Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“Wish me luck,” Cass says and disappears in the bathroom while I rub the towel over my skin to get my blood circulation going. I smirk when water starts flowing, and Cassian utters a high-pitched curse word, but my attention is on the comforter and pillows resting on the bed. They’d warm up fast if we placed them close to the fire.
The glow and heat of the fire doesn’t quite reach the bedroom corner, but I walk toward it nevertheless. I’m almost at my destination when something scratches at the door and I freeze all over again.
“What was that?” The towel loosely hanging off my shoulders now doesn’t feel protective enough, so I wrap it around me and stare at the doorway, unsettled when I realize we might not have locked the cabin. If there’s a massive bear on the other side, we’re toast. The flimsy fabric can’t protect me from being ripped apart, and I’m not even sure if the walls could if the bear is hungry enough.
What if we’re attacked, and Cassian remains ignorant of the blood-crazed animal coming ever closer? The worry about him being hurt puts me in motion, and I grab the biggest pan I can find in the kitchen. There’s no time for me to get dressed when the scratching intensifies, so I’m stuck in the towel.
“Cass! We have a problem!” At least my increased heart rate is warming me up, so there’s that.
The bathroom opens, and he walks out on unsteady feet. I swear I can hear the chattering of his teeth all the way here. “What is it?” he asks, rubbing the cold water off with the other towel. I don’t have the time to admire his stunning body, because what's the point of abs if you’re dead?
“I think… There’s something out there,” I say, approaching the door with the pan. “What if it’s another mountain lion?”
He stares at me before breaking into laughter. He bends down, wiping his legs with the towel. “They’re rare in Indiana. What are the odds of us stumbling on another one?”
There’s a noise outside. As if something fell over. My heart is in my throat.
“The odds are our bad luck. But what else can it be, smartass?” I approach him to whisper. “I think someone’s circling the house.”
Cassian shrugs, and I’m annoyed with myself that even in this precarious situation, the droplets falling from his sleek wet hair make me focus on his stiff nipples.
“The wind could have just knocked over something. Relax.”
I shake my head and straighten up. “No. I will not have your death on my conscience.” The pan is not enough, I grab a knife from the kitchen in my other hand.
Cass blinks. “Come on, this is rid—” He freezes when something scratches the door again. It’s as if the wood is warning us with a long, agonized cry. “What was that?”
“Exactly what I mean. It’s like someone is trying to pick the lock.” With my heart in my throat, I put the knife between my teeth to secure the towel around my hips. Seconds later, back in Rambo mode, I approach the door with both weapons.
“Wait!” he says, grabbing my shoulder. “What if it’s people? What if someone’s fucking with us like in one of those creepy slasher movies?”
“That’s what I’m saying. We need the element of surprise. We can’t let them get the upper hand.”
Cass swallows and leans in for a quick kiss. “Okay. But we can’t make any noise. Let’s sneak out through the window. Without shoes, because that will alarm… whoever is out there.”
I nod at him. It makes sense. If we want to ambush the fuckers, we can’t just open the door. I tiptoe to the window at the side of the house and cringe at the awful squeak it makes when opened. What matters is that the sound is drowned by the noise of falling rain.
It might be dumb, but this shit is too real, and my need to protect Cass at all costs kicks in.
I look out, ignoring the water dribbling on me from the eaves, but it’s so damn dark I’m not sure if the shapes I’m seeing between trees are animals, cult members who decided to sacrifice us to some crazy demon, or bushes.
I suppose if they were alive, they’d have moved our way by now.
The damp wind smacks my skin as I carefully step outside with Cass holding my arm and supporting a large portion of my weight until I place my foot in the mud.
“Stay inside,” I whisper, meeting his gaze, dead serious. “If something happens to me, block the door.”
He blinks. “I’m not letting you go alone.”
I shake my head. “I mean it.” There’s no time to waste, so as soon as my other foot is in the mud, I lower my head and sneak along the wall.