When the Winter Winds Blow

by E J Darling

  When the winter winds blow,

  The bear should sleep.

  His meadows fill with snow,

  As the wolves begin to reap.

  - Tyler Camp

  INTRODUCTION

  Lexie ran until her lungs were flaming inside her chest and her legs felt as if they’d give out at any moment. The icy claws of the piercing wind flowed over the peak, slowing her down with every step. Her cheeks burned like the devil himself was caressing her face and she could feel the blisters beginning to form.

  She couldn’t stop though. Not when the woods were alive with wolves and every step she took was four more for them. She was being hunted.

  Lexie looked back to make sure she was still running for a reason but the creatures she’d once seen were now gone. That didn’t stop her panic though. She knew they were skilled hunters and they owned these woods. Every tree, every root, every turn. This was their mountain.

  Before she had time to think, Lexie’s boot hit a root buried deep in the snow and she fell face first into the harsh cold powder. This place would have been beautiful if she hadn’t been so terrified. If she hadn’t been cursed from the moment she set foot on this God forsaken mountain.

  Howls echoed through the trees like a death song and Lexie scrambled to her feet. She was weak now and they would reach her at any moment. This was her chance, her last chance, to outrun them.

  Lexie looked up, peeking through the woods was as a vision of chimney smoke shone through the trees. Lexie felt hope for the first time since she’d made it to the deep secluded Rocky Mountain peaks. There was someone here. There was a real person somewhere that could help her. She didn’t know if they were a friend or foe, but she was going to take her chances.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Alexis bent down and picked up a small branch out of the untouched snow. The crisp air filled her lungs like ice shards, but she didn’t want to go back inside the cabin just yet. She wanted to see the view that was on the brochure she held in her hand and not think about anything for a while.

  It had been three full days of nothing but stunning mountain views and impossibly tall evergreens with sagging branches that were being weighed down with snow. It was the good kind too. The kind that made the perfect snowmen and made these mountains tourist traps for skiers and snowboarders. She wasn’t at any resort though. She was far from them or anything else for that matter. There was nothing around for miles and that is exactly why she chose this cabin in the first place.

  She wouldn’t lie to herself. She knew why she ran away from work, from co-workers, and from any responsibility for two whole weeks. She didn’t a have a single friend left in her hometown where she chose to stay after high school, not that she had many to begin with anyways. Lexie was a loner in the worst possible way. She didn’t want to be a loner, which is what made it so hard. She just didn’t get people and people didn’t get her. That was okay most days, but there were times that she wished she had at least one person in her life to talk to.

  But this was it. Her first Christmas without anyone. Her grandparents had died years ago. Her mom unfortunately died of cancer when Lexie was in high school, and the worst of it all was the fact that she’d been alone for seven entire months. She’d been trying to make shit work when there was no room for anything but grief. Being completely alone at twenty-seven was a lonely and miserable existence.

  The accident that caused her father’s death had been traumatic enough, but when you threw in survivor’s guilt, life had become nearly impossible. She’d managed to keep her job through all the physical therapy, and she was grateful for it, but the holidays were rough. She needed to get the hell out of Oklahoma and the hell away from all the stress.

  Oklahoma never got snow like this. Her father had always dreamed of coming up to the Rocky Mountains for Christmas, but he never got the chance. So here she was, braving the elements the best she could in order to fulfill some retroactive vision of her father’s. She didn’t want to wait an entire lifetime to fulfil her dreams and fantasies like her father had. There was one benefit to losing everyone you love at such a young age. You get to see how short life truly is. Everything becomes sweeter. Every relationship you’re able to build becomes stronger.

  Lexie looked up from her brochure and stuck the branch into the six-inch snow to stabilize herself and to guide her just in case the snow got too deep as she climbed. Physical therapy had built up her stamina so much recently and she was more than ready to climb this monstrous hill and see what was on the other side. She dodged a few branches as the forest thickened and her breath fogged in front of her.

  She remembered the weatherman saying there was a storm coming soon when she saw the television at a gas station in the nearest town. She wanted to get this done and out of the way before it hit because she didn’t know if she’d get another chance to leave the cabin after.

  Ten more minutes to the top of the ridgeline. Lexie took one more tiring step and stood tall over the scenery. It was breathtaking. Everything as far as the eye could see was white with small bits of deep green thrown in. The sun was coming down now and the orange and pink sunset casted reflections on the icy trees, making them appear to be lit up like Christmas trees. She’d never seen anything like it in all her life.

  A tear fell freely from her eye and she wiped the cold streak from her face. Her father would have loved this. It was everything he’d ever dreamt of and Lexie was happy she got to experience it, even if he hadn’t been there with her.

  “This is for you dad.” She whispered.

  She made a vow then. She would come up here every Christmas and look out over these mountains and remember all the beauty there was in this world. She didn’t have a lot of that anymore. She vowed to let it go, to let the dead die, but let their memory and their dreams live on.

  The sound of wolves howling in the distance pulled her from her thoughts. She’d never seen a wolf in real life and the sad song sent chills up her spine. The moist fog of her breath filled her vision and she bundled herself up tighter in her thick coat.

  When the sun went down over the tallest peak, the air got instantly colder and the wind began to pick up. Lexie took in the view once more before she turned and headed back to the cabin. She didn’t want to get caught in weather she couldn’t manage alone. She couldn’t wait to get inside, build up the fire again, and dive into one of the books she’d brought with her. There was service up here, but she was happy to leave her phone in her bag and not worry about a damn thing at work or in life.

  No one had needed her anyways. Gillian, her boss, had told her to take the two-week vacation and forget everything, and she’d done just that. She felt bad for leaving everyone to cover her responsibilities again, but they all told her to go. She loved her job and the people that worked there. She’d never worked anywhere that seemed to care about their employees like EnoCon did. They were one of the smallest natural energy companies in Oklahoma, but they treated people right and that was more than enough to keep her there, even if the pay wasn’t the greatest.

  Lexie dodged the same branch from before and saw the cabin just up ahead. The decent had gone much smoother and quicker than going up had and she hadn’t realized she’d made it back so soon. The smoke from the chimney called her name and her frozen fingers were desperate for relief.

  She stepped over a downed log, but when her back foot came over, the toe of her shoe scraped the top and she fell face first into the snow. “Dammit.” She cursed.

  Lexie rolled over on her back and looked up at the graying sky. At least no one had seen her fall on her face, that had to be one of the best parts about being alone. Embarrassment was only around if other people were.

  The gust of w
ind picked up and blew her hair around her face. Creaking trees swaying in the wind gave her an eerie feeling, and suddenly, being alone wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. More howling came with the now blistering wind and gooseflesh covered Lexie’s skin. The wolves were closer now. She stood to her feet quickly, not wanting to be outside anymore, and studied her surroundings. The howling continued and nothing felt right anymore. She didn’t know if they were all around her, or if the wind and trees were playing tricks on her.

  Lexie spun in a tight circle, but she couldn’t find the direction they were coming from and her mind was drowning in the echoes. With one last gust of bravery, she sprinted for the cabin. It was in sight, her dad’s truck sat right in front of it, and the front door got closer with every step. She could hear something behind her hitting the snow as it chased her, but she wasn’t brave enough to look back.

  She was almost to the porch. She could make it. Hope filled her chest as she pushed her legs to hit the old wooden frame. The moment she rounded the vertical column, a massive black wolf gracefully jumped the railing and beat her to the porch. She was frozen with fear. Her legs wouldn’t move, and her feet were planted firmly on the ground like they were buried in cement.

  “Good boy?” She whispered with a trembling breath. The cold was getting to her now, or was it the fear? Whichever it was caused her fingers to shake in her thick gloves.

  The wolf bared his teeth and lunged at her. She fell back and hit the ground hard, but she managed to keep the wolf off her neck long enough to roll away. She stood then, the fear turning to something else as she watched an entire pack circle in front of her. Lexie wanted to look behind her, but she wasn’t stupid enough to trust the wolves. They chomped at her, baring their teeth for effect. There had to be at least ten of them moving towards her, one solid step at a time.

  Some were larger than others, but they all looked underweight and feral as hell. She must look like a great meal to a pack of hungry wolves, but that wasn’t going to be her. Not today. She wasn’t going to die out here. They could starve to death for all she cared.

  The biggest one, the black one from the porch, approached her. His wide paws padding along the snow. He held his head up and howled and the sound had lost its wonder as she stood toe to toe with the savage animals.

  Lexie made her choice. She wasn’t going to stay here and let them have her. She turned and ran; happy for the newfound stamina she’d gained.

  She didn’t know where the hell she was going, but she wasn’t going to stay and be their meal. She was a fighter. She was a survivor.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Howling. It was always howling. It wasn’t the wind though. Everyday Declan’s head was alive with the sound of the wolves. He would never be free of her memory. Never be free of the cursed life he was now forced to live.

  More howling. He grabbed his beer bottle and smashed it into the fireplace. He was going crazy out here. He knew that but he refused to leave. All the animals who stayed out here too long became feral and he would be no exception.

  She could come back here. If you leave, she’ll never find you. You have to stay.

  His bear was already crazy. She wasn’t coming back. Autumn was gone. The permanent kind that ensured you never had to see their face again. And yet, she was beautiful. What a lucky male to have looked upon her face for the time he had her. But she was broken. Too broken.

  No. I am broken.

  She was broken first, though. That was okay.

  I could have fixed her. I could have made her better.

  The ramblings of a broken bear were going to kill him one day. He would become rouge and there was nothing he could do. Once you snap, you’re gone.

  More howling.

  Was this in his head? It sounded so real to him. They didn’t usually sound so close. Not in years. They sounded real… tangible.

  More of them sounded, less distant this time. No way in hell were the wolves stupid enough to come near his home, on his territory.

  Screams pierced his ears now. Autumn? No, she was dead. Gone forever. Had she come back to him after all this time? No, it couldn’t be her. They’d taken her, killed her, and now they were coming for him.

  More screams. Declan stood from his stool in front of the warm fire where he watched the flames dance every night and looked to his door. If he went out there he would be giving in to his broken head and he was stronger than that. Or he had been, used to be.

  The screams of a woman filled the small cabin and Declan rushed to the door, yanking it open. The wind was blowing fiercely as it blew the blanketed snow up in waves. A storm must have blown in without him knowing. The temperature had dropped twenty degrees since… when? When had he last gone outside? He was only dressed in jeans, but he didn’t care. Someone out there needed help. His help.

  He stepped out of the warmth of his home and into the cold blistering wind. He thanked his bear for once because he could see deep into the darkness directly at the woman. She was being hunted. The look on her face made him dash towards her. He was in a full sprint in seconds, his arms pumping as his legs carried him further into the night. She was so close. The wolves were right on her heels. He could save her. He could save this one.

  She saw him now. Her face turning from horror to hope as they closed the distance. Her fear filled his nose and the air around him. It did something to him. Made him angry. Made him want to kill whatever was doing this to his sweet Autumn. No, not Autumn. She was dead.

  With one final leap of strength, she jumped into his arms and held on to him tight. He held her close to him as she panted heavily, the exhaustion setting in. She was so small, so fragile.

  “Wolves,” She panted. “They’ll kill me.” She was only gasping for words now and he tried to hold her up right, but her legs gave out. He pulled her up and cradled her exhausted body in his arms.

  The wolves slowed their pace as they surrounded them both. He wasn’t afraid though. They were the ones who should be running in fear. Declan let his eyes roam the pack, finding the alpha took only a moment and he growled the moment they locked eyes.

  Him. He was the one who killed his Autumn. The men the rouges had once been were all gone, all wolf now. Turning to their animal sides for safety. They’d been in the mountains too long, letting fear of humans cloud their minds. Humans were the enemy to them, and he held one safely in his arms. She was no threat to anyone, let alone a pack of wolves.

  “Get out of my territory, Grim.” Declan growled. “You were to never step foot here again.”

  The alpha paced the snow, keeping his eyes locked on Declan. He growled deep in his chest, calling the others to do the same. Declan smiled. The intimidation was useless here. They were a pack of many, and he was one. But the odds were in his favor. Grief and anger did that to him. He was the scary thing that went bump in the night.

  Grim stopped his pacing and stepped closer to Declan. He chomped his teeth once and turned tail, running the opposite direction. The others followed and Declan watched them until he couldn’t see them over the next ridge.

  “Are you okay?”

  “They just,” Her eyes filled with tears and her face contorted in sadness, “attacked me at my cabin.”

  “You’re going to be okay now,” He promised. “You’re safe.” She nodded her head and closed her eyes. Declan’s heart raced as she went limp in his arms and he vigorously shook her once. “Wake up!”

  She didn’t rouse and he started to panic. She could be in shock with everything going on, or maybe the cold was getting to her. He checked her breathing and found it deep and steady. He cleared his mind and monitored her beating heart. It was strong. She was okay.

  Declan didn’t know her name or where she came from, but right now the only thing that mattered was that she was alive and breathing. He needed to get her warm though and into his cabin before the wolves decided his threat wasn’t enough to keep them away.

  He turned and headed back inside. It took him longer to manage
the wind and deep snow in his bare feet and with the woman in his arms, but he eventually made it back safely. Declan looked up the ladder to the loft area and decided it would be safer for them both if he laid her on the couch by the fire. He didn’t have much furniture in the cabin, but what he did have was nice enough. He placed one of the couch pillows under her head and let her body relax into the plush cushions.

  She looked comfortable but he decided she needed a blanket and hurried up the ladder to grab the only one he owned. It was made of wolf skins that he’d sewn a plush blanket to on the underside. It could keep anything warm, even in the most frigid temperatures. He placed it over her and tucked in the sides, making sure she would be warm while she slept.

  Declan didn’t know what to do now. There was a human woman in his cabin, and he hadn’t thought about that until just now. He knew he made the right decision by saving her, but now there was a new mess to deal with. He needed to keep his head right now. He couldn’t give into the wild ramblings of his bear while she was here or she would think he was crazy. He didn’t want any reason for her to feel the need to run. Not again. It could not happen again.

  He grabbed the stool that sat in front of the fire and pulled it closer to the woman. There was nothing else to do but to watch her now.

  She was beautiful behind her reddened cheeks and black windblown hair. Her lips were perfectly plump, not too much or too little. They fit her face beautifully. He couldn’t see them now but her green eyes that had looked at him with such raw hope gripped him immediately. They were bright and reminded him of the plush grass that grew in the clearings here in the summer months.

  Declan leaned in and made sure she was still breathing. She was and he exhaled a sigh. “Calm down. She’s fine. You saved this one.”

  Autumn’s face pulled at his memories. She’d been so wild. Too wild. She didn’t belong with him, but he tried to force it, tried to save her. She was his, even if he had never been hers.