Chapter 2

Zoe had been looking for a place like this since she was a little girl. Out here, surrounded by the sounds and smells of the great old forests of Oregon made her feel completely at peace, connected to Mother Nature.

She’d tried hiking before, but could almost never find the time.

Now, after finally leaving Detroit behind for good, her sense of adventure had increased tenfold. Here, on the west, she felt as if nature spoke to her.

This was the start of a new, better life. At least I hope so, she thought, having no job and just enough money to survive for a few months isn’t very reassuring, but as her mom always told her “you have to take big risks if you want big rewards”. And after all, if she failed, she could always go back to her boring, cubicle life. No, I’m not going back, I’m going to make it or die trying.

She’d already set her tent back on the trail, on a small clearing where the woods opened up above her. The day was so clear, she was sure she’d have the best view of the starry sky ever.

Hiking accidents happen because people wander off distracted, without paying attention to their surroundings, she reminded herself. Don’t worry Zoe, this is an easy hike, besides, camp is just there.

The forest was thick, difficult to say the least. She had to avoid huge roots, bushes, thickets, but it was okay, she expected that. She was in no rush, had all the time in the world to do what she wanted. She smacked another mosquito. Half my kingdom for a bug spray! she thought.

She got on a clearer path and a few yards up ahead she finally saw it: a small creek, gleaming just for her.

“That’s what I’m talking about” she said, picking up her pace, and for the umpteenth time touched the bag of her backpack that contained her homemade —or more honestly, car made— sandwich. This was going to be great!

The creek was shallow and only two or three yards wide, Zoe could easily walk through it, but she wasn’t planning on doing that: this far was all she would allow herself to go without worrying about getting lost.

There were some big rocks on each side of the creek, sitting beside the water. Yay! Perfect place to relax, she thought smiling, climbing the nearest one. The rocks were a smooth grayish-white color, she sat down and immediately started taking off her hiking boots and socks and tested the water with her toes. The water was cold. It was very cold. What did you expect? It comes straight from the mountain! she told herself.

She slowly lowered her feet beneath the water, until she touched bottom. This was already a great day, a dream come true, and nothing could ruin it.

“It’s not really recommended to hike through this parts alone, you know that, right?” a deep, hard voice said. She jerked and turned around, taken out of her thoughts.

Then she saw him.

He was practically a model, what is a man like that doing here? she said. His chest and wide back silhouetted against the soft shadows of the forest, his face fierce. He was strong. Ridiculously strong, and he looked at her with soft blue eyes beneath black hair. He looked like one of those movie barbarians: tall, incredihandsome, and ruggedly beautiful.

He smiled at her, taking a few steps forward, completely at ease with his surroundings. Every step he took was sure and easy, unlike hers, which were slow and very deliberately made. She saw he was some kind of Ranger. His sleeve had a green rhomboid patch with a white bear paw in the middle, but there was no legend on it so she couldn’t know what it meant. His biceps pressed against his shirt, his torso threatening to burst apart the tight t-shirt he was wearing.

“Stop right there, mister,” she said, standing up on the rock. Her feet were wet and she had to be careful not to lose her balance, but she couldn’t let Mister-Oh-My-God-Take-Me-Now get any closer, for all she knew he could be a bad man, even if she sensed he wasn’t.

The man stopped. He was about fifty feet away from her, and even at this distance she knew he was tall enough to stand and look at her at eye-level.

“It is also not recommended to take off your shoes and put your feet in the water,” he said. The rock she was standing on was now dark gray, drenched in water dripping from her.

“Good thing this is a free country,” she replied, “and I can do whatever I want, right?”

The man’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You can,” he said, “I’m just saying it’s not recommended. What would happen if a wild animal jumped you... just like I did?”

“Well I guess I’d have to use this,” she said pulling out a small air horn from her fanny pack.

Mr. Muscles smiled, “Oh really? Is that a new kind of gun I haven’t heard of?”

“This, in case you don’t know, emits a very loud noise, enough to scare a wild animal.”

“Oh, that’s interesting, may I see that special thing you got?”

This was it. Was she gonna let the stranger approach? Was it safe?

“I can think of a few reasons why that would be a bad idea,” she said.

“Maybe you’re right. Not all animals are... you know... actual animals... but I still have to see if you’re carrying drugs or drug paraphernalia with you in that backpack. Not many people hike all the way down here, alone, just to put their feet in cold water.”

“Really? You’re a police officer?”

“Not exactly. I have some duties though, and making sure we don’t have druggies ending up dead because they get high and lost is one of them.”

“Oh my god, did you just say ‘druggie’? I don’t have drugs on me, come on. Besides, you’re not telling me I look like a drug addict, right?”

“Probably meth,” he said.

Zoe’s face went pale, her jaw dropped. He couldn’t hide his grin.

“You ass!”

He roared with laughter, almost muting every other sound, some birds even flew away cracking, like in the movies.

“I’m kidding. I know you don’t have anything with you, I can smell it, I just want to take a closer look at you.”

“Really. Why?”

“Honestly? You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life.”

She blushed, the color returning to her face a million times more intense than before.

“And to help you get off that rock and put your hiking boots on, if you let me—”

She looked down, yeah she was going to need help with that, when she was sitting, the boots were beside her, but she stood up fast when she heard the man, dropping them to the ground. Putting them on again was going to be a little difficult.

“What’s your name?” She asked.

“I’m Damien Black, and you?”

“Zoe... Zoe Fox.”

He smiled, “Okay, Zoe Fox, let’s get you your shoes, you don’t wanna trip on that wet rock, fall, break your back and be animal food, I believe.”

He caught her by surprise. That thought had never occurred to her.

“Thanks.”

***

Damien raised his hand and Zoe held on to it. She used it for balance while stepping down. She took her time, making sure every step was safe.

Damien watched her, slightly amused. His bear roared in a blind fury inside him, yelling “Mate! Mate!” as soon as he saw her.

It was ridiculous. He had a job to do and this distraction had to end quickly. He was fighting his inner animal, controlling it, but at the same time, the urge to know her was impossible to resist.

He knew he had to get her out of the mountains if he wanted to keep his clan and the mountains secure, especially now that there was risk of a Shadowlands puncture. There could be no distractions.

Then she slipped, losing her balance, tightening her grip on his hand. He moved his arm, helping her regain her poise and she sighed in relief.

She turned to him, smiled, and continued down, but the rock was slipperier than she anticipated, especially now that it was wet. She pressed her naked feet on one of the edges of the rock, it was also sharper than she thought.

“Gosh!” she said, “This is harder than I thought.”

“Told you.”

Mate now! his bear roared inside. He knew better than to listen to it. The animal was wild and ferocious, he had to be the opposite.

He saw Zoe contemplating just jumping down and getting done with it, she was a brunette beauty, thin but not very skinny, wavy brown hair falling below her shoulders. Her outfit was tight, yellow sports shirt, dark gray yoga pants with shorts over. Her curves called to him. He’d never felt this instant attraction to anyone before. He could tell she could be the end of him, with her little attitude and her wild smile. I gotta get away from her fast, he thought.

“All right, may I?” said Damien, grabbing her by the waist and in an instant lowering her to the ground. She gasped, but it happened so fast that she didn’t even have time to complain. Zoe looked up at him, she’s just the right height, he thought, his protective animal talking again.

“Uhm... okay, thank you, I guess,” she said

“You were taking your time,” he replied, “this is a dangerous area. We don’t usually see many visitors from outside—”

“Where do you get your visitors from, then?” she said as she was putting on her boots. Damien clicked his tongue.

“You’re a little smart-ass are you?” he said.

She giggled.

“Only sometimes,” she said, embarrassed, “sorry, I’m a bit nervous. But okay, do you want me to leave? Or am I like, in trouble or something?”

Damien laughed, “You’re not in trouble, it’s just that it would be safer for you to go to the National Park. People go there for camping and sightseeing. Take the highway and it’s forty or fifty miles north.”

“Safer? I have you to save me, right, Mister Gym-guy?”

“Mister... what?” he said, eyes opened, caught by surprise.

“It’s a joke, you look like a gym rat,” she said, “but you seem to think I’m just a helpless ‘little lady’ who can’t look after herself.” Her tone had changed a little bit, this time it wasn’t as playful as before, but she was good hearted about it. Apparently.

“Well, nature doesn’t give an eff whether you’re into feminism or not, nature is—”

“Hold it right there, Damien Black.”

Goosebumps washed over him when she pronounced his name, he got turned on harder than ever before. He was lucky he was wearing his uniform pants, the ones with a zipper and harder fabric, and not any softer clothes. He put his hand in his pocket to hide his boner, what the hell is going on? Who is this woman? he thought.

“First of all,” she continued, “who says “eff” instead of “fuck”? That’s weird. Second of all, I know that nature does not care if you’re big or small or a woman or man or anything in between, but luckily I brought technology, you know? The thing that can make those differences not matter?”

He was better now, still turned on but the moment had passed, half a hand in his pocket, “casually” there, helping hide his bulge.

“Many people get lost—”

“I downloaded a map of the area, and bought a paper one too, and see? My reception is great,” she pulled her cell phone up and showed him their location. “I got a compass, the traditional one, just in case my cell stops working or battery dies,” she was pulling all of these things from her fanny pack. “So it’s kind of hard to just get lost, I already showed you my air horn, the Internet says it’s great for scaring off all kinds of animals.”

Damien looked at her, amused. Would he have to drag her out of the mountains himself? Would she fight all the way? Would she listen to reason?

“Most predators don’t give a fuck,” he emphasized the last word, just to make sure she knew who was in authority here, “about an air horn, you think prey is silent when being chased?” his bear growled inside him Mate, bring mate! he continued, “what if a bear sees you first, like I did just now?”

She was silent for exactly 2 seconds, then she stared at him and grinned.

“I’m ready for that, too.”

She pulled up a white on brown can with a ridiculous cartoon grizzly bear, above it were the words BEAR SPRAY: protect yourself! Keep ’em at bay! Damien had to contain his laughter. This girl was ready for war if it came down to that. Then he sat on the rock.

“Listen, Zoe, I get it, you want to hike around, see the sights. I can’t keep you from doing that, but I would feel much better if you went back to the road, to the park. There are more Rangers there, the trails are well traveled. There’s nothing here that you won’t find there. You wouldn’t be missing anything.” He lied. At least that last part. National Parks were amazing, but the constant human interaction made them... different. Out here, the forest was absolutely wild, like it has been for thousands, or even millions of years. This was no place for tourists, this was a dangerous place.

She looked at him, her eyes dark brown, in perfect combination with her pale skin and lush lips. He couldn’t believe how much strength he needed to stop himself from kissing her. She let out a long sigh and nodded.

“Well, I guess that’s that. You’ve convinced me... I’ll go back.”

He smiled, her camp was near, he’d passed it before coming to see who had entered shifter’s territory, and now that he met her, he would probably be able to tell if she actually left or not, her scent was too unique, too sweet, for him to confuse it with anything else in the forest.

“Thank you.”

They looked at each other for a second, he turned to go but she said “Hey.”

He looked back, she raised her hand for a shake, her eyes looking at him in silence.

He shook it and for an instant his senses were sharper than ever: he heard the sound of every drop of water flowing through the creek, passing through submerged pebbles; the leaves dancing on the wind above him, the damp smell of the canopy. He was one with nature, with the dirt in the ground, the bark of the trees, the moss at the edge of the water... and with her. He noticed he wasn’t breathing, his bear wanting to come out, yelling mate! every second.

“Thank you for helping me down, it was nice to have met you,” she said.

“You’re welcome,” he said, but she was already walking away from him, towards her camp.