by Bethany Shaw
Sarah shivered. “First, we have to get out of these woods.”
“It’s going to be dark soon, we’ll find a spot to hunker down and hopefully get some food. At least water shouldn’t be an issue,” he said, chuckling. Vincent removed one hand from her torso and used it to scoop up water. He slurped loudly, waggling his eyebrows as he downed the liquid.
Sarah scoffed and shook her head, unable to stop a small smile from slipping over her face. “You know it’s not really safe to drink that. You could get sick,” she pointed out.
“Well, we either drink this or become severely dehydrated. We need water.”
She took a tiny drink herself. It tasted okay, but that didn’t mean anything. Vincent did have a point; they didn’t have any other choice. He gave her a lopsided grin as she took another sip.
She tore her eyes away from Vincent as she looked at the vast forested landscape that surrounded them. For miles it appeared to be nothing but the trees and the river.
The water splashed onto her face as her wet, blonde hair floated in the stream. The sun was beginning to set and they were both drenched. It was going to be a long, cold night, but hopefully Vincent was right and their situation would start to improve.
“I mean it, Sarah,” Vincent said quietly as he pushed matted, wet hair from her face. “We’re going to get home.”
***
Vincent grabbed a handful of red, ripe berries and plopped them into his mouth, nearly swallowing them whole. He trusted Sarah when she said they were safe to eat. She hummed contently next to him, her rosy fingers reaching out to pluck more from the bush.
The tart juice from their treat slid down his throat and filled his empty belly. Perhaps it was all in his head, but as he consumed the food his eyes seemed to focus more and his ears tuned in to the woodsy noises surrounding them.
An owl hooted to the right and wildlife scuttled through the dirt in front of them. For the first time in two days, he was starting to feel like himself again.
“We should find a place to hunker down for the night,” Vincent suggested.
Sarah nodded and finished chewing before asking, “Did we lose them at the stream?”
Vincent closed his eyes, focusing on the noises around them. “I don’t hear anything...human. With any luck they’ll follow the water looking for us while we continue on in this direction. We should smother ourselves down with dirt and leaves to keep our scent masked.”
Sarah sighed as she wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her hands up and down her creamy flesh. “We’ll need to find some sort of shelter for the night—boulders or low-lying branches. Our biggest issue is the cold and still being wet.”
Vincent ran a hand through his matted hair. His short mass was mostly dry, but Sarah’s long, tangled, flaxen locks were another story. Her black tank top and camouflage pants were drenched as well. His clothes were no better; the waterlogged jeans and green tee still clung to his chest.
“If we can make it through the night, we should be okay. The days are still warm. We’ll probably have to use each other’s body heat though,” Sarah prattled on as she picked another handful of berries.
Body heat? A smirk slipped over his face at the thought, but he quickly shook it away. She hadn’t meant it like that. Not to mention, she was his deceased friend’s girl; that would be wrong.
“We should keep moving until we find shelter. It will keep our bodies warm and blood flowing,” Sarah continued as she picked the last of the berries. She divided them between her hands and offered him a handful. “At least we know they want us alive. That will give us an advantage if they find us.”
Vincent nodded, holding out his hand as she deposited the fruit into his palm. “I never pegged you as the outdoorsy type,” Vincent observed. While he hadn’t spent a lot of time conversing with her at the ranch, he had seen her daily. Sure, she went on the occasional horseback ride, but she was mostly inside, and always wore cutesy, girly dresses and tops.
Sarah shrugged. “I don’t mind being outside. I’d prefer a camper with a bathroom and shower, but I’ve roughed it before.” She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear as she shifted back and forth. “My dad was really into hunting. He’s the one who taught us to shoot. We used to go camping at state parks two to three times every summer,” she sighed, blinking her hollowed blue eyes.
He used her distraction as an opportunity to appraise her injuries. She had cuts and bruises all over, but none of them appeared to be bad. Her pale skin was ghastly white, and he wondered how much longer she could go without proper food and rest.
Sarah snapped out of her trance and met his eyes. “We should keep moving. If we stand around too long, our muscles will get stiff and we’ll be too tired.” Sarah plopped a berry into her mouth as she spun on her heel and continued on.
They walked in silence for several minutes before stopping in front of a steep hill. “Could you climb that as a wolf?” she asked, pointing.
Vincent followed her gaze. The cliff up was a steep ninety percent incline and too narrow for a wolf to climb up. Anyone who attempted the slippery, twenty-foot climb would have to do so by hand. “No.”
“We should make camp up there,” Sarah explained. “It looks like it will be hard to access the area from any angle. We could both get some rest. If the Lunas find us, at least we’ll hear them ahead of time. It would give us the upper hand. Plus, it looks like there’s a tree up there we could use for shelter.”
“All right. Let’s head on up,” Vincent shrugged.
Sarah surveyed the wall for a moment before maneuvering to a different area. “I think this is the best spot to climb up.” She reached up and gripped onto a ledge with her hand and began to hoist herself up.
Vincent watched, impressed by her fluid movements. She really seemed to know what she was doing. He waited for her to get a safe distance ahead before following her. He spent a lot of time outside, but climbing, as a human, wasn’t something he practiced often. Sarah, on the other hand, had already covered half the distance. Damn, she is fast. He grasped the rock she had started on with his fingers and hauled his body up.
“You do lots of rock climbing with your parents?” he asked.
“A little, but mostly camping and stuff. We never did anything too serious,” Sarah chirped, grunting as she hauled herself over the top. She turned and looked vacantly down at him. “The year they died, we were in the process of planning a trip to Yellow Stone, the Grand Canyon, and Yosemite.”
“Did you still go?” Vincent asked.
“No, I didn’t want to.”
Vincent reached the top, using his upper body strength to pull himself up. He stood erect and shook out his tired arms as they both took in their new surroundings. Sarah looked to her left, her jaw set firmly.
Sensing that she didn’t wish to continue the current conversation, he looked around the top of the ledge. It was small, but there was no other way up other than the way they came. A tight trail led down the other way, but from what he could see, the path was miles long. It would be safe for now.
Sudden movement to his right caught his eye. A rabbit scuttled through the brush, causing Vincent’s still hollow belly to grumble.
The wolf in him tugged at his consciousness and fought the urge to shift. Crouching down, he stalked forward toward the creature. It sat tucked behind some brush, nibbling on a nut.
He moved forward silently towards his prey, lunging and capturing the small animal in his arms. At least they would have some form of nourishment tonight.
***
Sarah blinked her eyes, trying to control her emotions. Why did Vincent have to talk about my family? She didn’t want to think about them—she couldn’t. The pain was too fresh and made her numb. Too many people she loved were dead. If it weren’t for her, Preston would still be alive. Stop thinking about them!
She cleared her throat, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and spun around to see Vincent clutching a gray ball of fluff in his arms.
> “Dinner?” he asked, laying a rabbit at her feet.
“Is a fire a good idea?” she questioned.
“A small one, just enough to cook over, maybe dry our clothes off a little. We have to eat. Those berries helped, but we need real food to sustain us. I don’t know how long we’ll be out here. We need to keep our strength up.”
Sarah nodded. “I’ll grab a few twigs for kindling.”
They worked together in silence. Sarah gathered wood and brush for a small fire as Vincent used his claws to prepare the rabbit.
“How do you think they took out Juarez?” Sarah asked curiously, dropping down as she positioned the twigs in a pile.
Vincent set the rabbit on a makeshift spit and plopped down across from her. “They probably took the fight to them as originally planned. I’m glad they carried on with their plans,” he said as she struck two rocks together and started the fire.
Sarah blew gently on the tiny sparks until they grew large enough to engulf the twigs in flames. She picked up an extra stick, twirling it between her thumb and forefinger. “Yeah. I just wish we could have been there. I wanted him to pay.”
“You want revenge?” Vincent asked, surprised.
“Don’t you?” Sarah shot back.
Vincent shrugged. “To be honest, when this whole thing started, I was just looking out for Em and Marcus. I never imagined it would turn out like this. I want to make things right, but there is a right and a wrong way to do it. If we lose ourselves in the process, then aren’t we losing, too?”
Sarah dug her nails into her palm in an effort to keep her emotions at bay. His depth surprised a part of her, yet the other was infuriated by his words. She wanted the Gulf packs to pay for what they’d taken from her—for what they’d done to her.
“If Preston and Rick were still alive, maybe I’d think that way, too. But they’re not. The Gulf packs abducted me, Vincent. You didn’t hear the things your father’s men were saying about Em and me. If Daniel hadn’t been there—” her voice broke and she looked away.
Emmett McKinley’s men had been horrendous towards them. She shivered as she remembered their predatory eyes and lewd comments.
Vincent turned the rabbit over the fire and then got up, coming to sit next to her. He placed his hand over hers. “I’m sorry that happened to you. There are no excuses for what my dad or his men did or said. My father’s men could be pretty ruthless and I’m truly sorry that you had to experience that.”
Sarah shook her head as she stared into the tiny flames. A part of her wondered how a man so evil could have such compassionate and good children. It had to have been Claire’s doing. Devon, Daniel, Emily, and Vincent were so different than the man who raised them.
“So, how do you like your rabbit? Medium? Well-done? Rare?” Vincent turned the meat again, keeping it close to the fire. “I’d make you a fine pot of rabbit stew, but I didn’t have time to get to the store. Sorry. I’d be happy to throw in some leaves. I hear they taste like spinach,” he grinned.
Sarah’s lip quirked up before she could stop it. “Medium sounds good.”
“Good! I can’t stand char-broiled food.”
“Me either.” She scrunched her face up in disgust. She couldn’t stand burnt food.
Sarah scooted closer to the tiny fire, keeping an eye on the food and letting the flames warm her. “Do you think Lark and Devon followed through with the ceremony?” she wondered aloud.
Vincent shrugged. “I was supposed to be the best man.”
Sarah rolled her eyes, not really in the mood for his antics. “There aren’t best men in mating ceremonies.”
“Well, regardless, I hope they followed through. They love each other and I want them to be happy.”
Sarah swallowed hard, “Me too.”
“I’m sure we’ll get to see pictures when we get back. They’ll all be dull of course since the life of the party wasn’t there, but...” Vincent trailed off his emerald eyes lighting with laughter.
“Must you turn everything into a joke?” she grumbled.
“Lighten up, Sarah. We’re in a tight spot, but it’s going to be okay,” he assured her, all the playfulness absent from his voice.
Sarah sighed, keeping her gaze on the fire. She imagined how the mating ceremony would have been from what she remembered of Emily and Marcus’. Lark would have been stunning in her dress and, with Natalia working on the floral arrangements, she bet the outside décor was just as beautiful.
“I think dinner’s done,” Vincent said, interrupting her thoughts.
Her stomach rumbled loudly as she accepted the hot, wet piece of meat from Vincent’s hand with a small nod.
Eat, sleep, and remember tomorrow is a new day, she thought.
Chapter Two
Vincent twitched his nose as if something was tickling it. He lifted his hand, but it froze; he couldn’t move with his arm pinned to the ground. His eyes flew open and he inhaled sharply, noticing pressure on his chest. Fear encompassed him and he moved to sit up quickly when he heard a sigh.
He blinked looking down at his chest and seeing a full head of blonde hair. Sarah! The weight was Sarah—she was lying on him. And his arm was tucked tightly around her torso, holding her lithe body to his.
Vincent laid his head back down on the ground and let out a long breath. It’s just Sarah. His breathing eased and he relaxed, finding an odd comfort in her body pressed against his. Wait! What? She’s Preston’s girl, Devon’s sister-in-law, and, God, Lark will kill me if I mess around with her baby sister.
Sarah groaned and stretched, pressing her breasts unconsciously into his chest. Vincent closed his eyes and willed his body not to react—that would be embarrassing. Her flaxen locks smelled like grass and dirt, but he could still detect her natural feminine raspberry-chocolate scent. It was euphoric.
His cock stirred and he gritted his teeth. I really need to get out of this position before she wakes up. Why am I cuddling her anyway? I’m not a cuddler!
Carefully, he slid out from under Sarah’s warm body, taking care to gently set her head on the ground. His body instantly missed the feel of hers, but it was best she not wake up in an awkward position. The situation was already complicated enough without adding to it.
***
Sarah stooped down, cupping her hand so she could scoop some water into her mouth. The cool liquid slid down her parched throat and she let out a long breath between gulps of water. Vincent sat next to her and splashed water on his face.
She sat back on her haunches and rubbed at her brow. “We need to figure out how to carry water with us. We’ve been lucky last night and today, but the last thing we need is to end up dehydrated like we were the past few days. Yesterday was too close,” Sarah said, rocking back on her heels.
She was beginning to feel more like herself. Once the stiffness left her muscles and the cuts and bruises healed, she would be as good as new. A decent night’s rest and a mostly full belly had done a lot for her. Thankfully, it hadn’t been too cold last night—which was surprising. She was fairly certain that it could drop into the forties, maybe lower at night. Oddly enough, she hadn’t woken chilled at all.
“Next store we come by, we’ll need to pick up a water bottle,” Vincent teased, giving her a goofy grin.
Sarah stood up and shook her head. “It’s not funny.”
“Never said it was.”
“Then stop turning it into a big joke.”
“Just trying to make you smile,” Vincent said.
She turned back around to stare at him, watching as he splashed water onto his face and rubbed it into the back of his neck. Why does he care if I smile?
“I’ll smile when we get home.”
“I know this is serious,” Vincent stood up, all playfulness leaving his features, “But we need to keep our spirits up and stay positive. If we let the situation get to us, it’s going to be harder to get home.”
“Fine,” she conceded. She supposed he did have a point. Morale was eve
rything.
“Which way do you want to go?” Vincent asked, staring at their surroundings.
Sarah looked up at the sky, using the sun to determine the direction they should go. “We need to go back that way if we want to head to Texas,” she said, pointing in the direction from which they had come from. “But that’s the way toward the Lunas and we know that we are wanted by the law, too.”
“So we head away from home?” Vincent asked, apprehensively.
When he said it out loud it didn’t sound like a great idea. Sarah shifted on her feet, taking him in. He had no shoes—not that he seemed to mind—and neither of them had jackets, food, or water. Their situation was one mishap away from disaster. They needed a plan before something happened to either of them. An injury or a cold night could mean the difference between life and death.
“They’ll expect us to head back to Texas to seek out sanctuary and safety with our pack. So, if we keep going in the opposite direction, maybe we stand a chance at getting some rest and supplies. We could also lose them. Maybe even get them to give up their search,” Sarah thought out loud.
“Our family thinks we are dead anyway; it’s not like they are going to be looking. There is no reason to head that way. No rescue party is coming. How do you propose we get supplies?”
Sarah chewed on her lip. “I don’t know. Let’s just take this one step at a time.”
Vincent nodded and motioned for her to go with his hand. “Lead the way.”
***
Vincent watched as Sarah wiggled a stick between her palms. It seemed she’d been whittling away for hours trying to start a fire. Finally, a thin line of smoke fluttered up and he held his breath, waiting for a fire to catch. His stomach growled as he finished adjusting two rabbits on a spit.
Sarah sighed heavily as flames began to lick the twigs, causing them to crackle.
“Just give it a minute to get started and then we can make dinner.”
“Learn that trick in Girl Scouts?” Vincent asked, curious.
“No, I already told you I camped with my parents a lot.”
“True, but most people don’t know how to do that. They bring the hand held lighters with them.”