Now that she was sitting, the cold was beginning to seep in, rising up from the cool surface of the log she was perched on, while the dampness of the air began to penetrate through her layers of clothing. Mel rubbed her hands together briskly as she looked around and tried to gain her second wind. Now that she was deeper into the forest, there was considerably more snow lingering on the ground, though some bare patches did exist. Little animal footprints could be seen here and there and she wondered what type of wildlife lived in the area. Nothing too large, she decided based on the size of the tracks.
It was quiet, and beyond the occasional chirping of a bird, the only sound Mel could hear was her own breathing. She inhaled deeply, appreciating the crispness of the air, the scent of pine, and the faint mustiness of the damp ground. The peacefulness seemed to engulf her and she could feel her earlier tension and frustration slipping away. Maybe Taylor wasn’t so crazy. There was a certain sense of calmness, of being one with nature, when you sat in a place like this. She wondered if he’d taken many pictures of the woods yet and if this was where the wolf photograph had originated.
This thought reminded her that she had a job to do and Mel heaved herself up from her temporary seat. Her feet protested, but she promised them a nice long soak in a hot tub if they’d just carry her a little farther. She’d only walked a short distance when she sensed something different. A feeling of unease washed over her; a certain prickling of her skin, an awareness that the atmosphere of the forest seemed to have changed suddenly. The birds were quiet now and the air seemed charged.
It was a ridiculous thought, considering she was in the middle of nowhere, but it felt like something was watching her every move. Looking around, she peered into the depths of the trees, but only saw trunks and underbrush, patches of snow and muddy ground. Nonetheless, she hurried her pace. Years of living in the city had ingrained in her the idea that walking alone in deserted parking lots or alleys was a bad idea. The concept probably transferred to forests as well.
The feeling of anxiety grew and she walked even faster, her senses heightened. She was aware that her breathing had quickened and a faint layer of sweat was forming on her skin. Wiping her palms on her pant legs, her gaze darted from side to side as she stumbled down the drive, no longer watching where she placed her feet. A noise to her left had her whirling around to face the source and her breath caught in her throat.
At first, all she was aware of was teeth. Large, shiny white teeth with pointy ends designed for puncturing and tearing flesh. Then her focus widened as she noted black noses and gleaming eyes, surrounded by thick fur. A pair of very large guard dogs were staring at her, licking their chops as if she just became the main selection on tonight’s dinner menu.
Some instinct told her they weren’t too pleased to see her—or maybe they were; she’d be a change from a diet of dry kibble, she thought inanely as she stood frozen in place. A low rumbling sound came from one of them and snapped her out of her statue-like state. They were holding their heads low and had raised the fur on their backs. She was sure she’d read somewhere that indicated an attack was imminent. Mel started to back away, not wanting to lose eye-contact. The fact that these might not be dogs was niggling at her mind but she shied away from examining that thought at the moment. Adding additional reasons to fear for her life would not be helpful at this point.
Slowly, the beasts followed her, exactly matching her pace. Icy terror was working its way through her body despite the rapid beating of her heart. Surely, her blood should be rushing through her veins right now, oxygenating her muscles in preparation for flight? Where was that adrenaline rush everyone talked about? That super human strength that came out of nowhere when faced with horrible danger? She blinked, realizing that her vision seemed to be blurring, the world was darkening. Oh great. Passing out in fear. How lame was that? If only she’d had sufficient coffee fixes today, Mel lamented to herself, she would have been better able to cope with the situation.
Shaking her head and refusing to give into the panic invading her system, Mel continued to back away. She kept one eye on the creatures stalking her, while shooting glances from side to side, looking for a sturdy stick to grab onto and use as a weapon. It wouldn’t be overly effective, but it was better than defending herself barehanded.
Just when she thought she saw a suitable branch, her heel came down on a large stone. Her foot twisted to the side and she lurched to the left, flaying her arms wildly as she tried to maintain her balance. Fear made her overcompensate and instead of righting herself, she made matters worse. As she stumbled against a tree trunk, the animals took exception to her sudden movement. They rushed towards her, barking and howling. Mel opened her mouth, inhaled deeply, and resorted to the age-old solution of screaming for help at the top of her lungs.
*****
Ryne groaned as the sound of howls and barks penetrated his alcohol soaked brain, forcing him from his sleep. He was seriously hung over from last night and was contemplating the benefits of death over the way he was presently feeling. Dark thoughts ran through his mind as he determined the source of the noise that had dragged him from blessed oblivion.
Obviously, Bryan and Daniel were out acting like idiots and it was the last thing he needed today. If they wanted to go out hunting, it was fine with him, but keep it quiet. No rabbit or squirrel or whatever they’d cornered, warranted that much noise. He rolled over and winced as his head pounded. How many beers had he consumed last night, anyway? It was all sort of blurry. The favoured team had won the hockey game and everyone had started buying rounds and then… ?
Gingerly, he opened one eye and squinted against the assaulting rays of light that streamed in around the window shade. He swore and let his eyelid fall shut, raising his hand to his throbbing head. At least his stomach wasn’t protesting the treatment he’d subjected it to. Having a cast iron stomach was one of the genetic benefits his parents had passed on to him.
The sounds from outside continued, and he was muttering darkly under his breath when a scream pierced the air, drilling into his brain with unmerciful sharpness. He shot upright, ignoring his protesting body and swung his legs out of bed. Some corner of his mind noted that he was still dressed in last night’s clothes and only needed to slip on his shoes. A second scream followed the first, and he was out the door before the sound even died out. What the hell were Bryan and Daniel doing? They were scheduled for patrol duty and shouldn’t be fooling around. He muttered darkly about their demise as he ran down the front steps, moving with surprising ease for someone who, just moments before, was feeling like death warmed over. They knew better than to bring a female here. And what were they doing to make her scream like that?
Both the howls and the screaming stopped abruptly before Ryne was even at the end of the sidewalk. He froze and cocked his head to the side, trying to catch any sound that might indicate what was happening. Footsteps approached—two individuals—one set sounding a bit heavier with some shuffling mixed in, almost as if the walker was carrying something. Ryne crossed his arms and leaned against as nearby tree. There was no point in him rushing down the driveway when it was obvious that they were coming to him.
It only took moments for the source of the footsteps to appear. Bryan and Daniel came into sight, glaring daggers at each other; obviously they’d had one of their famous arguments about who was at fault for the most recent predicament they found themselves in.
Bryan was carrying something—no, make that someone—in his arms. From the way the arms and legs hung limply, it was obvious the person was unconscious. Narrowing his eyes, Ryne realized the 'someone' was a woman and no doubt the origin of the screams that had woke him up. Shit!
He straightened from the tree he was leaning on and widened his stance, his whole demeanour conveying his displeasure. The two men looked up and noticed him. Immediately, they slowed their pace as if trying to delay something unpleasant. Ryne sneered. How right you are my friends. This will be unpleasant.
 
; As soon as they were within hearing distance, he began. “What the fuck did you do this time?”
Daniel ducked his head and shuffled his feet. Bryan kept his head up, but averted his gaze. “We found her on the propriety.”
“And you decided to what? Go hunting with her as the prey?” Ryne raised his brow and snorted derisively.
Bryan flushed, but didn’t back down. “No. We just thought we’d scare her off. You know, chase her a bit and she’d run back to wherever she came from.”
“Your plan doesn’t appear to have worked very well since she’s now here at the house.” Ryne folded his arms and jerked his head towards the unconscious woman. “What happened?”
Daniel decided to speak, shooting glances up at Ryne as he spoke. “We… um… we stalked her a bit and she was backing up towards the road, but moving real slow—”
“So we thought a bit of noise might hurry her along—” Bryan explained. “But then she tripped or something, just as the barking started and she began screaming—”
“And then it was the weirdest thing, just liked you’d see in a cartoon.” Daniel jumped in, his wonder at the event he was describing causing him to momentarily forget he was in trouble. “She turned to run, and bang!” Clapping his hands together, he gestured to show what happened. “She ran right smack into a tree and then just sort of slid down the trunk.” He shook his head. “I never thought that sort of thing happened in real life.”
Ryne bit back the chuckle that the mental picture evoked. “Is she all right?”
“I think so. There’s a lump on her head and that’s why we brought her here. We didn’t think we should just leave her lying there on the ground.” Bryan shifted the woman in his arms.
“Bring her inside and we’ll check her out.” Ryne tightened his lips as he turned and stalked back to the house. They couldn’t have just approached her like normal human beings and told her she was on private land, could they? Oh, no. That would make too much sense.
Once inside, Bryan laid the woman down on the sofa and Daniel disappeared, only to return with a damp washcloth and the first aid kit. Kneeling beside the sofa, Ryne nodded his thanks. Daniel was a good kid, he just didn’t think sometimes.
Gently, Ryne brushed the unconscious woman’s hair from her forehead and probed the bump on her head. It wasn’t too large, but the skin was broken, no doubt from contact with the rough bark on the tree. Her skin was warm and soft to the touch, he noted absentmindedly. Inhaling deeply, he took in her scent and stored it for later analysis before proceeding with the first aid treatment. He washed off the area and applied a bandage then leaned back to study his patient.
Her hair, spread out upon the cushions, was a shade between blonde and brown. Incredibly long lashes lay against her cheeks and her mouth was wide and full. The faintest dusting of freckles showed across the bridge of her nose making her appear quite youthful. His gaze worked its way down her body and he noted her nice-sized breasts and slim waist, the way her jeans clung to her shapely thighs before disappearing into knee-high leather boots. He concluded she probably wasn’t as young as he initially thought—maybe mid-twenties.
Ryne looked back up at her face and studied it more carefully. She wasn’t strikingly beautiful, nor blatantly sexy, but there was something appealing about her. Glancing at her mouth again, he wondered what her lips would feel like against his own. He frowned. Where had that thought come from? He didn’t go for the girl-next-door-type; real women who knew the score were more his style. Women like Lucy, he added. Some sex, some fun, and then we’re done; that was how he operated. Giving his head a shake, he decided that his hangover must be muddling his thinking.
Something nudged his shoulder and he looked up to see Bryan gesturing towards their visitor. Her eyes were showing some movement behind her closed lids, indicating that she was coming around. While he was relieved that she didn’t seem to show any signs of permanent damage from her experience, he started to ponder what he’d do with her, once she woke up.
If luck was on his side, she'd apologize for trespassing and leave. Worst case scenario, she’d start screaming ‘sue’ and threatening to call the police about the dangerous animals he kept. The thought of dangerous animals had him clenching his fists. He stood and moved to the kitchen next door, indicating that the other two should come with him. Standing in the doorway, so he could still see the couch, he began to rip a strip off the other two men.
“That had to be the most stupidly, idiotic idea you two have had in ages. Trying to scare her off? Why didn’t you just say it was private property?”
“We didn’t mean any harm.” Daniel began.
“I’m sure you didn’t, but look what happened anyway. This isn’t like back home, you know. We don’t have people in the right places to help brush things like this under the carpet. It’s just us three against the rest of the community, and we have to blend in, not draw attention… ” Ryne listened to himself talk and wondered when he’d suddenly become the heavy. Hell, he sounded like his foster-father used to after he and Kane had pulled some stunt or another. The thought brought him up short and he exhaled gustily. After a moment of silence he rubbed his neck awkwardly and glanced at the other two. They were waiting quietly, eyes downcast. “Just… just… don’t do it again, okay?”
“We won’t.” They looked up at him sheepishly and Ryne relented.
He gave dry chuckle and punched Bryan lightly in the arm. “I thought you were supposed to be the smart one.” He mocked.
Bryan shrugged. “Yeah. But she was kind of cute. I was sort of thinking that once she was near the gate, I’d show up and ‘save’ her from Daniel. She might have been… grateful, you know?” He winked and Daniel laughed.
Ryne did too, but inwardly he felt his hackles rise. Something about Bryan’s statement bothered him, though he didn’t know exactly what. “Why don’t you two go see if you can make something for us to eat? I’m starving.” They nodded and headed towards the fridge. “Oh, and brew up a large pot of coffee. I’m still feeling a bit hung over from last night.”
With the other two busy, Ryne headed back into the living-room and sat in his recliner facing the sofa. The initial coolness of the leather felt good given his less than prime state of being. Not for the first time, did he wonder why he kept accepting all the drinks sent his way. He knew the locals were somewhat in awe of his capacity for alcohol—he could hold way more than the average human—and he suspected there might be some bets going around about who would be the first to drink him under the table. It would never happen, but still, he should be more careful. Drawing undue attention to the ways in which he was physiologically different from his neighbours was not a good idea.
He leaned his head back and switched his attention to his present concern; the girl lying unconscious on his sofa. Through half-closed eyes, he watched and waited while speculation ran through his mind. Why had she been on his land? She wasn’t a local. Stump River residents would never go walking in boots like hers. Maybe somebody’s relative, visiting for the weekend and out for a stroll? Possibly. After all, who else would have a reason to be roaming around Stump River?
Chapter 6
Mel opened her eyes and blinked, momentarily confused. Where was she? Her dumpy, little apartment in Chicago? No, that was last week. This week she was in Canada, looking for that photographer. She’d driven to Stump River and rented a cabin and then… Oh damn! She sat up quickly and immediately regretted it, clutching her head as it throbbed in protest.
“I wouldn’t move that fast if I were you.” A deep, sexy voice spoke to her right and she turned her head to see who owned it.
“Ow!” Her head protested again and she grasped it in her hands, propping her elbows on her knees. It seemed too much of an effort to hold her head up unsupported. The recent events, which had resulted in her present pain, came rushing back to her, sending a jolt of fear through her system. A quick inventory revealed that her head appeared to be the only area of damage and her body
slumped in relief.
“See? I told you not to do that.” The voice laughed dryly and she was immediately annoyed that this person, whoever he was, found her pain amusing. Squinting, she stared across the room trying to get a good look at the fellow. Unfortunately, the angle of the bright light entering through the window cast him in a shadow and she only could see his outline.
“Sorry. I don’t usually take advice from complete strangers.” Mel replied sarcastically, thinking the man must be a total jerk. She had just survived an animal attack and was suffering from a head injury, for heaven’s sake! Where was the sympathy she deserved?
“You don’t talk to strangers? Aww… What a good little girl you are.” He mockingly praised her using a tone of voice most often associated with young children. Then, without warning, he switched to a harder, more accusing, form of speech. “Too bad you don’t follow the rules when it comes to wandering onto someone’s land, completely ignoring the ‘No Trespassing’ signs.”
She didn’t respond for a moment, recalling how she’d removed the sign so that she could claim ignorance of its existence. Well, in for a penny, in for a pound; she’d try to bluff her way through this. “I didn’t see any sign. Where was it?”
“Right on the gate that blocked the driveway you walked down.”
“Really? Hmm… I didn’t notice it. Maybe it fell off.” She concentrated on brushing some dust from her pants to avoid looking his direction.
“And maybe it had some help from you.”
Mel gave a non-committal shrug and kept silent. He continued on in the nasty, mocking tone he seemed to favour.