Destiny (The Academy Series Book 1)

by D. D. Larsen

  The warmth is so nice, and I’m so exhausted, I feel myself drift off again.

  There is sun shining in my eyes when I open them. Blinking a few times, I try to take in my surroundings. I still feel the warmth and realize I’m being carried; it wasn’t a dream. I look up and see Wren’s face. My movement alerts him that I am awake.

  He pauses and sets me down on the ground. The warmth retreats, but I notice that I have a large jacket draped over my shoulders. Wren is in a black t-shirt and jeans. How does he always look so good? He must have given me his jacket. It may be summer, but, at this altitude, the temperature drops into the 40’s most nights.

  He squats down and looks at me with those eyes I’m obsessed with. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

  The anger in his voice shocks me. I knew I would be getting some shit for this, but I expected sympathy first. Like, are you all right, are you warm enough?

  He stands up and pulls water out of a backpack I hadn’t noticed before. He tosses it at me and says, “Drink.”

  Seriously, what is his problem?

  I take the water and take a gulp. Not because he told me to but because I’m thirsty.

  After I down the full bottle, I look up at the now-pacing Wren. “How did you find me?”

  Not that I am not grateful. I’m extremely happy that I’m not going to die alone in the woods. But, how did he know where I was?

  “Last night, after you called your dad, he told everyone he knew to look for you. He named a few of your favorite trails. This was one of them.”

  I look around. If so many people are looking for me, where is everyone else?

  As I suspected, my moment of stupidity is not going to just slide under the rug. Everyone is going to know, and I am never going to outlive this. Tourists get lost. Tourists get hurt. Locals are supposed to know better.

  I broke all the basic rules when I went out hiking alone, without telling anyone where I was going, and taking nothing with me in case of an accident.

  As if he can read my mind, he says, “We should be meeting up with the others soon. I was ahead of everyone.”

  I feel like he isn’t telling me something.

  Before I can ask him more, a voice I recognize as my dad’s calls out. Wren yells back and in a few minutes, he comes running through the trees to get over to me.

  I stand as he pulls me into a hug, “God, Jamie, you had me so worried. I’m so glad Wren found you. His tracking skills are incredible.”

  My dad holds me tight to his chest. The gravity of the situation finally hits home, and tears start to stream down my face. My dad continues to comfort me.

  After a few minutes, he holds me out at arm’s length. “You mentioned you were hurt? Can you walk?”

  Up until this point, I hadn’t been putting any weight on my ankle. I test it and cringe in pain. “Not looking good for walking out of here.”

  Before he can answer, Wren comes up behind me and scoops me up so fast, all the air whooshes out of my lungs. I blush. As I am cradled in his arms, he turns to my father and says, “I’ve got her.”

  The warmth of his chest radiates into me as he walks, and my dad follows, absolutely silent.

  We were close to the trailhead when we met up with my dad. When we get back to my car, there is a group of close to twenty people, most of them familiar faces. I thank everyone for helping to find me and apologize for being stupid.

  Everyone seems very understanding. A few tell me stories about mistakes they made when they went out hiking. Everyone seems happy that I’ve been found all right, except Wren. When I look up, he’s off on his own, scowling about something.

  As the crowd disperses, he finally comes to me. “Let me drive you. You can’t do it with that ankle.”

  My dad shakes his head. “Give him your keys, Jamie.” He looks at Wren. “You can drive her car back to our house, but she’s coming with me. She needs to go to the hospital to get that ankle looked at.”

  I start to protest, but he gives me a look that makes it die in my throat. “Okay.”

  Wren jumps in my car and drives off without another look at me. As we head back toward town, I use my dad’s phone to call Mom. She answers on the first ring. “Jim! Did you find her? Is she all right?”

  “Hey Mom, I’m fine.”

  For the next minute, she rattles off all sorts of worries.

  “Mom, I’m fine, really. A little hungry and tired, but other than a twisted ankle, I am fine. That’s why I am calling. Can you convince Dad not to take me to the hospital? I’m already embarrassed enough.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re all right, but I think it would be best to be seen by a doctor. Dr. Frey is free this afternoon if you want to come here. That way I can see for myself that you are all right. Jamie, you had us all so worried!”

  My dad must overhear the conversation, because he makes a U-turn and changes his route to my mom’s office.

  Ten minutes later, she comes rushing out of her office building and pulls me into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay, but we both know you know better than that! What were you thinking?”

  “I wasn’t, that was the problem.” By this point, my dad has gotten out of the car and is standing next to us.

  He leans in and kisses my mom on the cheek. “We were really lucky to have Wren’s help. He found her. That boy can track anything.”

  My mother replies, “We will have to have him over for dinner again. I’m so grateful that he helped find my baby girl. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you, too.”

  Now I feel extra horrible. My parents have already been through so much with my brother. I shouldn’t be putting myself at risk.

  Turning to my parents, I say, “I can promise I learned my lesson loud and clear. I will be a lot more careful in the future.”

  With that, we head inside my mom’s office so I can be looked over.

  My thoughts drift back to Wren. Something about him is different, but I can’t place my finger on it.

  Chapter 12:

  Finally, we arrive back at the house. It’s only 10 am, but I am spent. I don’t even have the energy to shower. Instead, I climb into bed and fall asleep.

  I’m back in the forest, but this time the moon is bright enough that I can see my surroundings. I look up. A full moon is floating in the sky above.

  Branches crack behind me and I spin around. It’s the black wolf. His yellow eyes glow in the moonlight. His hot breath is on my face and I realize I am sitting on the ground.

  I should be terrified, but I’m not. There is something about him that seems comforting. I feel the inexplicable urge to reach out and touch him. My hand lightly connects with the top of his head and I run it along the fur. It’s so soft.

  Another howl pierces the air, and he pulls away and looks in the direction it comes from. A low growl leaves his throat and his ears pull back.

  I shoot up in bed, my heart beating fast.

  What was that? It seemed too real to be a dream, but it must have been. I look at the clock. 4pm. I’ve slept most of the day.

  Easing to my feet, I hobble to the bathroom and slip off the splint to take a shower. Under the spray of water, I think about my dream and the wolf. It felt so real; it sends chills down my back.

  It wasn’t the black wolf that scared me, but the howl that echoed through the forest. Something about it made all the hair on my body stand up. I don’t know why, but I think it came from something that wanted to hurt me.

  Dressed in sweats and a baggy t-shirt, I go downstairs to the kitchen. I freeze.

  Wren is sitting at the bar, talking to my mom. Why can’t I seem to get away from him? Do I even want to?

  Yes. I am going to stick firm to my No Boys rule.

  When my phone turned back on, I had a call and two texts from Liam. I deleted all of them unopened. I need Jamie time right now and I don’t need him twisting my brain any further.

  Wren is just staring at me. Why does he always do that?

  My mom st
ands up and comes over. “You look better honey. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m starving.”

  She walks over to the stove and stirs a pot. “Well, let’s get you fed. The food should be ready in ten minutes.” She turns to Wren. “Are you able to stay for dinner? We would love to have you.”

  Speak for yourself. But I try to keep the snarl off my face. He did help save me this morning. I should be grateful.

  He looks intently at my face, as if reading my mind. “Janet, that would be great, if you don’t mind having me.

  “Of course not, dear. It’s no problem!”

  I look down at my clothes and get the urge to go change into something nicer since Wren is here. No, Jamie, you don’t care, because you have sworn off boys.

  Limping over to the bar, I sit in the chair next to Wren. Intentionally ignoring him, I ask my mom, “What’s for dinner?”

  It smells delicious and my stomach is rumbling. My dad gave me a protein bar he had in his car when we were heading to the doctor’s office, but I fell asleep before I could eat anything else when we got home.

  “Your dad decided it would be a good day for ribs. He knows they are one of your favorites. I’m just heating up the beans and I made potato salad with red potatoes just how you like it. And, I made brownies for dessert.”

  My stomach rumbles so loud people on the other side of the world can hear it. I clamp a hand over it and blush.

  “I’ll take that as a sign that you are happy?”

  I nod.

  To my surprise, Mark stops by after dinner to check on me.

  “Hey,” he says when I answer the door and lead him into the living room. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there. I was busy . . .” Mark stops when he sees Wren. The two eye each other suspiciously. “Are you busy?”

  “No! Not at all!” I say brightly. “This is Wren. He’s one of my father’s rangers.”

  “He was a great help to us, finding Jamie,” my mother says.

  Mark sizes him up. “Were you?”

  Wren’s shrug is humble, but his smirk is otherwise.

  I remind myself, no boys! and try to ignore their male posturing. My mom offers Mark leftovers from dinner and goes into the kitchen to help him, leaving me in the living room with Wren.

  He looks unhappy, even more so than ordinary. As a man of few words he doesn’t say anything, so I ask, “What’s up?”

  He just keeps staring at me, saying nothing.

  “Seriously, what is your problem?”

  Half the time I want to jump his bones and the other half I want to punch him in the face. Nobody has ever been able to piss me off so easily before.

  “Are you and him back together?”

  Him? It takes me a second to realize he is talking about Mark. Why would he think that?

  “It’s none of your business, but no we are not. We are friends, or I hope we are heading in that direction. I messed up big time, and I don’t know if he has forgiven me yet.”

  With that, he stands up. He takes a step closer, eyes trained on my lips. Is he planning on kissing me? I scoot back and put my hands up.

  “Oh no you don’t. No more crazy kisses right before you walk out the door. No more kisses in general. I need me time, no boys allowed.”

  He lets out a harrumph and stalks to the door. He mumbles something under his breath that sounds like, “You will be mine soon.” I don’t have time to argue because in the next second, he’s gone. Besides, maybe my brain was just making it up.

  Before I can think about it, Mark returns with a plate of food and a huge smile on his face. “I forgot how good your mom’s cooking is. So much better than the frozen pizza I was planning on having when I got home.”

  For the next hour, we make small talk and watch a movie. It feels nice hanging out with Mark again. Even with the underlying tension, I forgot how well we exist together. I’m not worried about what I’m going to say or how I look. It doesn’t matter with him. We’ve known each other so long that we just are, and it works.

  Unlike my time with Wren, who twists me in knots and throws me constant curveballs.

  Jamie, stop. No boys!

  Chapter 13:

  Because of my ankle, I spend the week reading and watching TV. At first it was nice and relaxing, but now I am ready to get out of the house and do something. I text Tollen and, to my surprise, she doesn’t ignore me. We agree to meet up this afternoon at her house to hang out.

  I’m equal parts nervous and excited. During college, I had other female friends, but none as close as I was with Tollen. I really need a girlfriend right now with everything swirling through my head. Mark will be off limits, but he is the least of my problems.

  As I am getting ready to head out the door, my mom walks in from work. “Hey honey, where are you off to? Are you ready to be out and about?”

  My little adventure in the woods really seemed to scare my mom. She hasn’t been this clingy since my brother died. I have tried to be understanding since I can’t even imagine what it is like to lose a child, but I am feeling suffocated. I’m twenty-five, not eight, and I don’t want to stay locked away in the house forever.

  “Heading over to Tollen’s for a few hours. Don’t worry, I will take it easy!”

  With that, I move quickly out to my car. My mom won’t make me stay, but if she gives me the guilty face, I am doomed.

  When I arrive at Tollen’s, I’m even more nervous. I was so stupid for ignoring her all those years. I want my best friend back, if she will take me.

  She is outside on the bench under the trellis, wearing shorts and a tank top, soaking up the warm summer sun. Toby is on a blanket at her feet, playing with toys. Toby has a floppy sun hat and too much sunscreen on her face.

  As I get out of my car, Tollen waves. I wave back as I go through the white gate. As soon as I walk into the yard, Toby stands up and runs over to me to hug my leg. I’m shocked and don’t know what to do.

  She turns her huge blue eyes up on me and smiles as she says, “J . . . e,” her version of my name, and then throws her hands up like she wants me to pick her up. I oblige, lifting her little body into my arms.

  I notice that her clothes match her mom’s and I chuckle because it is such a Tollen thing to do. Growing up, she always wanted to be a fashion designer and was constantly trying new clothing combinations to make a statement. That all ended her junior year when she visited NYC. She spent the next year telling me how awful and dirty it was and how there was no way she’d ever live there.

  Holding Toby in one arm and a bag of wine and cookies in the other I say, “Hey.”

  Her face seems uncertain. “I see my daughter has taken a liking to you. She wouldn’t stop talking about breakfast the other morning and how you also got the Mickey Mouse pancakes then moved the fruit around to make a smiley face.”

  I was very hungover. Funny, I barely remember it.

  “She is an adorable little girl.” I’ve always wanted kids, but later in my life. The plan was to get my career set first. But the more I hang out with Toby, the more I think “later” is “now”. Maybe my hormones are going crazy and that’s why I’m having so many boy issues.

  I hold out the bag to her. “I brought wine and cookies, girl day essentials.”

  After I say the word cookie, the three-year-old in my arms starts bouncing and saying, “Ooki, ooki.”

  We both laugh and Tollen motions for me to follow her into the house. “Let’s get Toby her cookie and us some wine then head back outside. It’s such a nice day. I don’t want to be cooped up inside.”

  I nod in agreement.

  After we are back outside and situated, I look around at her beautiful garden and start the conversation by asking about it.

  Tollen replies, “It was pretty nice when I bought the house, but it inspired me to get more into gardening. I find it relaxing and it is so beautiful when they are all blooming.”

  “Well, you have done a great job. I love it! I tried to have plants, but I can
’t even seem to keep a succulent alive.”

  At this, we both start laughing. We stick with light subjects as we drink our wine and watch Toby play. Slowly, the walls between us come down.

  Feeling like we are making a little headway back into being friends, I decide to dive into the topic I really need advice on — boys.

  “Tollen, how would you feel about helping me with some guy advice?”

  She tenses slightly, but she has no reason to. I’m not planning on asking about Mark. But maybe I should? I can’t get a read on what, if anything, is going on between them.

  “What are your thoughts on Wren? Have you met him?”

  She takes a sip of her wine as she thinks. “Well, he is ruggedly gorgeous. Have you seen those eyes? But, to be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever talked to him. Mark said he found you in the forest?”

  I nod, remembering the warmth of his arms as he carried me out of the forest.

  Tollen continues before I can say anything. “You were an idiot, but I am glad you ended up being okay. We both know that situation could have turned out a lot differently. I never did get the full story.”

  I quickly fill her in on the call from Liam, and how I was so twisted, I wasn’t thinking.

  The only thing I leave out is my encounter with the wolf. For whatever reason, I haven’t told anyone about it. My only reasoning is that part of me feels like it’s a secret I shouldn’t share.

  After I tell Tollen the whole story, she just stares at me for a moment.

  “Wow. Let me rephrase that. You were damn lucky Wren found you so quick or it could have been a whole lot worse. Did he ever tell you how he found you? That trail’s really dangerous, even in broad daylight.”

  I shake my head. “No, he never went into details, but I’ve wondered the same thing.”

  “From what you’re telling me, he seems fond of you. From what I have heard, he is quiet and keeps to himself. One of the other girls that works at the art gallery asked him out once. Said he seemed uncomfortable the whole time. Like he was too good to be spending his time that way. The word is that he was an Academy kid back when we were in high school, and they always thought they were better than everyone else. Remember that party?”