It had to be cursed, because whatever was going on didn’t seem normal.
The heat in the vehicle suddenly flared, and my gut said tomove.
Fast.
I jerked the wheel, taking my SUV into the three-foot snowbank on the side of the road before I threw it into park. Steam and smoke billowed together when I lunged out of the car, leaving the door open as I stumbled away.
There was another weird noise, and when I looked back, I froze.
It was on fire.
Literally on fire.
A groan escaped me.
The nearest town or city other than Cub Lake was about a three-hour drive. Kitsunes weren’t made for traveling long distances, so even shifting to my fox form wouldn’t get me there quickly.
A cold, wet splotch landed on my cheek.
It was starting to snow, too.
The universe wanted me to marry the alpha.
Or call Bo for help.
Neither of which seemed like a valid option, so… maybe I’d try trekking through the trees. How many miles was three hours? 180? 150?
I’d survive.
Probably.
Dying in the snow sounded better than either of my other options. So even if I didn’t make it, I was better off going that route.
I gave myself two more minute to stare at the burning car and panic silently. When those two minutes were over, I’d shift.
Yay.
My eyes stung a little, but I refused to acknowledge my emotions. Or the situation. I wasn’t going to cry about my life, even if parts of it really sucked.
Snow crunched off to my side, and my heartbeat picked up.
If my fiancé had already caught up to me, I was in serious trouble.
The thick bushes nearby rustled, and a gigantic, fuzzy brown head poked out through a gap between them.
The stinging in my eyes stopped immediately.
Frustration replaced it.
Because I knew that bear far better than I had ever wanted to.
“Go home, Ambrose,” I bit out.
He stared at me.
And blinked, slowly.
Then looked at my car.
