Once Upon a Twist

by Michelle Smart

  The ground met her feet and suddenly he was in front of her, wiping her eyes, her cheeks. The severe expression on his face had been replaced with wide eyes and a frown.

  “She’s…” He cleared his throat. “We can’t save her. It’s too late.”

  Rage boiled through her veins, wiping away rational thought. After all, what was the point? She had nothing left. No family. Not even him. “No.”

  His teeth snapped together and he grabbed her hand. She tried to pull it away but he was too strong; his grip almost crushed her bones. He turned and tugged her hard. It was either fall or follow, though she was sure if she fell he’d drag her along anyway. Any man who could lug around trees didn’t worry about the weight of a hundred and thirty pound woman. The bastard broke into a sprint, leading them into the thick of the forest in the opposite direction of his home. She tried to push the grief down, concentrate on following him through the darkness.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, pushing her legs faster to keep up with him.

  She couldn’t see a foot in front of her. Darker shadows than the night around them gave no indication of where they were. The moon hid beneath clouds above, somewhere through the trees. If he crashed into something she was going down with him.

  “We need to mask your scent.”

  If stranger words had come out of his mouth, she hadn’t heard them. But then it clicked. “The thing can smell me.”

  And it did get a good whiff at the house. She swallowed against the tears in her throat. It wasn’t the time to grieve. Now she could think rationally and, although she grudged it, she was grateful he’d come when he did or she’d either be an infected monster by now or the thing would have eaten her.

  He didn’t answer, just ran faster. She kept up, but her calf muscles burned and her lungs heaved with the effort. Over her ragged panting, she heard the sound of the river, but she knew they were too high up. He must be taking her to…

  Ruby slowed, tried to yank her hand free. “You’ve lost your mind!”

  His grip didn’t ease up as he dragged her closer to the ledge. “There’s no other way.”

  “It’s at least a ten foot drop. You know I can’t swim!”

  He stopped at the ledge and launched the gun into the darkness. She thought for a second he’d thrown it into the river, but it landed in the distance with a thud. The moonlight broke through the clouds, illuminating the scary jump and rushing water below. Her heart sped.

  “You’ll be fine. I won’t let you drown.” His lips quirked, like he found her terror entertaining.

  All the pent up anger, grief, and fear fought for supremacy inside. She couldn’t control what came out of her mouth. “And I’m supposed to trust you? Are you kidding me?”

  His arms banded around her, holding her arms down by her sides in a steely grip. “You could always trust me, Red. I told you everything I was allowed to.”

  Before she could argue, or before she could wonder what he meant by allowed, he picked her up and jumped off the ledge.

  Chapter Two

  Red’s scream pierced Jeremy’s eardrums as gravity pulled them down. Wind rushed up around them, making her hair and cloak fly up. Before he could suck in a proper breath, they were completely submerged in water. The icy river swallowed them whole and he almost gasped in a lungful as they plunged deeper. Shock jolted through him like an electric current, but he didn’t have time to let it paralyze him. Kicking his legs, he fought against gravity and pushed them to the surface.

  Their heads’ broke through at the same time and she sputtered, coughing up water all over his face. He grinned as he rubbed and patted her back. A year of hollow misery and she was back in his arms. Back in his life. Even if she didn’t want to be there, even if her grandma was gone, he couldn’t strip the joy from the moment if he tried. Not even remorse at what he’d done could overpower it.

  “I hate you.” Red coughed again, but it was only air that escaped her rose tinted lips.

  He ground his teeth. Memories of the last time he’d seen her, the accusations she’d thrown at him came flooding back. He should have denied the allegations, shouldn’t have let her believe he’d hurt her like that. But he’d had to let her go. She deserved better than scum like him.

  “I know.” And so she should hate him, just not for the reason she did.

  The ache in his chest at the look in her eyes only made his arms tighten. If it wasn’t for what he and his father did, she’d have been his. They would be married by now, the world would be a safer place, and her grandma would still be alive.

  A sob shook her body. “Red, don’t cry.” He wished he could do more to help her through this. Wished he could… “I’ll get us out of here. I promise.”

  She jerked her head back. Her trembling body froze in his arms. “Don’t promise me anything.”

  He deserved that, but it didn’t lessen the blow. Her words hit him between the shoulder blades like an axe being wielded by a woodcutter, which ironically, he had been since he moved to the cottage in the forest.

  “And I told you. Stop. Calling. Me. That.”

  Red—he’d always called her that. Felt weird not to. “We have to move.” As if backing up his words, he heard a howl in the distance. “The wolf will be here soon.” Keeping an arm around her waist, he pulled them both through the water to the other side of the river.

  “The wolf?” she asked, her voice shaking.

  He didn’t know whether it was cold, anguish, or fear.

  When they reached the waters’ edge, he placed her hands on the bank. “That’s what it used to be. Hold onto a clump of grass and don’t move.”

  Darkness hid her expression, but he could sense her glare. Jeremy fought back a smile. Hell, he’d missed her so much.

  Planting his arms on the muddy ground, he pushed himself up and out of the river. Though the water had been icy, the cool night air only enhanced the chill, raising goosebumps on his skin. Shit, how did it all get so fucked up? One minute he’d been hunting the wolf, the next he’d heard the commotion in the woods. He didn’t know Red would be there, but when she left he’d sworn to himself he’d take care of her grandma—another promise he’d broken, but not for lack of trying.

  But the biggest bitch-slap of all was that if he wasn’t who he was, she’d still be living there. Still be with him. Then again, there was no way their paths would have crossed if he hadn’t done what he had. He wished with all his heart she hadn’t known him. He was as much of a monster as the damn wolf.

  “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “To get the gun. Stay there,” he added when he heard the water splashing around her.

  The splashing stopped, and she didn’t speak. He pulled a small torch from his pocket, clicked the button. Nothing happened. Shaking his head, he considered waiting for the clouds to pass the moon so he could see properly. That could take minutes they didn’t have.

  Dropping to his knees, he felt blindly around the ground, but it was like looking for a natural blonde at Hugh Hefner’s. Then again, he’d be able to find Red there—or anywhere—even without the gift of sight. She may still be in the water, but he could remember her lavender scent, remember her silky smooth skin. Remember how his body fired up like it had been injected with a semi-lethal dose of hormones when she was in a ten foot radius.

  “How…d-do you kn-know it will f-f-follow us.” Her teeth rattled together as she spoke.

  Without the heat of his body, she must be freezing. He increased the speed of his search, thought about leaving the damn thing. After all he had plenty more at home, what was one shotgun when he had one in every closet? But keeping her alive for the journey back was more important than keeping her warm.

  “J-J-Jer…?”

  He considered how much to tell her, after all, he’d signed away the right to be honest with anyone, even the rest of the world when the half-dead creatures started attacking in the night. When he realized what had started it all, he had sworn he would put an
end to what he helped create, even though opening his mouth meant he risked jail. Or worse, the other person’s death.

  He’d been responsible for enough deaths already.

  But Red deserved the truth from him. Always had. He’d let her know as much as was safe. “It’s a tracker by nature. Once it catches a scent, it won’t stop until…” he couldn’t finish the sentence. Bile rose in his throat at the thought of the wolf finding her.

  His hand touched cold metal and he grabbed the gun. Turning, his gaze snagged on a dark figure with glowing yellow eyes at the top of the ledge. His blood turned cold. It was too soon to be her grandma. From his research, he knew the infection took twenty-four hours to fully complete the transformation when it came directly from the wolf’s saliva. It must have infected more people than he realized. Then again, it had been a good eight weeks since the creature had been sighted.

  Still, those with the disease weren’t particularly bright and seemed to share the wolf’s fear of the water. He walked to the ledge, lowered himself into the icy river, and turned his back to Red, keeping his gaze fixed on the creature above them. He wouldn’t take chances with her again.

  “Hold onto my back,” he instructed.

  Red didn’t hesitate to slide her arms around his neck and bracket his lower back with her thighs. Arousal pulsed through his arctic veins, and straight down to his groin. Impossible, but he was hard and throbbing even though the water should have had his dick sucking up into his body in fear of contracting frostbite.

  “Can it follow us?” she asked.

  “I don’t think so,” he managed to say. “But we better get going. Just in case.”

  Jeremy half walked, half swam down the river with Red on his back, wishing away his arousal. Christ, it made him sick to his stomach that he could get this revved up when she was in danger.

  She kept her face pressed against his shoulder blades, her body shaking slightly, but she didn’t speak again. It was so out of character he wanted to pull her from his back, into his arms and promise her everything would be okay. Kiss her until the pain, the suffering, the fear all dissolved. Leaving only them.

  Jeremy couldn’t do any of it. He was the last person anyone went to for comfort, the last person she should be around, but right now he was her only chance of escape. They had to get back to his house. Keeping her alive was his first priority. She would be safe there.

  The gun slowed him more than her weight as he pushed with his legs and pulled her through the water. He thought again about ditching the weapon, but couldn’t be sure the wolf wasn’t stalking them from above.

  Her trembling stilled after a while and her breath panted against his neck as silent sobs broke through her lips. He pulled them through the river faster, his arms aching as much as his heart with the effort. The ledge on the left lowered and he saw the dark outline of his cottage, hidden behind the black shadows of the trees.

  “Your house?” Red asked as he crossed to the other side of the river.

  “Yes.”

  Jeremy scanned the night, looking for movement, straining his ears for a sound that didn’t belong. It looked safe enough, but one wrong move and they’d both be lost to the disease that would turn them into monsters. A risk he might take on himself. Never on her.

  “Did they follow us?” she whispered against his neck.

  Shrugging, he listened harder. The wind bristled the leaves, but more concerning was the fact that was all he heard. No birds, no scurrying, no life in the forest other than him and Red. Something had chased the wildlife away. Jeremy didn’t know how far the animals’ senses stretched out. A yard, ten? Would making a run for it to his home risk her? Bullets didn’t work on the wolf except to slow it down, and the fucker was fast.

  A gap in the clouds allowed the light of the moon through. The small clearing around his home illuminated with a dull white. He scanned the edge of the trees for yellow eyes, but found none. There was no sound now other than their breathing. Even the wind had died down.

  “Climb out of the river as silently as possible,” he instructed.

  He expected an argument at the quiet demand in his tone, but she obeyed. Her damp clothes stuck to her narrow waist and long legs, highlighting the body he knew every inch of more intimately than his own. His blood pulsed faster and his body heated despite the temperature of the river. He looked back to the forest, forcing the images of her naked in his bed out of his mind. Once she stood on the edge, he handed her the gun. “If you see anything move—anything at all—pull the trigger. Understand?”

  Her slender throat bobbed. “What if I miss?”

  “The sound might slow them down. Focus on the clearing.”

  She turned her back to him. He moved to the edge of the bank, pulled himself out as silently as possible. Water sloshed as it poured off his body. He straightened, held his hand out. “Give me the gun, Red.”

  “Call me that again and I’ll point it at you and pull the trigger.” Despite the acid in her tone, she handed the gun to him.

  He smiled as he scanned the darkness. “What? Red?”

  She answered him with a scowl and instantly he felt like the worst kind of bastard. She deserved better than him, always had and the days of teasing her about the color of her hair were long gone. The nickname stuck, but he had to respect her wishes. She didn’t want the reminder.

  Dragging his mind back to the now, he scanned the clearing. They were too open, too vulnerable. He had to get them inside. Make her safe.

  “Run for the house.” Her eyes widened as she stared at him. “I’ll be right behind you.” When she didn’t move, he commanded, “Go!”

  She took off like a bullet, her wet cape fanning out behind her. He kept up, his gun pointed at the forest, his gaze raking over every angle, every shadow. She reached his door and grabbed the handle, pushed it down.

  “It’s locked.” She turned to him with panic stricken eyes.

  He reached into his pocket and brought out the keys. A growl sounded from behind, as did a rapid patter, like something flying through the clearing, its feet barely touching the ground. Red’s gaze jerked toward the sound. He thrust the keys at her. Turned. Lifted the gun. The wolf lowered its body, its pace never faltering.

  “Get inside. Now!” he shouted.

  Adrenaline ripped through his system. Every movement became acute. The wolf’s bony legs moved so fast they were almost a blur. That terrifying head grew bigger the closer it got. Its white teeth glimmered in the moonlight. The smile in its eyes turned his blood cold, but not for fear of himself. Nothing mattered except her.

  Jeremy pulled the trigger. The shot rang in his ears. The wolf let out a piercing growl, half pain, half rage. It pounced at him. Dropping the gun, he reached for the wolf’s throat. The force of its body knocked him into the open doorway. His back hit the carpet with a thud, knocking the breath out of him, but he kept a firm grip on the wolf, holding its teeth away from him.

  The wolf panted and growled, blowing breath that smelled like death and rot into his face. Adrenaline strengthened his muscles, but even that wasn’t enough. The wolf’s power was unnatural. Its head lowered. The look of recognition in the creatures yellow eyes was almost human-like. It knew him. Knew Jeremy had been hunting it for the last year. Probably even knew he was related to its creator.

  The wolf’s flaky lips pulled back over its snout, saliva welling up and flooding between the white teeth, dripping onto Jeremy’s coat. The wolf’s jaw opened, right next to his chin. With a last ditch attempt he shoved with all his strength. Then a bang echoed in his ears.

  The wolf’s weight flew off him. He looked up to see Red standing over him, dripping wet, rage burning her golden eyes and a huge frying pan in her hand. “Get in!”

  Digging his heels into the floor, he pushed his body backward into the house. She slammed the door closed, stuck the key in and turned the lock.

  “The pad on the wall. Punch in 0607,” he instructed, trying to control his panting.

>   She gasped. “My birthday?”

  Jeremy nodded and fixed his gaze on the floor not wanting to see her expression. “Thank you.”

  He trembled with the adrenaline that had no outlet. After a few beeps on the alarm pad he heard the groan of metal as shutters came down over the doors and windows of the house.

  “When did you get all this?” she asked.

  Shit, he didn’t want to do this. They were trapped here and knowing Red there would be no getting out of the round of twenty questions. He couldn’t lie now, couldn’t not tell her anything. But if he told her too much he’d as good as sign her death warrant.

  Shaking his head, he grabbed the frying pan, turned and then made his way through to the kitchen. “I need coffee.”

  The sound of shoes squelching against the carpet followed him through the hall. She was silent as he returned the pan to the open cupboard beside the sink, didn’t say a word as he set up the coffee maker and filled it. Not a peep as he filled her mug with milk and two sugars.

  He planted his hands on the counter as he faced the machine, searching his mind for a way around telling her anything that would get her hurt. He came up blank. The machine did its thing and he poured the mugs, brought them over to the small wooden table and then lowered himself into the chair across from her.

  Her damp hair looked lighter than it had before. But he wasn’t willing to go full disclosure, so he kept his curiosity to himself. Didn’t stop him wanting to know why she’d had it lightened. Strawberry blonde suited her. Jeremy rose from the table and met her empty gaze.

  “Can I get you some towels? A change of clothes?” He still had a drawer full of her things in the bedroom. Didn’t seem right throwing them out. Even when a reunion was impossible.

  She shook her head and cupped her hands around the mug. “You can give me an explanation. I thought the disease was cured, so did the whole world.” She looked into his eyes like she could see his thoughts. “You seem to know more.”

  He slumped back into the chair, not giving a shit that the air in the cottage was cool and his soaked clothes were beginning to freeze. “There’s only so much I can tell you.” And even that’s a risk I’m not prepared to take with you.