Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 119746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
“Something’s wrong,” I finally say. “He should have found Duke by now.”
“Or something found him,” Hank mutters darkly.
I glare at him, but the cold knot of fear in my stomach tightens. Without thinking, I find myself moving toward the tree line, as if I’m being pulled there.
“Whoa, where do you think you’re going?” Cole demands.
“To find Jensen and Duke,” I say without breaking stride.
“He said to stay put,” Eli reminds me.
“I don’t work for him, he’s working for me,” I snap back. “And I’m not leaving neither him nor Duke out there alone.”
I can feel their eyes on my back as I walk away—Cole’s disapproval, Hank’s fear, Red’s calculating interest. Only Eli’s gaze holds something like understanding, though he makes no move to follow me.
The transition from open basin to forest is abrupt, sunlight giving way to deep shadow. The air here is different—colder, heavier, carrying scents of pine resin and something else, something metallic and faintly sweet. Like blood.
“Jensen?” I call, voice echoing strangely among the trees. “Duke?”
No answer comes but the soft whisper of snow falling from branches.
I push deeper into the forest, following what I hope are Jensen’s tracks. The snow is disturbed here, multiple sets of prints overlapping, making it impossible to tell which belong to Duke, which to Jensen, and which to whatever else might be moving through these woods.
A branch snaps somewhere to my right, the sound like a gunshot in the stillness. I freeze, holding my breath, straining to see through the pattern of light and shadow.
Nothing moves.
“Jensen,” I try again, softer this time. “Are you here?”
Another snap, closer now, followed by the soft crunch of snow under heavy weight. Something is circling me, just out of sight.
My hand moves instinctively toward where my gun should be, finding nothing but the fabric of my coat. I’m cursing myself for leaving it behind. I back slowly toward the nearest tree, putting something solid at my back.
“I know you’re there,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady but failing because I’m scared as shit. “Show yourself.”
The forest holds its breath, like a predator considering its prey.
A tawny shape starts moving through the underbrush, powerful muscles rippling beneath its fur. A mountain lion, much larger than I expected, its amber eyes fixed on me with singular focus.
My breath catches in my throat, my stomach turning to water. The massive cat pauses, crouching slightly as it gauges the distance between us. I’ve heard all the advice about what to do when facing a mountain lion—make yourself look bigger, make noise, fight back if attacked—but in this moment, all that knowledge evaporates in the face of primal terror.
The mountain lion takes a slow step forward, its massive paw crunching in the snow. I press my back harder against the tree, searching desperately for any weapon, any advantage.
There’s nothing.
We stare at each other, locked in a silent confrontation. Its nostrils flare, taking in my scent. Then, unexpectedly, it hesitates. The great cat’s ears flatten against its skull and it lets out a low hiss, almost as if it’s detected something about me that it doesn’t like.
The mountain lion takes a step backward, then another, still watching me intently. I remain frozen, barely daring to breathe.
Suddenly, the crack of a branch breaking echoes through the trees. The mountain lion’s head snaps toward the sound, and in an instant, it’s gone—a golden streak disappearing into the forest undergrowth.
“Who’s there?” I yell in the direction of the sound, my voice breaking.
“Aubrey!” Jensen’s voice cuts through the silence, followed by the sound of him crashing through the trees, flooding my body with relief.
Moments later, Jensen emerges from the forest, Duke’s reins in one hand, his rifle ready in the other. His face transforms from concern to fury when he sees me.
“What the hell are you doing out here?” he demands, striding toward me. “I told you to stay with the others!”
“I was worried,” I manage, my voice shakier than I’d like. “You were taking too long.”
“So you decided to wander into the forest alone?” His voice rises with each word, eyes blazing. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?”
Uh, yeah.
“There was a mountain lion,” I tell him, still trying to process what just happened. “It was right here, watching me. It could have attacked, but it didn’t. It ran off when it heard you coming.”
Jensen’s gaze does a quick sweep of the surrounding forest. “Mountain lions don’t typically approach humans unless they’re desperate or sick.”
“Well, this one did,” I insist. “It was huge, Jensen. It was stalking me.”
He studies my face for a moment, something complicated passing through his eyes. “You got lucky. Very lucky.” His voice softens slightly, concern edging out anger. “Are you hurt?”
“No. Just rattled.” I reach out to Duke, running a hand down his neck, staring into his dark eyes that seem a little calmer now. “You found him,” I say, smiling.