Page 6

J ust as I stand, I rush out of the room on trembling legs. Nobody is paying any attention even as I slam the patio door shut behind me, the sound echoing in the smothering stillness of the night. The icy air claws at my skin, but I’m relieved to see Chase standing by the steaming hot tub.

He looks up, his brow furrowing when he sees my face. “What’s wrong?” he asks, stepping toward me.

“There’s something out there,” I say, my voice trembling. “I saw… I don’t know. A footprint. It was huge, Chase. Like, not human-huge.”

He stares at me for a moment, then lets out a laugh. Not a mocking one, but the kind you use to calm someone down. “Emma, you’ve been drinking.”

“I’m not drunk,” I snap, crossing my arms. My fingers dig into my sweater sleeves as I glance toward the dark forest beyond the cabin. “It was real. You have to believe me. I was changing and this… thing was spying on me!”

“Okay, okay. Babe, I believe you.” He runs his hands up and down my arms, warming me up, but my naked legs shake violently, my bare feet freezing on the icy wooden floor. “Want me to check it out?”

“No!” The word flies out before I can stop it. The thought of him wandering into the dark, with whatever made that footprint lurking nearby, is unbearable.

“Alright,” he says slowly, then tilts his head, a playful glint in his eye. “How about we check it out together? Safety in numbers.”

I hesitate, torn between wanting to hide in the cabin and needing to prove I’m not crazy. “Fine,” I mutter.

“But you need to put something more on.” He frowns as he notices my legs turning blue.

I nod, and we head back inside. He walks with me to our bedroom where I put on a pair of fresh sweats while he grabs towels for us—clearly not over the hot tub scenario.

“What the hell are you two up to?” Jay asks when we move back to the main room.

“Nothing. We were about to jump in the hot tub, but Em thought she saw something.”

I shake my head. “I know what I saw!” I slide my feet into my Uggs and toss on a jacket, determined to show him the proof.

Chase grabs a flashlight, and we set off around the cabin. The snow crunches beneath our boots, the cold biting through my layers. The beam of light cuts through the impossible darkness, illuminating the pristine snow as we round the corner to where the footprint should be, and my heart sinks.

It’s gone.

There’s no sign of it, no indent, nothing to confirm I wasn’t imagining things.

“Well?” Chase says, sweeping the light over the area under the bedroom’s window. “Where is it?”

“It was here,” I insist, my voice small. “I saw it, Chase. I swear.”

He lowers the flashlight and pulls me close, his arms warm and steady.

“Hey, I believe you think you saw something,” he says softly, but I can hear the teasing in his tone.

“But maybe you just had one too many tequila shots, hm?” He lets out a little chuckle.

“Or maybe you’ve got snow monsters on the brain? ”

I pull back, glaring at him. “I’m not insane.”

“You’re not,” he agrees, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “But you’re overthinking things. It’s snow, Emma. It probably just drifted funny or something.”

I want to argue, but the evidence—or lack of it—is against me. Maybe it all happened only in my head. Or maybe the snow really did cover it up. Either way, the longer I stand here, the sillier I feel.

“Okay,” I say finally, gaslighting myself. “Perhaps it was tequila.”

Chase nods, taking my hand. “Now that’s the spirit. Let’s get in the tub before we freeze out here.”

Back on the patio, the hot tub is heated up nicely, steaming in full force. Chase hands me one of the beers, then quickly pulls it back. “Hmm, maybe not.”

“Ugh, I’m not drunk . Give me that!” I yank it out of his hand and take a big gulp. Frankly, I don’t even feel tipsy anymore. The whole situation spooked me enough to sober me up.

“You feeling okay now?” he asks, studying me carefully.

“Sure,” I lie, though the uneasy feeling still lingers at the back of my mind.

“Good,” he says, peeling off his layers to his boxers before slipping into the tub.

He spreads his muscled arms against the edge, his head lolling back, eyes closed as he relaxes.

“Oh yeah. This was most definitely an excellent idea.” He lets out a deep sigh before looking up at me with a smirk. “Come here.”

I take another hefty sip, then put the bottle down on the small patio table.

Slowly, I undress, watching him watch me with darkening eyes.

Once I’m exposed down to my bikini, I step inside and the hot water envelops me like a much-needed hug.

Chase’s arms follow next, pulling me onto his lap in a tight embrace, with my back leaning against his firm, sculpted torso.

For a while, we just sit there, letting the heat melt away the cold.

The blizzard hasn’t started yet, but the snow falls steadily now, softening the edges of the wilderness around us.

The fairy lights and water jets set the mood, and I must admit how magical the moment is.

Enough to make me forget and let myself enjoy this.

“You know,” Chase rasps, his voice low and careful, his lips wandering down my neck, “if you’re scared, we don’t have to do anything. I mean it, Emma. I don’t want you to feel pressured.”

His words take me by surprise, and my chest tightens with emotions. I shift sideways to look at him. The way the water beads on his broad shoulders. The way his hair, slightly damp from the steam, sticks to his forehead. The way his pupils dilate as he meets my gaze.

He's so stupidly dreamy.

And yet, here he is. Patient, understanding, and willing to wait as long as I need. His words make my heart ache, and I close my eyes for a second, letting go of any lingering unease.

“I’m not scared,” I say softly, my head falling against his pec. “At least, not about that.” It’s possible that it was just my subconscious making things up. But I have no doubts anymore. He’s worth it—the perfect guy to lose my virginity with.

His lips curve into a smile, and before I can second-guess myself, I kiss him.

The tension that’s been building between us for weeks finally snaps, and the kiss turns almost desperate. His arm tightens around my waist while his other hand slides across my leg—from my angle to my thigh. The water swirls around us, the heat and closeness making my head spin in the best way .

Not breaking the kiss, I shift again, mounting his lap, and I lose myself in him. In the way he touches me, the way he moans quietly against my lips, the way his body tenses underneath me.

His hands slide to my back, pulling me closer, then trail up along my spine, leaving a path of fire in their wake. I find myself leaning into him, and for the first time since we got here, the world around us completely disappears.

There’s no snow, no trees, no footprints. Just Chase and me, the bubbling water, and the heat between us.

His fingers tangle in the strings of my bikini top, and he pauses, watching for any signs of hesitation. But I don’t stop him—I meet his eyes and give the slightest nod. He undoes the ties, and the skimpy fabric drifts away in the whirlpool of jets.

“You’re so fucking hot,” he whispers as his eyes fixate on my boobs. His hands follow immediately, cupping the firm flesh and rolling my nipples between his fingers. “See? Told you I’d keep you warm.”

I laugh gently, shaking my head, but it’s cut short. My head tingles as he presses his lips to my throat, leaving a path of kisses down to my heaving chest.

“Mmmm, baby,” he groans, reaching my breast, and I feel his hard dick pressing against my aching pussy. His tongue slowly circles my stiff peaks, and my breath catches as I instinctively grind against him.

Yet, something changes. I feel it again—that prickle. The eyes on me. I try to ignore it as the sensations Chase is stirring in me are intoxicating. But the sound comes next. Low. Guttural. A deep rumble… or a growl ?

I pull back slightly, my eyes darting toward the dark woods beyond the patio. The snow falls thicker now, the trees barely visible in the suffocating white haze, but the feeling is unmistakable. Something is right there, prowling.

“Em?” Chase’s voice is concerned, though he’s too excited to pick up on the unhuman sound—even though it’s getting louder by the second.

It’s just your imagination , I tell myself. Just the wind, just the snow.

But the air grows colder—not the gentle chill of the falling snow, but something sharp, biting, wrong. A shadow appears at the edge of my vision, and my stomach drops.

“Chase—”

Before I can finish, something massive, white, and horrifying lunges from the darkness, its animalistic growl reverberating through the icy air.