Chapter 7
“Don’t you have a car or something?” I asked, eyeing the 4-wheeler he’d led me to.
Abraham scoffed. “First of all, I don’t have a car. I have a truck. A big one,” he winked, and my face heated. “But, this will be much faster.” He pulled a black helmet off the seat and handed it to me.
I took it and shot him an irritated look. “Where’s yours?”
He shook his head. “I’m a werewolf.” He rapped his fingers against his skull. “And I’ve got a hard head. You’re still human, and fragile so you need to wear it. I’m not risking your safety.”
I frowned, but slid the helmet on. He was right. I was beat up enough as it was and didn’t need another head injury this weekend.
I eyed the vehicle warily. The seat we were sharing looked awfully small. With a glance at my bare legs, I remembered my dress was pretty tiny too. Warmth spread further across my face.
“Do you need help?”
I frowned at him.
Shouldn't he know better by now?
As if he’d read my mind, he grinned, and shook his head. “I know, I know. You don’t need help.” He came to stand right in front of me. “But, I’m going to help you anyway, so get over it.”
A startled squeak escaped my lips when he wrapped his hands around my hips and lifted me more than a foot off the ground. “What are you doing?”
He turned to the ATV with me still suspended in midair.
Since I was at eye level, I could see the twinkling of mirth in his gaze. “I told you. I’m helping.”
I growled deep in my chest. He ignored me, and lifted my body higher, so I was hovering over the seat. He paused for a loaded moment before lowering me with sure arms until my backside rested on the black leather.
He glanced down, and I followed his gaze. With a startled squeal, I slapped my hands over the juncture of my thighs. The already short dress had ridden up and was dangerously close to exposing my bits and pieces.
Abraham laughed quietly as he took his seat in front of me. The good news was, he helped protect my modesty. The bad news was, I found myself pressed tightly against the man that could tempt me from across the room. How was I going to control myself with my legs straddling him, and my chest mashed against his broad back?
Please, god, let this be a short ride.
“You don’t need to worry about that stuff anymore. It doesn’t matter to anyone around here.”
I repeated his words over and over again, but I had absolutely no idea what he was referring to.
When I was silent for too long, he added, “Nudity. None of us pay any mind to it. We’ve all seen each other naked many, many times.”
My jaw hit my chest as my skin warmed painfully with a fierce blush. A blurry image of Abraham naked in the woods flashed through my head. I sputtered a few times before I could spit out a reply. “That will not be happening. Ever.”
Abraham chuckled. “We’ll see.”
“No, Mr…?”
“McCoy,” he supplied.
“Mr. McCoy, I am certain it will be you who will ‘see’,” I informed him, crossing my arms over my chest.
He let out a loud, mocking sigh. “Always arguing.”
“You’ve been getting your way far too much recently. I can’t have that.”
He let out a deep-belly laugh that I felt all the way to my bones. I searched for the indignation I should have been feeling with him laughing at me, but it was nowhere to be found. Instead, I ducked my head to hide a smile.
The ATV roared to life.
“Better hold on,” Abraham called over the engine.
I wrapped my arms around him, keeping my hands fisted so they wouldn’t be tempted to search out each individual muscle on his toned stomach. My leg throbbed slightly with the vibrations, but I ignored it.
He started out slow as he drove down his long, steep gravel driveway. It twisted and turned through the trees until the massive lodge disappeared from view.
“Hey, how do you know where you’re going?”
“There’s only one rental cabin within hiking range of where I found you,” he explained loudly.
“You must know this area well.”
“I’ve lived here for over fifteen years. I know these woods, and those mountains,” he nodded his head toward where I knew the Blue Ridge Mountains stood, “Like the back of my hand.”
I digested that information while Abraham turned off his driveway, and onto a smaller path that led through the forest. We relaxed into a comfortable silence as he expertly navigated the woods for the next few minutes.
When he slowed to a stop in the middle of what looked like nowhere, and turned to face me, he instantly had my attention.
“I need you to do something for me,” he said seriously.
This was the first opportunity I’d had to return the innumerable favors I owed him.
“Of course.”
He searched my face. “I want to take you back to where we found you. I was hoping you could walk me through your attack. Anything you remember could help us find out who this guy is.”
My stomach dropped as the sunlit trees faded, and in its place, only a dark and sinister forest remained. I shook my head to rid myself of the false image. If I was going to help, I’d need to toughen up.
I straightened my spine. “Sure. Do you know where it happened? Because I don’t think I could find it again on my own.”
He nodded. “I had some of my men scout the area.” His denim eyes searched my face for another moment before he turned back around.
Thin pine trees flew past in a blur as we made good time on the 4-wheeler. Before long, Abraham stopped the vehicle again, and helped me off. As soon as my feet were on the ground, I took a quick step away from him. The ride here had been torture. My body felt like it was boiling from the heat that spread from every place it touched his. I desperately needed some space from this man.
I took a look around, hoping to see something I recognized.
“This is the first place we picked up his trail intersecting with yours. Before now, he’d kept his distance from you.” His voice was hard as steel.
“He was stalking me.” My voice didn’t sound like my own. Instead it was a pale, lifeless monotone I didn’t recognize.
I walked around the space, trying to get my bearings. A few feet away I spotted a patch of the leafy carpet that had been disturbed.
“This is right where they meet,” he breathed from close behind.
Focusing on the displaced leaves, I tried to remember the order of events from the night before.
“I found a small meadow near here. I think that’s when he started following me.” The story played out before my eyes like a movie. “That’s the first time I heard anything unusual. It was quiet for about ten minutes before I heard something else in the woods. I started running down the trail when I heard a growl.”
The sounds from that night played over and over in my head, drowning me in the fear I’d felt. My chest was hollow. Like all the blood in my body had finally abandoned my poor heart, leaving that organ empty of any kind of hope.
The sudden warmth of two hands wrapping around my upper arms broke through the fear those memories had elicited.
“Hey. Stay with me. You’re safe now. Nothing’s ever going to happen to you with me around. Got it?”
Against my wishes, my traitorous body relaxed, leaning into Abraham’s chest. I could feel his heart beating against my back, and I concentrated on the steady rhythm until mine matched it.
His hands rubbed my arms from bicep to elbow, the sensation soothing me even further.
“You’re okay now.” That sentence wasn't a question coming from Abraham, it was a statement. He knew the moment I’d calmed down. I’d been able to feel him relax with me.
How was he so in tune with my body already? He didn’t even know my last name, but knew exactly how to calm my fears and comfort me. I couldn’t tell if I was terrified or thrilled by that. Those emotions felt so similar.
“Yes. Thank you,” I said, and stepped away. As appealing as Abraham’s arms were, I still wasn’t comfortable with affection like that.
“Okay, so, he growled at me a few times, and I ran again. A few minutes later, I tripped and fell, smashing my head on a rock or something. That’s how I got this,” I pointed to my forehead. “The wolf caught up to me. I tried to scare it off, but obviously that didn’t work.”
“How did you try to scare him?”
My chin tipped up. “I waved my arms and yelled.” He didn’t look convinced. “I’ve read if you appear bigger than the animal, it’ll get scared and run off. If he’d been a real wolf, it would have worked,” I informed him defiantly.
“I’m sure it would have,” he placated. “What was it you did?”
I hesitated, not sure if he was mocking me or not.
His eyes were wide, and earnest when he asked, “Can you show me? This might be important.”
I stared at him incredulously. He really needed a reenactment?
“Please,” he added. “Anything could be useful.”
I huffed out a breath. Well, if it might help, I guess it couldn’t hurt.
“Okay, so I stood on my tip toes, flapped my arms in the air like this,” I waved them like I was making a snow angel. “And I yelled something like: HEY WOLF! GET LOST!”
Abraham nodded solemnly, his head down. “Was that exactly what you yelled?”
I thought back. “I’m not sure. It could have been more like: HEY YOU,” I waved my arms again for effect. “GET OUT OF HERE!”
“Mmm hmm. Okay, I think I’m getting it. Could you show me that one more time?”
When I didn’t answer right away, he finally slipped up, and met my eyes.
“Damn you, Abraham McCoy!” I stomped my good foot while he howled with laughter.
“Oh my god, that was too funny,” he panted out between chuckles.
“This is serious!”
Ugh! This man was going to drive me to drink! I stomped off toward the ATV.
“Hey! Where you going?” He jogged after me.
“I’m trying to go look for clues. Where are you going?” I snarked.
He flashed an irresistible grin. “Anywhere you go, babe.” With a wink, he settled me back on the seat before we took off again.
“I’m not your ‘babe’,” I muttered behind him. His shoulders shook with silent laughter.
What had gotten into him?
This sudden playfulness was making my insides churn. Trying to categorize that emotion was absolutely not an option. We only needed to spend the weekend together while I healed. After Monday, I wouldn't have to see him again for another four weeks. Surely I’d be able to get myself under control, and my priorities back in order by then.
Abraham slowed the vehicle again. “This is where you fell,” he said roughly.
“And also where I tried to scare the wolf,” I reminded him, sacrificing my dignity to lighten the mood. I was rewarded with a low chuckle.
“How did you get away from him here?”
I furrowed my brow as I traced through the events. “Oh yeah! I used the flash on my camera to stun him and then took off running. I wonder if I got a picture...”
He turned around, his big blue eyes incredulous. “That’s really smart.” He sounded impressed, and oddly, proud as well.
“Yeah well. Some of my ideas are good ones,” I groused.
“I was just messin’ with you. That actually might have worked if it’d been a real wolf. But do me a favor? In these woods, always assume it’s a werewolf. At least until you’re able to tell the difference.”
“How can I tell the difference?”
“Werewolves are bigger than regular wolves, and when your heightened senses manifest, you’ll be able to smell the difference between the two.”
This news stunned me. What other changes did I have to look forward to? Before I could voice my questions, Abraham spoke again. “By the way, we found your camera and phone out here. I have them in my office. They’re both in pretty bad shape, but maybe there’s something on the camera’s memory card.”
When we stopped a third time, Abraham helped me off the quad. Right away I found the dark spot where I’d lain, thinking I was going to die. A shiver ran through me, and I wrapped my arms around my torso. Predictably, Abraham’s solid arm enveloped my shoulders, infusing me with his strength when my own felt depleted.
With a deep breath, I closed my eyes, and recounted the rest of the story. “I ran for as long as I could, but he still caught up. He attacked me from behind, tearing into the back of my leg.” The aforementioned limb seemed to flare with pain, like my body was reliving the memories with me.
“I tried to fight him off, but he was too strong. Nothing I did made any difference,” I sniffed. “Then suddenly, he stopped, and just walked away. I didn’t know why, but I took that opportunity to crawl forward on my stomach. My only thought was to get as much distance between us as possible. If I’d known he was coming back, I’d have stayed face up so I could have gotten a look at him. I’m a criminal lawyer, I know how important victim I.D.’s are. That was so dumb,” I chastised myself. My head was starting to ache.
“You were being attacked,” he insisted. “You did what you could to survive. If you’d seen his face, maybe he would have snapped your neck instead of running off.” He paused for a moment, like he was collecting his thoughts. “‘What if’s are like cancer. They eat at you from the inside, turning everything good black with death. Take my word for it, let em’ go.”
My eyes roved over his face, watching the story being told by his mouth also play out in his eyes. In that instant, I recognized something that echoed inside my own heart: regret. But, watching him, I knew one thing for certain. Abraham was much closer to acceptance, and forgiveness than I was.