
The wolf finally lets me out, and I check his forehead. “Colt, can you hear me?” I ask. When he doesn’t answer, I gently shake him, and a whimper leaves his lips. “Colt. Answer me.”
“Bea,” he finally says, and his eyes slowly open. “Am I dreaming?”
I laugh. His response instantly makes me feel better.
We’re both naked inside a log. This isn’t how I’d imagine a dream playing out. He’s conscious and doesn’t seem to be that badly hurt, so I guess, in a way, it’s a miracle.
“You’re not dreaming, and we’ve survived a hurricane. Granted, it looks like we’ve lost all our possessions, but we’re alive.”
