by LeAnn Mason
“Just don’t think about it,” I cajoled as my teeth clenched. My limbs stiffened, threatening to send me headlong into the glacial liquid where I would turn into a human popsicle.
I splashed water all along my body in an attempt to clear the various nastiness from my skin. Not the least of which was blood from a multitude of small nicks and cuts I’d accumulated along my arms and legs. I found myself rather relieved that I didn’t have access to a mirror at the moment. I’d probably scare myself with how much I resembled the victim in a slasher film.
Cold water to the face was a surefire way to come back to reality. I shivered as I scrubbed roughly before finally backing out of the shallow water, suddenly feeling eyes on me again. I grabbed the knife swiftly from the pile of discarded clothes that I now had to put back on my semi-clean body. I felt dirty again just thinking about it, a phantom itch moving across my skin.
“Wolfie.” I didn’t bother pulling the blade from the sheath. My shadow was back. Somehow I knew, even out of sight, that it was her. “You know, I should probably come up with a better name for you than ‘Wolfie’ if you insist on hanging around…” Up the bank in the direction I’d come from, a dark silhouette emerged from the base of a tree. Still shrouded in fernlike underbrush, those golden eyes pierced my soul.
There was something about this wolf. Something drew us together even if we didn’t want it. I had this base understanding of her somehow, almost like I could read her. But that was impossible, and I shook the nonsense out of my head, taking a conscious step backward―a step toward the stream and away from the animal that I didn’t know at all, despite my gut feeling.
I still needed water to drink, not to mention food for my very rumbly belly. As I had no quick means to build a fire and boil water, I’d either have to build a fire like my ancestors had—with sticks and by whittling a hole for friction—or try to find a location that held rainwater from a previous storm. I thought I remembered one blowing through a couple of days ago, but who was to say if this area had been affected or, if it had been, if there were any remaining puddles or leaf buckets that I could use to quench my thirst. That was next on the agenda, because even though my stomach complained of being empty, it was dehydration that I would succumb to faster.
Sucking up my distaste for my forced redressing with only a curled lip and narrowed eyes, I snatched up the now-beige garment and pulled it on, beginning the arduous task of buttoning it. The crimson cape was next, because it was too cumbersome to carry, and I needed it for my sleeping arrangements. I still needed to find something to latch my knife to so I would have a hand free, but until I found something suitable, I’d cling to it for dear life.
The sun began its descent, which meant I only had another few hours until I was once again alone in the woods in the darkness of night, when all of the nighttime terrors roamed in search of easy meals. The only reason I’d been able to sleep on the dirt and in the open last night had been because I’d had a watchdog. A protector that was a predator himself. I wasn’t sure I would have that luxury again. I’d need to build a fire as a deterrent and possibly—if I could swing it—find a sleeping spot off the ground, probably in the branches of a tree somewhere.
At least, there were plenty to choose from.
It seemed my stagnancy had drawn my shadow in. I saw her tan-tipped body come up on my right, and I cast a quick glance at her lithe shape. She really was beautiful. I appreciated her majesty, but it didn’t diminish the healthy respect I had for her prowess. I still couldn’t be sure she was just a wolf, but for now, I was comfortable with the assumption. “So, are we going to be friends? You going to help me survive out here… somehow?” She just panted at me, her body heaving slightly with the motion.
“Guess you’re hungry too, huh?” I nodded in answer to myself and looked around, hoping that something in the way of life-saving sustenance would just pop out at me. Maybe roast itself up for dinner while at it. That’d be awesome and about the level of assistance I’d need to actually catch something to eat. “Don’t suppose you wanna go hunt us some grub? Well, not grub,” I amended. “Like a rabbit. Or two. You know, one for each of us?” The wolf sat down as if in direct contradiction to my request. She looked at me, flicked an ear, and folded onto her haunches. “Guess not.” I couldn’t help the laugh that huffed out of me as I returned to my surveillance. I was still talking to a freaking wolf, and the damn thing bucked at everything I said. But then, she was constantly there. I didn’t get it.
A thought occurred to me: why hadn’t Seth caught up to me yet? All the man had to do was call up his killer wolf, and he’d be able to track me as if I had a gigantic neon sign pointing directly to me. It was the main reason I’d not really bothered with any kind of evasion techniques. Well, that and because I wasn’t sure exactly what those techniques were…
Not the point! I scolded myself with an eye roll and shake of my head. I even looked over at my companion as though she’d laugh at my foolishness, which only had me doing it all over again for thinking that a wolf would do such things.
“Is hallucination a symptom of dehydration? I think it is. Crap. I really need to figure out an escape plan. One that actually has a potential for long-term longevity without such a steep learning curve.”
“Well, you are right. Hallucinations are definitely a side effect of dehydration.” A very deep, very masculine voice returned, making me spin on my heel as I quickly unsheathed my ceremonial knife.
I stood in a defensive position, slightly crouched as I held the knife with its pointy end away from me. I knew at least one thing about the weapon: it would be sharp. Those knives were meant to kill. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be me getting skewered.
CHAPTER 5
“W hoa there,” the intruder balked, his hands up in an “I surrender” pose, but he still took small, calculated steps toward where I stood by the water’s edge. I didn’t know if he thought I couldn’t tell he moved or if he was calling my bluff, but he definitely inched toward me and the wolf.
Amusingly, he didn’t seem to notice her—and she was hard to miss. “Who are you? What do you want? Stop moving toward me!” I snapped as he tried again to sidle closer.
Finally, he planted his feet, and I released my breath. Neither did I tear my eyes from him, nor straighten from my defensive stance. I had no idea who this man was, and I wasn’t taking any chances. Hands still up, feet now affixed in the soft earth, he spoke again.
“Introductions seem like something that should happen without a knife’s point.”
“Well, I’m not dropping it, so…” I shrugged. “Your choice.”
I was pretty sure the large man rolled his eyes at me as he huffed and mumbled something.
“Was that meant for my ear? Didn’t catch it. Speak up.”
“I said that by the way you’re pitching that thing, I’m pretty sure—no, I’m positive I could disarm you without injury to myself.” He looked at me like his declaration of my ineptness should be enough for me to just give up.
Fat chance.
“Ugh. I’m Hunter. I live in Grimm Hollow, you know, right over there…” He pointed in the direction the stream led, further down the slope away from where we stood. He was young, maybe early twenties, at most. His attire was a little strange, a mixture of hunter and modern, with comfortable-looking cargo-type pants that were camouflaged with green and brown. Sticks and leaves were the main theme. His shirt was much the same with long sleeves and a fairly high neck. And he was big. Solid. I bet he was all muscle under those greens. I didn’t see an obvious weapon on him, but I had absolutely no doubt they were there.
Hunter couldn’t hide his prowess. Every line of his body screamed “dangerous.” From his light brown hair in a military-esque hairstyle—with short sides blended into a slightly longer top—to his dark, comfy-looking boots, everything about him was honed. His hazel-colored eyes held my attention as he took a deliberate step, kicking his chin toward my bright red accessory. “You’re like a beacon wit
h that thing, you know. Why didn’t you lose it?”
“So, you’re a stalker. Good to know,” I quipped, trying to hide the tremble of my voice and the slight shake of my hands. “Why are you following me? Why let me believe I was alone?”
“All good questions,” he admitted without remorse. “I didn’t know if you’d get in, if you knew where you were going. I didn’t know if you’d been sent.” Hunter shrugged like this was the most natural thing in the world. “Did you know where you were going?”
“I… uh…”
“I’m going to take that as a no, which is basically what I’d observed about you. Also, I couldn’t intervene unless you made it onto Grimm Hollow territory, which you now have.” He smiled proudly like I was a prized student, someone to be paraded around in front of the competition and touted as having done something remarkable.
I snorted a derisive laugh. “Great, because that all means so incredibly much to me.”
“Most people don’t make it inside. They just keep circling the woods or skip over to the other side having never known what lies within.”
“That’s great, Mister Vague.” I couldn’t keep the sarcasm from my tone or my eyebrows from lifting to my hairline. What had I stumbled into?
He clapped his hands jovially and chirped out a, “Well, let’s get you to town,” as he brushed past me with long, confident strides and waved me onward from over his shoulder.
I stood frozen, watching his retreating body as my mind tried to make sense of him and his abrupt appearance. Was he really there? “Why in the world would I just blindly follow some random dude I ran into in the forest? One who’s admitted to stalking me already…” I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure him out without lowering my weapon.
“I’m a Sentinel. It’s my job to keep Grimm Hollow safe. Do I trust you? No. Can I take you?” He nodded after a second’s perusal. “I think so.” He said it so dismissively. He was absolutely not intimidated by me.
“Awesome. Kudos for you. I’ve had enough of manipulations. All it’s gotten me is pain and horror. I’m not doing it again.”
The guy looked at me shrewdly. “That’s good. Definitely smart to be wary. I do, however, know my way out of these woods. You look hungry and like you don’t know how to hunt. Especially if your only weapon is that shiny piece you pointed at me earlier.”
What did Wolfie think of this guy? At the thought, I looked toward where she’d been before his arrival and spun a hurried circle. She was gone, or at least, I couldn’t see her. Maybe he hadn’t seen her, either…
My stomach rumbled loudly again, a noisy reminder that what he said was true. Damn it. “Hey, wait up,” I called reluctantly, pulling up from my crouch and tripping after the only human I’d seen in over twenty-four hours. The previous had been a junior psycho intent on sacrificing me for some devilish means. I quickly prayed to whoever listened that I’d not have to resort to a stick sword to escape Hunter. I didn’t want his aid to be false. His aura was a dark red, earthy color I hadn’t really seen before, and I wasn’t quite sure how to interpret it.
As I pulled up behind my guide, brushing aside branches seeking to snag or scrape, I decided to get what information I could while we marched. My still-wet hair once again decided it best liked when it plastered across my forehead and impeding my vision. So, every few moments, I’d brush it aside while continuing my barrage of questions. “Did you see a black wolf around anywhere?”
“Nope. I haven’t seen a black wolf in these parts… ever,” he mused as he forged ahead, blazing an unseen trail before me. “We do have plenty of predators around here, though, wolves only being one of them.” He watched my reaction to his words from over his shoulder and was still able to keep from marching headlong into any trees. There was something predatory in his manner that seemed to aid his progress.
“Yeah, well, I could do some damage of my own. I don’t have any qualms about stabbing you in the back if it means I live another day,” I threatened.
He raised his hands in placating surrender. I narrowed my eyes at him. There was something about him that had me on edge. I wasn’t sure exactly what yet, but it was there. It would probably present itself at the most dramatic point possible.
“So, where is this Grimm Hollow? I’ve never heard of it,” I mumbled, swatting branches away to keep them from smacking me in the face. Being right on Hunter’s heels now, sticks were weaponized when released from his strong grasp. “Chivalry is dead, it seems,” I mumbled as yet another leaf-lined stick came whizzing toward my eye. Maybe it was karma for using a stick as a weapon. That would figure.
“I’ll take you to the elders once we get into town. They’ll be able to answer your questions.”
“Elders? Who talks like that? What town is run by ‘elders’?” No response, just the deafening escalation of the night bugs and the hoot of an owl ruffled by our trudge through its blossoming hunting grounds. I waited to hear more, but it appeared Hunter was not a man of many words, or at least, not toward me. Or at least, not now. Get a grip!
Awesome, I once again trudged through the woods at a creepy hour with a man I didn’t trust. It was apparently my theme song. This sucks. Night fast approached, and I wanted out of these never-ending trees. So, I stuck tight to my guide’s rear and tried not to notice just how nice a rear it was—quite round, perky even—tucked perfectly into his fake-nature-designed pants. I could imagine just how firm it would be in my hands if I reached out and gave his bum a little squeeze.
Holy crap! Where did that come from? My steps faltered, and a hot blush stole up my neck toward my ears at my rather crude thoughts. Not that they weren’t true, but I wasn’t normally so bold, especially about random guys I’d just met. Living within the coven dissuaded me from any entanglements with men. I’d only really had one friend, a girl who’d stuck by me throughout the torment rained down from Griffin and his ilk: Mae Randall. My best friend.
“What’s got you all bothered back there, Red?”
“Huh? Wha—Red?” The nickname cleared my mind of its meanderings, giving me something much more comfortable to focus on. “Why’d you call me Red?”
He stopped abruptly and turned, my closeness causing an impact of our bodies. My hands came up to brace against his very solid chest as his hands wrapped reflexively around my waist to steady me. His hazel eyes flared even brighter as he peered down at me. I about melted into a pile of girly goo as I returned his intense stare, that red aura of his flaring just as his eyes did.
And then, it happened.
As a bright gold eclipsed the green of his irises, a wolf’s head emerged to hover like a holographic version of a football mascot head. A real animal presented in a magical way that had my pulse tripping in my throat as panic swelled within me.
Not again! “No, no, no!” Reflexively, I backed away and slid my stolen knife from its sheath. “Did Seth send you to fetch me? I don’t recognize you, but that doesn’t mean anything,” I choked out. My mind raced as I tried to figure out what I needed to do. I needed to get away from here, from him, but I was pretty damn sure I couldn’t take a man like him when he was prepared.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. What’s going on? Red?” Hunter had taken up a defensive position, hands raised and palms out as he stood stock still with the wolf head still straddling his face. He wasn’t as calm as he was trying to project.
I needed to get out of there, but I had no idea where to go. Was this Grimm Hollow really a place? Was it also controlled by Seth? While I panicked over the details I knew nothing about, Hunter took advantage and stepped toward me, the movement pulling me back to my current predicament.
I had two choices right then: fight or flee.
The wolf’s gaze, just as intense as Hunter’s human one, made the effect that much more potent. Four eyes scrutinized me, sized me up, looked for weakness. My spine stiffened as if a steel rod had been shoved along my back. I wasn’t going to let these damn wolf people control me anymore. I was made of better stuff than that.
It was high time I acted like it.
“I’m not going back there. You’ll have to kill me,” I informed my rival from my somewhat battle-ready position.
“Listen, girl—” Hunter’s words cut off when the pretty man had to take a quick jump backward to avoid my swiping blade. I was done listening. It had been stupid of me to follow the first schmuck who’d happened upon me. I took another giant step forward, swiping my weapon in a sweeping arc that paralleled the leaf-riddled ground where we’d stopped, the debris crunching and smooshing under my feet with each step.
“I see you, Hunter,” I ground out between lunges. I wanted to leave these woods with my freedom, maybe even my life.
I felt like a swordsman from one of my favorite movies as I continued to usher the stranger with the superimposed wolf head away from me. He wasn’t fighting me, only watching each lunge, making sure to stay out of range of my wild swiping.
A flick of Hunter’s wrist had me instinctively following the movement. What was that? What did he throw? Why? Where?
In one swift move, Hunter slid toward me with an arm outstretched, his right hand wrapping around my wrist and bending my hand backward with pressure at the base of my palm as his left arm slid around my back and pulled me into his chest. Again.
“Drop it,” he growled, pushing harder against my left wrist. My hand didn’t bend that way naturally—which he definitely knew—and I dropped the blade with a cry of pain. He didn’t let me go, didn’t let me step away from him in the slightest. The wolf’s grey muzzle was only a hairsbreadth from my nose. I could almost feel the hot gusts of breath the animal blew almost smell its fetid panting.
I was going to pass out from hyperventilation if I didn’t get my heaving under control. To shut out the fear, I closed my eyes and turned my head away to allow me the illusion that I wasn’t about to be eaten alive by a wolf, not unlike my grandmother so long ago. I was reminded again that I hated the woods. Bad things happened to my family in the midst of the forest.
