my things,” she said, and he seemed shocked by her ready acquiescence. Good. Maybe it would give him something to think about as they trudged down the mountain.
She nearly ran up the stairs while he followed. They separated on the main level to go their different ways. Near the couch, she tugged on her calf-high hiking boots, hoping they would be enough protection against the cold and foot-high snow. Wrapping her thick scarf around her throat, she looked for her hat, but it was nowhere to be found. She had likely lost it on her flight to safety.
With her knapsack secured over her shoulders, she glanced down the hall to find Galen coming her way, his long, determined strides eating up the space between them.
“I thought you might need these.” He handed her gloves, but then opted to slip the knit cap over her head, the simple gesture surprisingly intimate. He stroked a hand along the fringes of hair that stuck out from beneath the cap and hesitated, his gaze wistful for a fleeting moment.
Then he was all action, hurrying to the door, making her nearly run to keep up with those long-legged strides.
The cold hit them as soon as he opened the door. High drifts of snow against the house greeted them along with uneven mounds of wind-driven snow on the path leading down to the logging road. On a good day it was nearly a fifteen-minute walk on foot. They’d be lucky to trudge down in an hour. She wondered how long it would take to dig out her Jeep once they reached it.
Galen took the lead, plowing through the snow with his powerful legs and making it a bit easier for her to follow in his wake. With each stride, however, her legs grew more and more tired. Snow leaked in through every seam in her boots, creating a wet chill that was seeping into her bones.
More than once, Galen had to stop for her to catch up to him. On one such rest, a sudden movement in the brush just ahead of them had him sweeping his arm around to keep her behind him and protected.
She peered around his body and watched as first one head and then another popped up out of a mix of snow and underbrush.
“Wild dogs,” he warned as one of them shook off the snow and leaves and trotted out to block their path. It was soon joined by another four dogs of varying sizes. Most were mixed breeds and one of them was limping badly, clearly injured.
Once together, a low chorus of growls began and the animals bared their teeth in warning.
“Damn. I should have brought the shotgun,” Galen muttered. “Back up a bit. Maybe all we need to do is give them a little space.”
She did as he asked, taking a few steps back toward the lodge, but instead of retreating, the pack advanced as if sensing weakness.
Fear slammed into her gut. They could never outrun the dogs, but it seemed that running was the last thing Galen had in mind.
Inside of Galen came a burst of heat, which sizzled along his muscles and nerve endings, releasing adrenaline through his body. Bending down a bit, Galen raised his hands in front of him like a wrestler ready to grapple. From deep inside his gut, a growl grew into the wild warning roar of the cougar. The sound was so loud, it echoed through the forest.
The dogs were clearly taken aback. They grew silent, and as Galen released another body-rumbling growl, the dogs glanced at each other and then tucked their tails in and ran for safety.
Standing upright, his heart pounding in his chest from the violence racing through him, he faced Jamie. “I don’t think we can risk running into them again without the shotgun.”
Jamie narrowed her gaze and reached up, running her index finger along his cheek. Unlike the dogs, she was clearly unafraid. “Your eyes. They’re glowing.”
He shook off the sensation that had gripped him at the first hint of danger, prompting another comment from her. “And now they’re not. Can you transform at will?”
“I don’t know,” he confessed, not really sure what had happened just now, but grateful he
She nearly ran up the stairs while he followed. They separated on the main level to go their different ways. Near the couch, she tugged on her calf-high hiking boots, hoping they would be enough protection against the cold and foot-high snow. Wrapping her thick scarf around her throat, she looked for her hat, but it was nowhere to be found. She had likely lost it on her flight to safety.
With her knapsack secured over her shoulders, she glanced down the hall to find Galen coming her way, his long, determined strides eating up the space between them.
“I thought you might need these.” He handed her gloves, but then opted to slip the knit cap over her head, the simple gesture surprisingly intimate. He stroked a hand along the fringes of hair that stuck out from beneath the cap and hesitated, his gaze wistful for a fleeting moment.
Then he was all action, hurrying to the door, making her nearly run to keep up with those long-legged strides.
The cold hit them as soon as he opened the door. High drifts of snow against the house greeted them along with uneven mounds of wind-driven snow on the path leading down to the logging road. On a good day it was nearly a fifteen-minute walk on foot. They’d be lucky to trudge down in an hour. She wondered how long it would take to dig out her Jeep once they reached it.
Galen took the lead, plowing through the snow with his powerful legs and making it a bit easier for her to follow in his wake. With each stride, however, her legs grew more and more tired. Snow leaked in through every seam in her boots, creating a wet chill that was seeping into her bones.
More than once, Galen had to stop for her to catch up to him. On one such rest, a sudden movement in the brush just ahead of them had him sweeping his arm around to keep her behind him and protected.
She peered around his body and watched as first one head and then another popped up out of a mix of snow and underbrush.
“Wild dogs,” he warned as one of them shook off the snow and leaves and trotted out to block their path. It was soon joined by another four dogs of varying sizes. Most were mixed breeds and one of them was limping badly, clearly injured.
Once together, a low chorus of growls began and the animals bared their teeth in warning.
“Damn. I should have brought the shotgun,” Galen muttered. “Back up a bit. Maybe all we need to do is give them a little space.”
She did as he asked, taking a few steps back toward the lodge, but instead of retreating, the pack advanced as if sensing weakness.
Fear slammed into her gut. They could never outrun the dogs, but it seemed that running was the last thing Galen had in mind.
Inside of Galen came a burst of heat, which sizzled along his muscles and nerve endings, releasing adrenaline through his body. Bending down a bit, Galen raised his hands in front of him like a wrestler ready to grapple. From deep inside his gut, a growl grew into the wild warning roar of the cougar. The sound was so loud, it echoed through the forest.
The dogs were clearly taken aback. They grew silent, and as Galen released another body-rumbling growl, the dogs glanced at each other and then tucked their tails in and ran for safety.
Standing upright, his heart pounding in his chest from the violence racing through him, he faced Jamie. “I don’t think we can risk running into them again without the shotgun.”
Jamie narrowed her gaze and reached up, running her index finger along his cheek. Unlike the dogs, she was clearly unafraid. “Your eyes. They’re glowing.”
He shook off the sensation that had gripped him at the first hint of danger, prompting another comment from her. “And now they’re not. Can you transform at will?”
“I don’t know,” he confessed, not really sure what had happened just now, but grateful he
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