Page 10
Chapter Ten
I popped the hood and got out of the car. When I lifted the hood, I immediately jumped back as a plume of gray smoke billowed out. The acrid smell of burning oil filled my nostrils, causing me to cough and step back further.
“Great,” I muttered, staring at my smoking engine in the dim light from my phone’s flashlight. I had no idea what was wrong, but it clearly wasn’t something I could fix on the side of the road at two-thirty in the morning.
I looked around at the dark, empty road stretching in both directions. Trees loomed on either side, their shadows creating eerie patterns in the moonlight. I was at least three miles from my house, and probably about the same distance back to the bar.
A chill ran down my spine that had nothing to do with the night air. I was stranded in the middle of nowhere, in a town where I barely knew anyone, with only a smoking car for company.
“Well, come on feet,” I said, thankful I didn’t wear heels.
I shivered and started trudging along the shoulder of the road toward home. Three miles wasn’t so bad — I could walk that in less than an hour if I kept a decent pace. The car could wait until morning. I’d call a tow truck after I got some sleep, assuming I even had enough money left to pay for it.
“Ugh!” I muttered, kicking at a stone.
There went all the tips I’d made tonight, probably straight into the pocket of whatever mechanic serviced this godforsaken town. The SUV was only a few years old — it shouldn’t be having problems like this already. Maybe Birchwood Hollow was actually cursed. It certainly felt that way since I’d moved here.
A long, mournful howl pierced the night air, freezing me in mid-step. Wolves. Again. Another howl answered the first, this one sounding closer, as if coming from somewhere behind. My heart jumped into my throat.
I wanted to start jogging, but my legs and feet were too sore to do anything more than a brisk walk. The howling continued, seeming to echo from multiple directions. My eyes darted to the tree line every few seconds, searching both sides of the road for anything.
I thought back to how Courtney told me that they’re protectors of the town. But it didn’t feel that way out in the dark in the middle of the night. Wolves were predators. They hunted in packs, taking down elk and moose and… probably even stupid people who were out walking alone on dark roads.
Annie was fucking right. The wilderness was not for someone like me.
I forced my feet to move faster, even though they were fighting against me. My heart pounded against my ribs as my shoes rubbed against the back of my heels, no doubt forming monstrous blisters.
The eerie chorus seemed to surround me now, coming from both sides of the road and somewhere behind me. A branch snapped in the woods to my right. I jerked my head toward the sound as dark shapes moved between the trees. I blinked, trying to focus, but there was nothing there. Hopefully, it was just my imagination and the shadows playing tricks.
Trembling, I reached into my purse for my phone even though I had no idea who I’d call other than the police. My fingers wrapped around the cool plastic case, and I pulled it out, fumbling to unlock it.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said as I stared at the screen.
No service.
I dropped the phone back into my purse. I had to stop letting my mind play tricks on me so I could make it home without having a heart attack.
A low growl sounded from somewhere to my left, much closer than I expected. I whipped around, my purse swinging into my back, making me jump as if someone touched me.
Another growl from the other side of the road made me turn again. Something large and dark slinked along in the ditch as another shape emerged into the middle of the road, ten steps from where I was.
Would Annie ever find out what happened to me?
The glow of the faint moonlight reflected in their eyes — bright, knowing eyes that seemed to shine with an unnatural light of their own. Small yellow-gold orbs stared at me from the darkness.
The beasts were massive — far bigger than any wolf I’d ever seen. Their shoulders easily reached my waist, maybe higher. I could make out their silhouettes now as they moved closer to the road’s edge, their muscular bodies sleek and powerful.
I was surrounded.
Four… five… six, that I could see, all positioned strategically around me. Protectors of the town? They seemed like I was their enemy. Invading in on their territory. These weren’t friendly guardians — they were predators, and I was their prey.
“Go away!” I whispered, and the one in front cocked its head as if it understood me.
Its nose twitched and moved, nostrils flaring as it sniffed the air in my direction. The massive beast seemed to be analyzing my scent, determining what kind of threat — or meal — I might be.
Despite their aggressive stance, with hackles raised and teeth occasionally flashing in the moonlight, they hadn’t attacked yet. The growling continued, a constant low rumble that made my skin crawl.
“Nice doggy,” I said gently as I took a step forward.
The lead wolf’s growl deepened to a threatening snarl as it snapped its jaws in my direction, teeth clacking together with enough force that I could hear it clearly even from several feet away. Its eyes narrowed, almost looking offended.
“I’m sorry!” I blurted out, raising my hands instinctively. “That was stupid. You’re not a dog. Definitely not a dog. Not even close to a dog.”
My heart hammered so hard against my ribs I was sure they could hear it. The wolves continued their standoff, not advancing but not retreating, either.
A strange noise behind me made me whirl around. My pulse, already racing, nearly stopped as I saw a man straightening up in the middle of the road. He was completely naked, his chest heaving as if he’d just run a marathon.
I gasped when the moonlight hit his face, and I realized I recognized the nude man. It was Paul from the bar, the quiet guy who’d disappeared in the middle of his shift.
“This isn’t the one,” he said, his voice raspy. His eyes darted nervously between me and the wolf behind me. He bent forward at the waist, sucking in breaths. “She’s not… the one… we’re looking for.”
More grunting sounds came from behind, causing me to spin around again. The largest wolf, the one that had been blocking my path, was gone, and in its place stood another naked man.
He had pitch-black hair, and his pale skin was almost luminous in the moonlight. His eyes glowed with an amber fury that seemed to burn right through me.
“You idiot,” he snarled at Paul through clenched teeth. “She’s seen you now. We don’t have a choice.”
His voice was deep and commanding, carrying an authority that made even me want to obey whatever he might order next. The remaining wolves seemed to shrink back slightly, though they maintained their positions around us, even though it seemed like they’d rather run away from the situation.
“We can’t,” Paul begged, holding up his hands. “You know the rules. We shouldn’t even be here.”
“I haven’t seen anything,” I blurted out, desperation making my voice crack. “My car broke down while I was just walking home. I don’t know what’s happening, but I swear I won’t say a word to anyone. I’m not even sure I could if I wanted to. There is a part of me that thinks I might be at home having a really, really strange dream.”
“Shut up,” the big man said.
I pressed my lips together and nodded.
“It’ll be a big problem with you know who if he finds out about this,” Paul said, grimacing.
The big man laughed. “Do you think I am afraid of him? He’s not doing anything to help our brothers with this.”
“No,” Paul said, shaking his head. “It’s just?—”
“You shut up, too,” the big man said, confidently walking closer to me. He looked me up and down. “What to do. What to do.”
“Kellan, no,” Paul said, shaking his head.
The big man’s eyes went wide. “Oh, Paul. That was a big mistake.”
“Shit! Fuck!” Paul ran his hands through his hair. “Please, don’t do this.”
I froze as Kellan took a step toward me. My breath caught as his fingers reached for my throat. When he made contact with my skin, his hand was surprisingly warm despite the cool night air. He wrapped them around my neck, not squeezing hard — not yet — but with enough pressure to make his intentions perfectly clear.
“Please,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
His amber eyes locked with mine, something primal lurking behind them. I could feel my pulse hammering against his palm as he held me there, seemingly considering my fate.
The distant rumble of an engine broke through the tense silence. Headlights appeared around the bend, growing brighter as the vehicle approached. Kellan’s head snapped toward the sound, his nostrils flaring like the wolf he’d been moments before.
His fingers loosened and fell away from my throat. I gasped, drawing in a desperate breath as he stepped back.
Kellan’s eyes brightened for a moment as the headlights reflected in them. “We’ll finish this later. Until we meet again.”
Before I could respond, he turned and sprinted into the tree line, his pale body jerking awkwardly as he disappeared into the shadows with unnatural speed. Paul gave me one last panicked look before following him into the darkness. The other wolves that had surrounded me were already gone, as if they had never been there at all.
I stood frozen in the middle of the road, my hand at my throat, as the approaching vehicle’s headlights washed over me. Ryder’s truck came to a screeching halt.
The passenger window rolled down. “Get in.”