I backed up slowly, never breaking my eye contact with him. As I did, his warning growl ceased. “Just promise me one thing. Stay safe. I couldn’t handle it if anything happened to you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
With that, I spun on my heels and headed down the trail. When I had almost reached our backyard, I stopped and looked back. As I expected, Dakota had disappeared into the forest without a trace.
***
When I arrived at the pizza shop, the lunch rush had already begun. It was the busiest I had seen it all summer, and time flew by as I waited on customers. I welcomed the distraction, although the strange wolf never completely left my thoughts. I was so focused on my job that I at least stopped worrying about it. There would be plenty of time for that later.
The restaurant never entirely cleared out after lunch. Stragglers wandered in throughout the afternoon for pizza and sandwiches. I still had a few tables going at three o’clock when Noah walked through the front door. My heart jumped when I saw him take a seat. He removed his sunglasses, gently setting them down on the red and white checked tablecloth. Looking around, his eyes stopped when he saw me across the room. I smiled and self-consciously pushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
My eyes on him, I approached his table. My other customers were eating, so I had a few minutes to spare. “Hi,” I said when I stopped next to him.
“Hey. Looks like you’ve had a busy day. The last time I came in at this hour, there wasn’t a single soul left in here.”
“Yeah. It’s been great.” But it’s even better now that you’re here. “How’s your day going?”
“Pretty good. Your dad’s got both me and Pete on duty since it’s the last official weekend of summer, but it’s actually been pretty quiet. And quiet is good after the last few weeks. So what were you up to last night?”
“Not much. I just went to a party with Brooke and Ethan.”
“Really? How was that?”
“Boring,” I lied as the wolf with the yellow eyes flashed through my thoughts. But the eyes quickly changed to a haunting blue. Xander. It wasn’t the first time I had thought of him since last night. And every time I did, a shiver crept up my spine. “Hey, I have a question. Could you run a background check on someone for me?”
“Sure, but why? Doesn’t your dad know everything you’d need to know about anyone in this town?”
“Of course. But this is someone who just moved here. My dad wouldn’t know him. His name is Xander Payne.”
Recognition crossed over Noah’s expression. “He must be Caleb Payne’s son.”
“Caleb Payne? You know who I’m talking about?”
“I know of them,” Noah corrected me. “Apparently, Caleb moved here with his only son from Los Angeles. They have a big house hidden on a mountain somewhere around here.”
“Is it just the two of them?”
Noah nodded. “Yeah, at least from what I’ve heard.”
I briefly wondered why my parents hadn’t mentioned the father and son newcomers to town, but we all had been so caught up with the recent events that the usual things we talked about had slipped by. “Hmm. That’s interesting.”
“So why do you want me to run a background check on this guy?”
“I ran into him at the party last night. He told me that the reason his father moved them here was because he stole a car. I’m just wondering what other trouble he may have been in.”
Noah raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, good question. Stealing a car is pretty serious.” He chuckled softly. “And I thought coming here would end up being the most boring job I could ever take. So far, we’ve had kidnapping, a dead body, and now grand theft auto.”
“I’m glad you’re so amused,” I said sarcastically, but with a smile. I could have added a golden-eyed wolf to the list, but surely he wouldn’t have believed me. I didn’t want him to think I was some crazy small-town girl who made up stories for attention. “It may not be a big deal to someone from Los Angeles, but we don’t have crime like that around here. At least we didn’t up until a few weeks ago, and we don’t want any more of it. We like our quiet town, even if it is boring. So I’d really like to know what his story is even if I am being a little nosy.”
“Then consider it done. I’ll look into it as soon as I get back to the station. It won’t hurt to know his background. I’m curious now, too, based on what you just told me.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate it. But there’s one more thing I need to ask.”
“Sure, no problem. What’s that?”
“Please don’t mention this to my dad. He’s got enough to worry about right now. I know he’s still really shaken up to know a young child was snatched from his own backyard up here. I don’t want him to worry about this, too. And I definitely don’t want him to ask how I was at a party with some kid who has already been in serious trouble with the law.”
Noah grinned knowingly. “Now the truth is finally out. Is there anything else I should know about the party last night? Was there any drinking?”
“What do you think?” Of course there had been a keg and liquor bottles, but not everyone there had been drinking. I suddenly remembered that another party had been held last night. “I’m sure there was a lot of drinking at Marlena’s party last night, though. She was advertising all week that her parents were going out of town for the weekend.”
“I’ll have to remember that for next time. Let me know when that happens again and your dad and I can bust her party.”
I raised my eyebrows at him. He still had a lot to learn about our small town politics. “Not that I wouldn’t love that because I really would, but that isn’t a good idea because her father is the mayor. The unspoken, unwritten rule is that Marlena can have her friends over to do whatever they want as long as they stay at her house and no one drives.”
“Thanks for the tip. I’ll remember that.”
“Be sure you do. I’d hate to see you fired only a month or two after you got here.”
“Me, too.” He shot another smile at me as our eyes locked for a moment of silence.
Worried that I had lingered a little too long, I pulled a notepad and pen out of my apron.
“Are you hungry? Can I get you something?”
“I thought you’d never ask. Two slices of pepperoni pizza and a Coke. And, hopefully, I’ll get to eat them here this time.”
I nodded. “I hope so, too.”
Turning around, I headed to the kitchen to put in his order and get his soda. For the rest of the afternoon, a smile lingered on my face.
***
The sliver of a crescent moon was surrounded by glittering stars in the black night sky. I ran through the woods, my heart racing in fear. Panic gripped me as I dodged the trees and prayed that I wouldn’t trip on roots hidden by several inches of thick, heavy snow. I wore a white nightgown that reached my knees, leaving my lower legs bare and exposed to the frigid wintry air. But I couldn’t feel the cold in my frenzy to escape.
As I ran, animals darted past me, as if also afraid. To my right, a lynx charged ahead with long, stealthy strides. To my left, several deer leaped through the air, clearing logs in their path, their upright white tails a blur against the wintry landscape. A speckled snow owl flew past me and, while I pushed my legs to move as fast as they could, I couldn’t keep up with any of the animals. They disappeared into the distance, leaving me to run alone.
I heard the heavy breathing of something chasing me, but I didn’t dare turn my head to look behind for fear of losing speed. Whatever it was, I didn’t need to see it to know that I needed to keep running. I pressed on up a hill, gasping for air. My legs burned from exertion and I began to tire. Just when I thought I couldn’t run any longer, my bare feet stumbled against a tree root and I pitched forward, slamming against the snow-covered ground. I broke my fall with my hands and, as I caught my breath, a deep growl rumbled behind me. I turned to see the yellow-eyed black wolf standing over me, its dark leathery nose inches
away from my face. Its breath billowed out in a hazy fog. I scooted back as quickly as I could until I hit a tree behind me. The wolf crouched down low and slowly stalked toward me.
“What do you want?” I whispered.
In the next instant, Dakota leaped out from the trees beside it. His front legs were stretched out in front of him and his teeth were bared, ready to rip into the wolf that stood above me. On impact, the two wolves became one big ball of black fur. Snarling growls and loud angry yelps cut through the silent wintry night. The wolves tumbled into the snow, their sharp fangs snapping at one another.
“Dakota, no!” I screamed and suddenly shot upright in my bed.
My pulse raced and the sheen of my sweat stuck to the sheets. It was all just a bad dream. My heavy breathing and pounding heart slowly returned to normal as my eyes adjusted to the dark shadows in my room. I pulled the covers up against my chest as I eased back down onto my pillow, trying to shut out the image of the strange black wolf.
As I desperately tried to think of something other than the wolf that haunted my dreams, I heard a faint howl in the distant night. My eyes flew wide open and I scrambled out of my bed. After racing across the room, I leaned over my desk to raise the window. Cool, crisp midnight air blasted into my room, sending shivers through me as I peered into the darkness. Not even the slightest breeze could be heard in the silence. I remained at the window for a few minutes, waiting for another howl. An owl hooted from a tall tree in the distance, but that was all I heard. I couldn’t help wondering if I had imagined the howl. It must have been an aftershock from my nightmare.
With a sigh, I slid the window down into place. After locking it, I returned to the cozy warmth of my bed, hoping to forget my nightmare and fall back to sleep.
***
I didn’t have any more nightmares that night. A misty gray sky loomed outside the window when I awoke the next morning. Raindrops tapped lightly on the roof. I sighed as I pulled the comforter against my chin, my nightmare vividly replaying over and over again in my head.
Stop! I finally ordered myself, flipping onto my side. Can’t you think about something else? Like Noah. I smiled at the memory of our first meeting and what his hands had felt like on my waist. I really wanted to go out with him. I wondered what we would do, where we would go, if he would kiss me on our first date. My eyes fell shut as I imagined him pressing his lips against mine.
When I opened my eyes in my mind, I saw Xander’s intense blue eyes staring at me. I bolted upright in bed. Where had that come from? It would be one thing to dream about him as I slept, but I was awake in full control of my fantasy. Or so I thought.
I ran my fingers through my hair as I slipped out from under the covers. My bare feet padding softly against the floor, I left my bedroom and wandered down the stairs. When I reached the empty kitchen, a scratching sound scraped at the back door.
“Dakota?” I wondered out loud as I ran to the door and flung it open.
He stood on the patio, his head hung low and his fur soaking wet. Water dripped from him in tiny beads, pooling underneath him.
“Dakota, come in here. You look miserable.” I held the door open until he crept into the kitchen and then shut it behind him. He seemed to be limping, favoring his right front paw, but he took so few steps that I couldn’t be sure. I knelt down beside him to stroke his damp fur. “What happened to you?”
Dakota looked up at me, his amber eyes tired. He whimpered softly and, once again, I wished he could tell me what was going on. He stood perfectly still beside the door. “Wait here,” I told him. “I’ll get a towel to dry you off.”
I ran upstairs and grabbed a clean towel from my bathroom closet. Then I hurried back down to the kitchen where he waited. He hadn’t moved an inch since I had left. “Here,” I said, kneeling on the hard floor beside him again. “Let’s get you dried off.”
I rubbed the towel over his wet fur, starting with his neck. As I rubbed it across his side, I glanced down at the floor and gasped. The water pooling on the white tile was tinted pink.
I looked at the towel in my hands, afraid to turn it over. Slowly, I moved it until I could see the other side. My heart raced as I swallowed the lump in my throat. The white towel was streaked with bright red blood.
Chapter 9
Panic consumed me and tears welled up in the corners of my eyes. I started shaking as I sifted my fingers through Dakota’s thick matted black fur to find the source of his bleeding.
“Dakota,” I said, fighting for every ounce of composure. “What in the world happened to you?”
He gazed at me soberly, and I now recognized that what I had mistaken earlier for concern in his eyes was actually pain. He nudged my arm as if to reassure me that he would be okay, but I couldn’t believe it until I found where he was bleeding from. If it was bad enough to need stitches, I didn’t know what I’d do. I couldn’t exactly take him to a vet. My hands trembling, I pressed the towel against his neck.
As more blood continued to soak the towel, I yelled, “Mom! Dad! I need help, please!”
Within seconds, their bedroom door opened and they rushed into the kitchen. My mother tied the rope around her navy robe as she hurried toward me and Dakota. Fear shone in her brown eyes, and I felt a little guilty for jolting them up so suddenly on a Sunday morning. My father followed closely behind her in plaid pajama pants and a white T-shirt.
Kneeling beside me, she assessed the situation. Her wide-eyed fear quickly faded when she saw that Dakota was the one injured, not me. “Here,” she said, gently taking the towel from me. “Let me do this.” She rubbed Dakota’s neck with a clean section that wasn’t soaked in blood yet. “Laken, get me the kitchen scissors from the utility drawer. We’re going to have to cut his fur to find where he’s bleeding from. Tom, I need your clippers and the hydrogen peroxide from our bathroom.”
My father hesitated. “My clippers?”
“Yes. Once I find where he’s bleeding from, I’ll need to shave his fur closer to his skin around the wound.” She paused, noting my father’s curious expression. “We’ll buy you a new pair if they get ruined,” she said sharply before returning her attention to Dakota’s neck. Dakota continued to stand still, fully aware that we were trying to help him.
I scrambled to my feet, rushed across the kitchen to our utility drawer, and retrieved the scissors from their place among the knives, skewers, and other sharp utensils. My fingers closed around the black handles, my hand still a little shaky. Then I returned to my mother’s side and carefully handed them to her.
“Thanks. I think I found a puncture wound.” She started cutting his fur. Thick black clumps cut straight across fell to the tile floor. “Can you get a few more towels, Laken?”
“Got it.” I raced upstairs to grab two more towels. When I returned, my father stood over my mother as she gently ran the buzzing clippers against Dakota’s neck. She concentrated intently, like a surgeon focusing on a patient. “How bad is it?” I asked, looking over her shoulder.
“It looks like a bite. There are two punctures.” She continued shaving, exposing about three square inches of skin. Two deep round openings seeped with blood.
My mother handed me the clippers when she finished. “Towel, please.” I gave her one of the clean towels. She dabbed at the wounds, first soaking up the blood that pooled on his neck and then holding a towel firmly in place, applying pressure to his wound. “Put some cold water on the other towel. It’ll help stop the bleeding.”
I did exactly as she instructed and handed her the wet towel after taking the bloody one. “Is it getting any better?”
“Yeah, I think it’s almost stopped. Can I get the hydrogen peroxide, please?” She held her hand up and my father placed a brown medicine bottle in it. “Tom, can you check our bathroom for gauze pads and an ace bandage?”
“Sure,” was all he said before disappearing down the hallway to look for the supplies.
“Laken, now I need you to hold his head. This might sting a
little and I don’t want him to bite me.”
I smiled. “Mom, Dakota would never bite you. He knows you’re just trying to help.” I knelt beside his head on the other side and looked into his eyes. ‘Hold still,’ I told him silently. ‘This might burn for a minute.’
My mother tipped the bottle at a slight angle, pouring the clear liquid onto his open wounds. Upon contact, it foamed and Dakota winced. I stroked the fur between his ears, reassuring him it would be over soon.
My father returned with a box of gauze pads and an ace bandage. After he handed the gauze to my mother, she ripped one of the individually wrapped pads open and blotted the wounds as the hydrogen peroxide foam dissolved. Then she gave it to me and reached for a new one.
“There,” she said. “The bleeding has stopped. I think he’ll be fine. It looks superficial enough. I’ll just cover it up to keep it clean.” My father handed her the ace bandage, and she wrapped it around his neck to keep the gauze in place over his wounds.
When she finished securing it in place with a tiny metal clip, I glanced at my father. “Dad, you’re not going to send him back outside in this miserable rain, are you?”
“I suppose not. Go ahead and take him upstairs. Things are blowing over around here, so we can try to go back to the way things were before Ryder went missing.”
A bright smile lit up my face. “Thank you.”
As my parents headed back to their bedroom, I helped Dakota up the stairs to his big fluffy bed in my room. My earlier suspicion that he was favoring his right front paw had been dead on. He winced, jerking his head up every time he stepped down on it.
After hobbling up the stairs and into my room, he plunked down on his bed with a big sigh. His eyes fell shut immediately. Confident that his wounds would heal in time, I left him to rest and returned to the kitchen to clean up the blood-soaked towels.
Shadows at Sunset: Sunset Trilogy ~ Book 1 Page 12