No such luck. My nose isn’t picking up anything big enough to make that sound. It’s downwind, but if it were a moose or something like that, I’d know.
The only thing that could hide from me like this is another wolf.
Fear bleeds through me, banishing all the good feelings as if they never existed, and tears start to run down my cheeks.
No, God. Please, God, no. Not again. I was finally safe!
I hear a very faint crunch of stones at the edge of the courtyard, like the step of a heavy foot. I hold my breath, still bent over as if I’m getting logs for the fire.
I’m going to count to three, then I’m going to turn around, throw this basket in the direction of the noise, then run like hell back to the house, screaming for Kit.
I close my eyes, listening for any other sounds. The night is silent except for the faint howl of wind, and I can’t detect any scent.
Ready.
I spin around, hurling the basket. Somewhere in the dark, there is a grunt and a muffled thump. I leap towards the house, my mouth open to scream from the bottom of my lungs.
Powerful arms grab me from behind, squeezing me until all the breath is forced out of my body. A hand is clamped over my mouth, and even though I try to struggle, heavy darkness sweeps through my vision, taking all my strength—and hope—with it.
Chapter 24 - Kit
A chill invades the soft, comforting warmth of my deep sleep. The only thing I’m aware of is a faint feeling of annoyance that I have to leave this perfect place to come back to reality.
Eyes still closed, I reach for Lexa… and find nothing but empty floor.
Immediately, I’m shocked, wide awake, flipping onto all fours as I look desperately around the room.
Not here… she’s not here!
Fear rolls through my chest, the icy waves crashing against the heat breaking out across my skin. It’s pure panic—an emotion I’ve never truly felt before.
I leap up in one movement, grabbing my pants and yanking them on. With my confused, barely awake brain, the only conclusion I can come to is that she left me. Slipped away while I was sleeping to run from me. From this beauty that we only just found.
Did she feel it, too? Was I dreaming this? Why else would she go somewhere and not wake me up?
The pain of losing her hits me like a warhammer. My breath is knocked out of me, and my knees tremble so hard, I have to grab a nearby table to keep myself standing.
I can’t live without her!
I’ll find her. Wherever she’s gone, I’ll find her.
As my panic begins to subside, it’s followed by a far worse feeling. A heavy numbness that affects all my muscles until I’m standing there as tense as a stone statue.
What if she doesn’t want me to find her?
My breath starts to burn in my throat, and panic rises again. I take two frantic steps forward, and my head spins. Slowly, my brain is waking up, but my thoughts are still a chaotic mess.
That’s when I notice the fire is dead and cold, and the wood basket is gone.
The relief that hits me then is more powerful than the fear. I gasp for air, reassuring myself that everything is alright, she didn’t leave me, and soon I’ll have her back in my arms again.
I stride towards the door, purpose giving me strength. In my mind, I can see myself walking out the back door, looking across the yard to see her standing at the woodpile, waving happily to me with a big smile on her face.
Desperate to make the dream a reality, I run down the hall, flinging the door open.
The completely empty yard refuses to register. I can imagine her there so strongly, I have to blink my eyes several times to convince myself she really isn’t there.
Then I see the wood basket sitting in the corner of the yard, discarded on its side.
