The snow is deep enough that I don’t see the thick fallen tree branches until I’m tripping over them. I land face down and if I wasn’t so scared I might actually laugh at myself, but nothing about this situation seems humorous at this point. I look behind me and don’t see anything chasing me, but I’m not taking any chances, I can’t let my guard down.
I get off of the ground and limp run because my foot at this point is killing me. I’m cold, wet, and the adrenaline rush is starting to fade, fear conquering me little by little, crippling me. My body trembles violently as I keep moving, but my movements are getting slower and slower with each passing second.
A twig snaps in the distance and I whimper as I attempt to run on my wounded foot. If I scream will Merick hear me?
“Merick.” It comes out as a hoarse whisper.
I swear I’m trying to scream but it won’t come out. “Please M-Merick. H-Help me.” I attempt once more before tripping again. Pain radiates from my ankle and I feel hot tears roll along my cheeks. Hysteria takes over and I realize I don’t have the knife anymore.
I push myself up and look down, even inside my sock I can tell my ankle is swollen. There are also red spots on the snow. I look at my arm and see an ugly gash. Did the knife cut me when I tripped the first time? Blood drips steadily down my arm into the snow.
My vision swims, but I push past it and hobble in the direction I was running. “Merick.” I scream, my throat burning this time from the forced cry. A wolf howls in the distance and my vision swims again and this time I can’t stop it, I fall face down and fade into darkness.
I feel myself being lifted. I’m snuggled up to something warm. “I’ve got you, baby. You’re safe now.”
I keep my eyes closed and savor the warmth his bare chest is giving me. I’m not sure why he’s shirtless, but I don’t care, he saved me. “I knew you’d come.” I whisper before I lose consciousness again.
I wake to the sound of talking and I’m not able to move, but I feel warm and pain-free. I look down and see I’m wrapped in a thick comforter in front of a huge fireplace. My arm is wrapped in a bandage and my foot is propped up with an ice pack laying over the swollen joint.
He took care of me.
Again I hear voices and I wonder who is he talking to? Did he hear me even when I couldn’t yell? My mind swarms with so many unanswered questions but I can’t seem to keep myself alert.
I fall asleep before I have the chance to speak.
Merick
I stand in my office with a clear view of Taryn through the open door that overlooks the living room. She still remains curled up in the blanket I wrapped her in only a few hours ago. The way her body shivered against my own as I picked her up from the snow frightened me. But the blood, the whimper she released that echoed through the trees, that was excruciating.
“She’s here,” my father speaks low as he steps closer, “that’s all that matters.”
“What matters is why the hell I found her in the forest, bleeding and in pain. What was she running from? She was safely tucked away inside her cabin only hours before that. I would never have left her had I—”
“There is no way you could have known.”
I know he’s doing all he can to keep me calm, but frankly, at this point, I don’t believe anything can tame the anger I feel. Something made her go into the woods at night alone.
“Go to her,” I take in another calming breath as I weigh out the reasons why I should listen to my father. But a big part of me wants to go outside and comb the land looking for any clue that would lead me to the answers. “Comfort her, that’s what you both need.”
He says nothing more before he exits my office and moves toward the door. Slowly and very cautiously he opens the front door and disappears through it., closing it softly behind him. I am alone with Taryn and again the anger threatens to overpower me. I take the same path as my father, placing my hand on the door handle fully intending to take a run, in search of anything when I heard her call out.
“Merick?” her voice is hoarse and instantly I release the door and cross the room toward her. Rounding the couch I kneel before her and push back the long brown hair that had fallen like a shield over her face.
“I’m here,” cupping the side of her face I watch as she blinks a few times as if trying her best to focus. “How are you feeling?”
“What happened?” she asks, ignoring my question her eyes grow wide and she attempts to push up off the couch.
“No, please rest,” the sound of the logs in the fire behind me pop from the heat. “Relax, you're safe here.”
“Here?” I notice the way her gaze moves passed me and scan over the mass room. “Am I ..” her question dies on her tongue but I know what she was about to ask.
“My home,” she redirects her attention to me. “I found you in the forest. I knew something was wrong, I felt a sense of urgency, a need to find you.”
“You did?” She seems confused and I can’t help but smile. I hadn’t gotten the opportunity yet to explain what it truly meant to be mine. How I can sense her. I feel her, I swear she runs through my veins, her thoughts can be heard mixed with my own and her fear, I feel it. I know when she is sad, happy, I know when there is something troubling her.
“I’ll always come to you, but I’m hoping that one day soon I won’t have to. Instead I hope that you are here, next to me, where I can ensure that no one ever hurts you.” I notice the bob of her throat as she swallows hard. It's so easy for me to say these things to her because I have never meant anything more. “Having you close will allow me to protect you, it will—”
“You keep saying that,” a concerned look takes over her features.
“Saying what?”
“That you’ll protect me,” She rises up, resting the weight of her upper body on her arm that is now beneath her. “Is that just a figure of speech or should I be scared? Am I safe?”
Taking in a deep breath I know there is so much that she’ll need to know, so much I should share with her. Only doing so now, when everything is still so fragile, it could backfire and I might lose her. “I want you with me, I want you near, I feel completely unsettled when you aren’t close.”
I’m not sure if my choice of explanation will be enough to calm her. I watch, waiting for her to relax. I don’t look away, and I fight the urge to move in closer. The soft breaths she takes, the way her petite body moves beneath the blanket still covering a good portion of her only makes it more difficult not to touch her. I want nothing more than to pull back the blanket and crawl up on the oversized couch with her. To feel her pressed against me, the feeling of her skin touching mine. I am a ball of nerves, pent up energy and desire. I have wanted this woman for longer than I can remember and to have her here, this close, it is still so incredible.
“You’re so intense,” she takes in a deep breath, still remaining where she is, close, staring directly into my eyes. “It’s almost impossible to think clearly when I am near you.” This time I smile because Taryn is so cute when she was frustrated and confused. The way her brows furrow and her lips purse. “I don’t understand this, and I can’t pretend that I do.”