Chosen: Gem Creek Bears, Book One

by Snyder, Jennifer

  I glanced around, but didn’t see anyone. Movement near the edge of the woods caught my eye though. I squinted through the darkness, but couldn’t make anyone out. Unease swelled in the pit of my stomach. I grabbed all my bags and slammed the trunk to my Jeep closed before darting back inside the RV. Once I was inside, I secured the old lock and breathed a sigh of relief.

  I tossed my bags on the bed and forced myself to take in a few deep, measured breaths. Even though I was safe inside the RV, I still couldn’t shake the sensation of knowing someone had been watching me. I made my way to each window and closed the mini blinds.

  Was I just paranoid, or had someone really been watching me?

  I had every right to be paranoid after the night I’d had, but I still had to calm myself. If I didn’t, I knew my mind would drift through all sorts of crazy scenarios. I wished I could call Penny and tell her everything. It was late though, she’d be sleeping, and I knew she slept like the dead. There was no way she’d hear her phone. She was the only person I’d ever met who needed two alarm clocks to wake up in the morning.

  The kettle blew, signaling my water was ready, and I jumped. My hand flew to my chest as a gasp escaped me.

  “Get it together, Tris,” I muttered, stepping to the stove.

  After I prepared my tea, I changed into my pajamas and then propped pillows up behind me on the bed, so I could sit and sip. My mind wandered back to the two times tonight I’d felt someone watching me. Fear crawled through me as I worried it might have been Corbin.

  It was possible he’d somehow followed me—especially if he was a vampire.

  A shiver slipped down my spine, and I took a swig of hot tea to chase it away. Too bad it couldn’t wash away my thoughts as easily. I shifted around in bed, my limbs aching and my mind spinning. Sleep would probably never come. I pulled open one of the drawers beneath the bed, curious as to what was inside.

  A photo album.

  I picked it up and cracked the spine. Old Polaroids filled the pages. There were a few of the Bear Shadow, some of the campground, and a collage of family pictures. I spotted Liam in them right away. His intense eyes and the crooked smile he gave the photographer gave him away. It was the same smile he’d given me earlier when he found me amusing.

  My gaze drifted to the others in the pictures with him. I assumed the three boys were his brothers. They shared a lot of the same features and seemed close in age, but it was clear from the pictures that Liam was the oldest. He couldn’t be much older than me, though. Maybe twenty-two or twenty-three at most. I glanced at the brother beside him in one of the pictures. He looked about a year or two younger than Liam, which would make him probably nineteen or twenty now. Then, I scanned the faces of the other two boys. Right away, I realized they were twins. They seemed younger than both Liam and his other brother, so I imagined they were probably my age—eighteen.

  When I came to the final two pages in the album, my breath caught. A picture of a beautiful woman gazing into the eyes of a handsome man captured my attention. They were leaned against a large wooden sign for the campground. A bear holding a bucket of dirt was painted on it. The woman smiled as she gazed into the guy’s eyes. He flashed her a half-cocked smirk that reminded me of Liam. These had to be his parents.

  Did Liam and his brothers know this album was here?

  I sipped my tea as my gaze drifted to the last picture. It was of a spectacular waterfall. Someone had written on the white strip beneath the Polaroid in black marker. Their handwriting was chunky and sloppy.

  Yona Waterfall.

  I brushed my fingertips over the image. Same as everything else about this place so far, the waterfall called to me. I wondered where it was, if it was around here somewhere.

  I searched for my cell, but realized it was still in the cupholder of my Jeep. My stomach twisted at the thought of heading back outside. I didn’t want to have to deal with whoever had been out there before, staring at me again. It had creeped me out enough the first time.

  I wanted to look up the waterfall, though. No, I had to. The sensation to learn more about it was overwhelming.

  Maybe whoever had been out there was gone. Or maybe there hadn’t been anyone there to begin with.

  I slipped on the flip-flops I’d set out after changing into my pajamas and set my tea on the counter. My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I unlocked the door to the RV next. Crazy thoughts of someone waiting on the steps to grab me flashed through my mind, causing my heart rate to spike. I held my breath as I inched the door open.

  No one was waiting on the steps to hurt me.

  I stepped outside. It was still pitch black out and eerily quiet. I made my way down the steps from the RV and straight to my Jeep, moving fast. I swung the door open, grabbed my cell, slammed the door shut, and then bolted back to the RV. Once I was inside, I locked the door behind me. Even though no one had been out there waiting for me, my breath was still ragged and my heart still raced. I took a sip from my tea and forced myself to relax while I made myself comfortable on the bed again. Afterward, I powered my cell on. It went crazy with missed calls and text messages, causing me to cringe. As I glanced over them all, I realized two things.

  None of them were from my mom. And all of them were from Corbin.

  I didn’t even bother reading his messages or listening to his voicemails. Instead, I clicked on my Internet browser and waited for a search bar to appear. It took longer than I would have liked thanks to my limited cell service out here. When it finally loaded, I typed in Yona Waterfall and waited. It took a while before anything came up. Once it did, I skimmed the headings of multiple sites until I noticed one in particular that caught my eye—Gem Creek Campground.

  I clicked on the link and was taken to the homepage. Their logo for the site was the same one I’d seen on the sign in the picture of Liam’s parents—a bear holding a bucket. I clicked on the image gallery, curious of what this place looked like in the daylight. Pictures of a few RVs being showcased to rent popped up followed by some of the camping areas. There were a couple of the general store Liam had mentioned, the office, the pool, the creek, and the gem mining section.

  This place looked awesome.

  I continued to scroll through the images until I spotted one of the waterfall. When I clicked on it, I was taken to a page for Yona Waterfall. I skimmed the page and two things stood out to me in the span of a few seconds. One, Yona stood for bear in Cherokee. And two, the trailhead to the waterfall was here at the campground.

  After I got some sleep, I planned to find it.

  Chapter Five

  I woke to the sound of someone shouting. I bolted upright. It took a second for me to realize the person shouting wasn’t close—they were outside—and it took me even longer to remember where I was. My brain was foggy as I tossed the sheet off my sweaty skin and slipped from bed. Bright light filtered through the closed mini blinds of the RV, and I knew I’d at least slept a few hours.

  Who the heck was yelling? What was going on?

  My stomach tightened as I made my way to a window to peek out. Two kids stood close to my Jeep, playing with sticks like swords.

  “On guard you nasty villain!” one shouted in a tiny high-pitched voice.

  “I’ll make you walk the plank!” the other countered.

  I backed away from the window and yawned. Pain radiated through my cheek. I needed some aspirin.

  What time was it?

  I grabbed my cell off the counter and checked the time. It was a little after 3:30 in the afternoon. I couldn’t believe I’d slept so late into the day. Typically, I was an early riser—no matter the time I went to bed.

  Clearly, I’d been exhausted.

  I set my cell on the counter again and then grabbed a glass from a cabinet. After filling it with tap water and downing half of it in a few swigs, I changed out of my pajamas into last night’s filthy clothes. Then, I gathered some clean clothes from my bags for a shower. It sucked I’d have to head to the bathhouse to clean up
, but at least there was one.

  I felt disgusting.

  As I stepped out of the RV, a kid squealed from a few feet away, making me jump. He was still locked in the pirate battle he was having with the other kid.

  The sun was bright, forcing me to squint, as I walked. My head throbbed like I had a hangover, and my whole body hurt like a mother. I couldn’t remember a time in my life when I’d ever run as far or fast as I had while trying to get away from Corbin. Muscles I didn’t know I had ached.

  My stomach grumbled as I popped open the door to my Jeep and reached inside for my sunglasses. The pirate battle happening nearby grew louder until a loud thud against my Jeep sounded. I took a step back to see what happened and spotted one of the kids covering his mouth, trying to hide a smirk. The other was stickless and looked scared.

  “Oops,” he said, flashing me a crooked smile. “Sorry. The stick slipped.”

  I continued to the back of my vehicle to scope out the damage. There wasn’t any.

  “Tobin! What are you doing? You leave that girl alone,” a woman who the stickless little boy resembled shouted. “Y’all are going to poke your eye out fighting with sticks like that. I told you boys you need to find something else to do. Someone’s going to get hurt.”

  “But, Mom,” the little boy whined. “We’re pirates.”

  “Well, even pirates need to be careful and mind their mother. Come on. Let’s get you two cleaned up and then head to the general store. You know today is the day Ms. Dottie brings fresh donuts from the diner.” The woman motioned for both boys to come with her. Her gaze shifted to me, and she flashed me an apologetic smile. “Sorry if they were bothering you.”

  I waved her words away. “They were fine. It’s okay.”

  My stomach grumbled again, and I decided after I cleaned myself up, I’d stop by the general store for a donut. As I walked through the campground, heading toward the bathhouse, I scoped the place out. I’d assumed people came through here frequently, but the woman had sounded as though she stayed here on a permanent basis.

  Maybe Liam allowed her to?

  If that was the case, I wondered if there were any other permanent residents here. It was a nice place, I could definitely see the draw.

  When the bathhouse came into view, so did another cabin that resembled the one near the entrance to the campground. There wasn’t anything about them mentioned on the website I’d browsed last night. Were they where Liam and his brothers lived? Did they each have a cabin?

  I passed another large RV as I continued walking. A family sat in folding chairs beneath the covered awning attached to the RV, seeming to take a break from the heat of the sun. The kids ate popsicles while the parents sipped from sodas. Everyone wore their bathing suits and looked wet. A little girl, who couldn’t be more than three, sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as she licked her popsicle. She was off key, but cute as a button.

  I smiled and waved as I kept walking, hoisting my backpack with my clean clothes higher on my shoulder. A popsicle would be nice in this heat. So would a visit to the pool. Sweat had already begun to trickle down the center of my back and bead across my upper lip as I walked. The problem with the pool was, I was filthy and I didn’t have a suit.

  Shower first, then food. And then coffee. Please, let there be coffee somewhere.

  I headed inside the bathhouse and made my way to the women’s side. It was cooler inside by a few degrees, which felt good. An elderly woman stood at a sink, washing her hands when I made my way farther into the building. She smiled at me through the mirror. I smiled back before heading to an empty shower stall. I was surprised by how clean the building was. It didn’t smell moldy like I thought it might, but instead smelled of the same lemon disinfectant scent I’d noticed in the office and on Liam last night. Maybe he was a clean freak. Maybe that was why he smelled like cleaner.

  My lips twisted into a smirk at the thought.

  When I pictured a clean freak, I’d always imagined an uptight person who was always stressed, which wasn’t the impression I got from Liam. He seemed laid-back. Maybe a little stressed, but I assumed it was because he wasn’t used to running the campground with his brothers yet. That his parents might have recently passed. Imagining him as some uptight, clean freak didn’t seem right.

  Then again, I hardly knew him, which meant I could be totally wrong. After all, I hadn’t been the best judge of character lately. Corbin and his group of weirdos were proof.

  I hung my backpack on a hook to my left after securing the door behind me. There was a bench with a set of neatly folded towels and some basic toiletries. I was glad. I’d thought to grab my toothbrush and toothpaste when I left home, but had forgotten about shampoo or anything else.

  I peeled out of my clothes, but kept my flip-flops on. While the space looked and smelled clean, I wasn’t taking any chances. I fiddled with the water temperature until it was just right and then sighed when I stepped beneath it. Never had a shower felt so good. My mind drifted through thoughts of last night and my eyes threatened to fill with tears. I refused to cry though. There was no point. I’d managed to get away, and I was thankful. While I didn’t have much to make a fresh start for myself with, I had enough to get by for now and that meant everything.

  More clips from the night flashed through my head as I let the warm water pound against my skin. My stomach twisted at the memory of the screwdriver going through Corbin’s hand. I didn’t think I’d put that much force behind my swing, but I clearly had. I could still feel the popping sensation as it broke through his skin.

  Gross.

  Stabbing him had been necessary, though. If I hadn’t come out swinging, I didn’t know where I’d be right now. Would I even be alive? Or would Corbin and Chase had allowed Ezra to bleed me like he had Leanne and however many others?

  My pulse quickened. I swayed on my feet as the realization of how close I’d been to having met their same fate pulsed through me. I closed my eyes and reminded myself that I was safe. Inhaling deeply, I focused on the lemon scent lingering in the bathhouse. My panic eased.

  Focusing on my breath and something from my surroundings was how I’d talked myself out of numerous panic attacks. It always worked like a charm.

  When I felt like I had a grip on myself again, I turned the water off and reached for my towel. The building was quiet. Too quiet. I hurried to dry myself off. As I pulled on my clothes my stomach growled painfully loud.

  It was definitely time to find something to eat.

  I twisted my wet hair into a braid and gathered my stuff before exiting the bathhouse. The sun was still high in the sky when I stepped out. My headache flared again, and I immediately reached for my sunglasses. Without taking my things back to the RV, I headed toward the general store, cutting between the pond and a lot that looked as though it was reserved for tent campers. There was a fire pit dug out of the ground with smooth rocks lining its edge. A flat area with yellowing grass was a few feet away. I imagined someone had recently set up a tent there. A solid picnic table completed the area. It was small, but I could see the draw to camping beneath the stars there for a night or two.

  “Hey,” a familiar voice called out. I glanced over my shoulder and spotted Liam on his golf cart. There was a coffee in one of his hands. As he came closer, I noticed a brown paper bag on the seat beside him. “I was just coming to check on you.”

  “Check on me? Really?” That was thoughtful.

  “Yeah.” He licked his lips and then flashed me a nervous grin. “You seemed shaken last night when you came in. I wanted to make sure you slept well, and that Ruby was to your liking. I’d be more than happy to move you to another RV. We just had someone leave Opal.” He nodded behind me and I assumed it was to the cream-colored RV.

  “Ruby. Opal. Are all the RVs here named after gemstones?” I teased.

  “Yeah, it’s sort of our thing. With the gem mine and all.”

  “Clever,” I said. “And, I’m fine where I am. Thanks, though.” It was
the truth. I enjoyed being in Ruby. She was just my style.

  “Good. Glad to hear it.”

  I nodded to the brown paper bag on the seat beside him. “What do you have there?”

  “Oh. Breakfast—or whatever meal you want to call it—for you.” He climbed out of the golf cart and stepped to where I stood. “Coffee and a glazed doughnut. I didn’t know what kind you’d like best, or if you even like donuts, but it’s fresh. Dottie delivered them from Earl’s Diner earlier. They don’t last long around here, so I snagged you one before they were gone.”

  “Thanks,” I said as I took them from him.

  Had he been driving around waiting to give me all this? Probably not. I was being self-absorbed. Liam had lots to do around this place, I was sure.

  “You’re welcome.” He folded his arms over his solid chest. I could feel his eyes on me. They seemed expectant, like he was waiting on me to open the bag and eat the donut.

  Since I was starving, I did just that.

  “Mmm. This is so good,” I said around a mouthful. It was heaven. My cheek throbbed, but I wasn’t going to let it stop me from eating this goodness. “Glazed donuts are actually my favorite.”

  Liam ran his fingers through his hair, making it look more tousled than it already was. “Good. I’m glad. Earl makes the best donuts in town, but the glazed ones are my favorite.”

  I took another bite, unable to deny myself its sweet, sugary goodness, and felt Liam’s eyes on me again. When I glanced at him, satisfaction swirled through the color of his eyes as he watched me eat. Did he like knowing he’d fed me? Was it some sort of weird fetish he had? While I didn’t know much about freaky fetishes like that, I did know that they existed.

  “And, you slept okay?” he asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “Yeah. Even with all of this.” I gestured to my cheek before taking another bite. “I could use some aspirin or something though.”

  He reached in his back pocket and pulled out a pill bottle. “Here. I figured you might say that.” His tone was bitter, which I knew had everything to do with the bruise on my cheek and nothing to do with me personally. He handed me the bottle.