Page 4 of Wicked Winter Night

I run upstairs, changing into warmer clothes and grabbing my scarf, gloves, and hat. I grab my coat and snow boots from by the door and throw those down, bundling up so much I feel like the Michelin Man. I make a quick run down to the basement, finding and grabbing the axe my father kept down here. Then, I grab some rope to fasten around the base, making it easier to drag back home.

With the axe thrown over one shoulder and rope shoved into my pocket, I head out into the frigid air, locking the door behindme and feeling like a complete badass. I can do this. Fuck men, right?

With that thought, I make my way toward the woods, hoping that this isn’t a stupid idea.

CHAPTER SIX

Yeah, this was a dumb fucking idea. I’m freezing my ass off and have been wandering around for what feels like hours. Either the trees are way too tall, or the stumps are way too thick for me to realistically get through alone. I’m trying to be practical about this. I know what I can and cannot handle. I still have to drag the damn thing back, and honestly, I would have turned back a while ago if it wasn’t for my irritating determination to do this.

With each step, my feet sink into the ground. There must be four feet of snow on the ground right now, but at least it’s still fluffy and not mushy. It makes it easier to travel in. It's quiet out here, peaceful you could say, and I’ve been able to do a lot of thinking on this walk. About what happened with Liam and Kaci, about how I’m going to tell my family after this trip, about this morning. So many thoughts jumble my brain, all boiling to a head where it’s starting to feel a bit overwhelming. I really need to find a tree soon.

At that thought, I stumble across a bit of a clearing. The trees are less dense in this area, and there are a few smaller, less thick trees. Perfect. I inspect each one, making sure it’s not too bald, that there aren’t any critters living inside, and that it’s dense enough to look “full” when decorated.

Finally, I spot the perfect tree. It meets all the criteria, so I get to chopping. Each swing feels like pins and needles dancing across my skin with how cold it is outside, and with each contact of the axe to wood, my hands vibrate, but I push through, swinging and chopping all the way until the tree falls. I secure the rope around the base, wrapping it around the stump and fastening it into a handle. Then, I start dragging, making my way back to the cabin.

This is a lot harder than I thought it would be, and I’m making slow progress as I fight through the thick mounds of snow. The wind is starting to pick up, and my face is practically numb at this point. I know snot is running down my face, but I just can't feel it, and I’m regretting this decision rapidly with each pull of the tree.

A loud snap to my right grabs my attention, and I jerk my head in that direction.

“Hello?” I call out, but I’m only met with silence.Must have been an animal.

I keep going, continuing to pull the tree through the woods until another crack startles me, stopping me in my tracks.

“Hello?” I call out again, looking in every direction, but still, I’m met with silence. I can practically feel my heart beating in my throat, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on alert.

I go to pull the tree again, but I’m suddenly overwhelmed with fear when I hear growling coming from three different directions. The growling starts off faint, but it gradually gets louder until I see four wolves all stalking in my direction. They move slowly. Putting one foot in front of the other, their heads low and their teeth bared.

I drop the rope, backing up slowly in the only direction they don’t have me cornered. They stalk closer, and I know there’s only one option I have here.

I run.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Branches scrape my cheeks as I run through the forest. My face is so numb, and my adrenaline is pumping so hard that I don’t even feel it, but I know it’s happening. Growling wolves chase after me, and my legs pump harder. I can only hike my legs so far when the snow becomes deeper in less tree-dense areas. My heart is pounding in my chest, and it’s so loud in my ears that I can hardly hear the wolves howling behind me, signaling toothers that food will be ready soon. I’m aware that I have the axe with me, but four against one with only an axe doesn’t look favorable.

“Somebody help me, please!” I scream, hoping there’s someone in a nearby cabin, but I know it’s just wishful thinking. There’s no one out here for miles.

Just when I feel my muscles beginning to burn and my energy waning, I take one last look behind me to gauge how far they are, and before I can look forward again, I run smack into something hard, knocking me to the ground.

“Fuck!” I grunt, my body aching, trying to get back up quickly, but I’m grabbed by my coat and lifted to my feet, and shoved behind something, no,someone.

“Stay behind me,” the stranger demands, and he pulls a shotgun from around his back and aims it in the direction of the wolves. Just as they draw near, he aims the shotgun up toward the sky and pulls the trigger. The wolves cower, stopping in their tracks. He pulls the trigger once more, sending the wolves scurrying away.

I try to control my breath, taking in deep inhales and letting them out slowly. I feel like I could pass out at any moment from the fear that this could’ve been my last night on earth. I fall to the ground, my legs suddenly feeling like jello. The mystery man turns, taking me in.

“Are you okay?” he asks in concern. “I heard you screaming and followed the sound.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you for saving me. I… I could have died just now.”

He kneels down, and I’m able to take him in. He’s muscular, about 6 feet by my guess, a stark contrast to my 5 foot 2. He has brown eyes and dark brown hair that’s cut short and faded with a neatly trimmed beard. He’s hot, if I’m being honest.Shit, no, Ella. Men are shit, remember?

“Do you live around here?” he asks, checking over the wounds on my face.

“Yeah. I’m staying at the Jacobs’ cabin for the week.”

“Alright. Let’s get you up and home. I reckon you must be freezing.”

“And you aren’t?” I ask curiously, just now noticing that the man standing before me is wearing jeans and a white tee.