I scream again, the sound echoing through the space. This time when I stumble backward, Sam is there to catch me.
Red is no longer the big-boned red-headed man who I met at Declan’s shop. His meaty arms and tree-trunk thighs have melted, shifted, into needle thin limbs wrapped in gray, pockmarked skin. What had once been a large barrel chest is now sunken in and mottled with dark blue bruises. The clothes he was wearing are long gone. The red hair which inspired his nickname is gray, blood-matted and falling off in clumps.
He hangs upside down from one of the tree limbs, his blood-red mouth nearly even with my head. Congealed matter drips from the corner of his mouth and his lips are split wide—nearly ear to ear and house a mouth of razor sharp teeth.
Sam pulls me backwards as the Red-thing releases its hold and walks down the tree horizontal to the ground as if it can defy gravity. It stands face to face with me and I search blindly for something to protect ourselves with and come up empty-handed.
Declan growls and I watch as he shifts completely into his bear form; the one that he was so worried would hurt me. If we weren’t in such a dire situation I would have admired how beautiful he is. As it is, I barely have time to give his new form a once-over before he’s charging at the wraith-like figure of Red.
“Any ideas?” Sam asks, his fingers nearly bruising with their hold on my arms.
I pull out the lighter and accelerant. “When I lit this back in the hole, he seemed afraid of it. What about we pin him in somewhere. Maybe light fires around them so that he can’t run away or get loose.”
“The fucker can practically fly, Sully, I’m not sure how much a coupla small fires are going to do.”
I shake the bottle of accelerant. “Fine, then I’m going to douse him with this and then light him up.” I grab a stick and tear off a piece of my shirt. I wrap it around the end and wet it with a couple drops of the accelerant. “Take this and start making fires around them to fence them in. I’ll do the same on this side. I don’t want this son-of-a-bitch getting away.”
Sam drags the torch around in a circle. I start to go in the opposite direction. Hopefully, Red will stay busy with Declan long enough that he doesn’t notice what we’re up to.
Declan’s bear form stalks the thin white figure over the grass. His powerful jaws snap and growl as Red leads him on a winding pattern, taunting him like he taunted me the night of the tornado. That must be part of the thrill for him now; frightening his victims before he goes in the kill. Tenderizing his prey.
I race around the circle until I meet Sam on the other side. Declan lunges at Red, his teeth reaching for his outstretched arm. Red manages to evade, almost like he’s not even trying. My heart sinks when I realize that this is all just a game to him.
My fear that this is going to end badly causes me to take a few steps backward, then I take a running leap and jump over the fence of flames and to the other side.
“Hey, asshole!” I shout, catching the attention of both bear and monster.
Declan objects with a growl and the monster turns to Declan and his lips spread wide in a mocking smile. But that’s his fatal error. The one second of distraction allows Declan to leap for his throat, ripping it out with one powerful bite. The moment Red takes his attention off of Declan, I start to run toward them, legs pumping as fast as I can make them go.
Red falls to the ground, black blood spitting out of the fatal wound in his neck, his fingers clutching at the wound to stave the flow. Without giving myself a moment to think about my actions, I drench what’s left of his body with the accelerant and flick the lighter to life. Red lifts one bony arm toward me before I drop the lighter on his emaciated body. It sparks to life like tinder, black smoke curling for the sky, but never quite dissipating. It gathers above his body like a thick cloud, then it drifts towards the ground, before disappearing into the soil.
Declan
One Year Later
I lock up the shop, smiling as I hear Sully’s cheerful voice a few feet down the road at the office to the Chronicle. She’s wearing one of those cute little summer dresses that I like so much. Which is a shame because it’s probably going to get dirty. And she’ll probably get pissed and go off on me. The beast inside me growls and I flex, trying to tamp down my own excitement. The both of us would do well to learn a little restraint. But damn if it doesn’t make me hard when she gets all pissed off.
After I pocket my keys, I head down the street toward her. She looks up, catching my eye and smiles. She makes her excuses with her coworkers and lifts up to her toes to press a kiss against my lips.
“I thought you were tired of working for the Chronicle,” I say, as I lead her back toward the shop.
“You know, I think I judged it unfairly in the beginning. I kind of like having my fingers in everything in this town. I like knowing everything before everyone else.”
“Oh you do, do you?”
“Yes, I do. Don’t tell anyone, but I may or may not have seen that Henry is thinking of giving me a paid internship for senior year.” She holds up her hands in triumph. “No more Cup-o-noodles!”
As she’s gotten more used to her gift this year, she’s learned how to control it. Sometimes she even lets herself have a little innocent fun with it. “I’m proud of you, baby.”
“Thank you. So where are you taking me? It’s the anniversary of our first date, mister man. I hope you have something special up your sleeve.”
“I do, but I’m not sure you’re going to like it.”
“I’m sure I’m going to love it.”
The river that runs by the shop is as clear as glass. My boat waits by the dock where I had Sam tie it up earlier. He’s proven to be a shark when it comes to sales. I’ve never had so many female customers. At first I thought hiring him on to replace Red was a mistake, but the constant ca-ching of my register disagrees.
“We’re going somewhere in the boat?” she asks.
I hold her hand to help her in. “We’re going fishing,” I tell her.
Her smile fades. “Fishing?”
I try to keep mine from showing as I untie the line. “That’s right.”
“With worms?”
“I’ll even teach you how to bait them.”
“This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I said a romantic evening, Dec.”
“I think worms are very romantic.”
“Well, you’re also delusional.”
I steer the boat down the river and smile at her. “Only with you,” I say. “Besides we were interrupted the first time I tried to take you.”
Sully goes quiet at the reminder of what we survived and then asks, “Do you ever think about it?”
The river is quiet today and the sun burns bright overhead warming my skin. “Not a day goes by that I don’t.” Especially days like this when I’m out on the river, doing things that Red, my father and I had done together hundreds of times before. “But I know that thing wasn’t him. It was something else. Something evil. It’s like he was cursed because of what he did.”
“I’m just sorry you had to lose another person you cared about.”
I lift her chin with a finger. “Don’t be. I am finally able to put my past to rest. My parents, what happened to them, I never thought I’d get past it because I felt responsible. But I know there are some things that I can’t control and they would want me to be happy.”
“And are you?” she asks, even though she’s learned to read my human form.
Instead of answering, I pull her into a kiss, sinking into her familiar taste with a growl of approval inside my head. She smiles against my lips and wraps her arms around my shoulders. I could spend forever with her in my arms.
I pull away and kiss her forehead. “Don’t think you can distract me. It’s going to happen.”
She eyes the tackle box dubiously, but I know for a fact she’s going to enjoy what’s inside. I spent the past two weeks going back and forth with Suzanna to make sure today would be perfect. From Sully’s
mother’s diamond ring to her favorite flower.
She just has to bear with me a little longer.
Woodland Creek
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my novella from Woodland Creek!
All reviews are appreciated.
If you would like to read more from the Woodland Creek series, please click on the link below:
Woodland Creek Website
Acknowledgements
To my husband Sean. For growing a beard. But mostly for being the king of all sexy source material. I wouldn’t have fantasies if you weren’t there to inspire them.
Thank you Scarlett Dawn, for heading this project and for the honor of participating.
To my Knockouts for being beside me every step of the way. A special shout-out to Ella Stewart, Elle Vanzandt, Teri Hicks, Catherine Hayward, and Lori Vandenburg for their eagle eyes.
To Mia Searles for her everlasting support and friendship. And for my rad birthday present. You rule.
Vanessa from PREMA Romance. I thank you for your tutelage, cheerleading, and willingness to sit through my plot interrogations and painstakingly wading through my word vomit and turning it into gold.
To Afton, always. I love you!
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Nicole Blanchard lives in Florida with her family and their menagerie of animals. She chooses each day to chase her own fairy tale even if they contain their fair share of dragons. She is married to her best friend and owns her own business.
Nicole survives on a diet of too many books and substantial amounts of root beer and slim jims. When not reading, she’s lavishing attention on her family or inhaling every episode of The Walking Dead and The Big Bang Theory.
You may learn more about Nicole and her work at www.authornicoleblanchard.com. Join her mailing list for updates by emailing [email protected] with the subject MAILING LIST.
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Also by Nicole Blanchard
First to Fight Series
Warrior (#1) Now Available
Survivor (#2) Winter 2016
Savior (#3) Spring 2016
The Club Series
Darkest Desires March 2016
Bear With Me (Woodland Creek) Page 10