Chapter Nine
Grace hid, huddled in the office in her grocery store with her body hunched up under her office desk as if it offered some sort of protection against the red-eyed monster. The fact was, there was no protection from whatever that was out there.
Monsters were real, and they lived in the woods around Eagle Ridge. She now understood so many things: the mysterious animal attacks, the strange effort put into the sonic barrier.
She gasped. Her sister was the mayor. She had to know what was going on.
Grace rubbed her arms, trying to stop trembling. The screaming had long since stopped as well as the gunshots from Vitus’s people, but the horrors in her head didn’t go away so easily. She could still see the massive man as he tossed Vitus around like a rag doll and his blood red eyes roving over her as she stood there in the cold.
Another shiver ran over her as she tried to put those thoughts out of her head. They would do her no good now.
Vitus would scare the creature off. He just had to, or so she hoped. She didn’t know what she would do otherwise.
In the distance, she could hear sirens as they drew closer. As much as she wanted to run toward the police, Grace hoped they would turn around. They were no match for the monster, and she didn’t want their deaths hanging over her head. Whatever that creature was, it seemed like it was targeting her.
The bell over the front door chimed loudly as it opened. She slapped a hand over her mouth as she gasped, her pulse pounding in her ears. She hadn’t thought to lock it in her hurry to find a hiding space. Her only thought had been to find some place that might shut out the horrible noises outside.
Grace shook quietly as footsteps grew near. She could only hope it wasn’t the monster from before, and that somehow, despite being overmatched, Vitus had been the victor.
From her position on the floor, she could see a pair shoes come into view. Did the monster wear shoes? She couldn’t remember, just that it’d had some sort of ragged and torn clothes, like an old jumpsuit or something. The shoes paused for a moment at the door and then hurried over to where she was at the desk.
She let out the breath she was holding as Vitus knelt down to where she was. Grace threw herself into his arms. Blood was caked on his face and in his hair, and she could feel the jagged wounds in his back.
“You’re hurt,” she said quietly but only leaned further into him. “You’re alive.”
Vitus chuckled and pulled back to stare at her. “Maybe don’t be so surprised, and I’ll try not to be offended.”
She stared into his brown eyes and frowned. Maybe she had dreamed the blue eyes all along. Maybe it had all been a dream.
“Was… that real? That monster?”
“All too damn real, I’m afraid.” Vitus shook his head. “But I’ll protect you, no matter what.”
Whatever worry she had vanished as Vitus leaned forward and pressed his lips firmly against her own. This kiss wasn’t like the others they’d shared. There was a tenderness there that she hadn’t really expected.
When he pulled back, Grace stared openly at his face. She watched as he glanced over his shoulder. The sirens now were nearly outside the door.
“I’ll explain everything later,” he said quickly. “I promise, but I need to make sure the police aren’t involved. You understand why, right?”
“They can’t take on that monster or the others.”
Vitus nodded. “And even if they could, there’s worse things they could bring.”
She whimpered.
He gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. “I’ll explain everything later.”
She heard the jingle of the front door and knew the police were making their way inside.
“That thing? Did you kill it?”
Vitus shook his head. “No, but it’s gone for now,” he said. “But they can’t know about him. They can’t know about me either. I’m trusting you with my secret.”
Grace swallowed hard. She’d never had to keep a secret before. And she certainly never had to keep one like this.
“I’ll do the talking,” he said softly.
His hand came up and caressed the side of her face. She sighed and leaned into the warm palm.
She nodded. There was something about Vitus it made her trust him. Nothing about the whole situation should make her feel that way, and yet she did.
“Hands up! Get your damn hands off her!” a police officer shouted from the door, her gun out.
Grace grumbled from her spot on the floor to place herself in view of the officer. “It’s not what you think. He’s protecting me,” she said quickly, pushing herself to her feet.
The female officer at the door lowered her weapon. The expression under her large wide-brimmed hat made it clear the state trooper was one to take seriously. Likely the sheriff and deputies had known that whatever was happening was more than they could handle and called for reinforcements.
Vitus held out his hand, and she slipped hers into it. They linked fingers as she stood quietly beside him, using his strength for her own.
“You look like you just fought a bear,” another trooper said from the door. This one was a slightly older man and was clearly in charge as he stepped forward past the woman.
Vitus nodded. “That’s exactly what happened.” He managed a grin. “But you should see him.”
The older cop nodded. “A bear? Seriously?”
Grace tried to keep her expression neutral, but it must’ve faltered for a moment as the female trooper eyed her suspiciously.
“I was staying the night with my girlfriend and thought I’d grab a couple of logs off the pile outside,” Vitus said.
The female trooper frowned slightly. “At three in the morning?”
Grace could see her point. Most people went to bed with the fire still burning, but it wasn’t often they got up in the middle of the night to add more wood to the pile.
Vitus gave a wolfish grin and glanced at Grace. Something about the way he stared at her made the heat spread across her cheeks. “Well, Officer…”
“Monroe,” the woman said sharply.
Vitus nodded. “Officer Monroe. I’m not so certain my girlfriend wants me sharing our nightly activity schedule.”
A blush spread across the other woman’s face. Clearly his ruse had worked.
The male trooper laughed loudly. “This is why I keep telling you that you should get a boyfriend,” he said to Officer Monroe.
The woman frowned. Her face went bright red as she stared at the other man. “Sir…”
The older man held up a hand and sighed. “Please go on,” he said to Vitus.
“That’s when the bear attacked,” he said. “I was able to get my hands on a hatchet and get a few blows in, but not before he got my back. I scared him off, I guess, but there’s no way I took him down.”
The older man nodded a few times and frowned after a moment. “Neighbor said they heard gunshots as well,” he said.
Vitus nodded to where Grace stood next to him, his thumb now brushing back and forth against her hand, offering some comfort as they stood there.
“I made my way back into the kitchen and got out my gun. There bear seemed pretty intent on getting in, even after the hatchet blows, so I went out the front door this time and fired a few shots, hoping to draw it away so Grace would have the chance to get to the store.”
Officer Monroe stepped forward again, her piercing green eyes watching. It was clear to Grace that the woman wasn’t completely sold on their story.
“Why didn’t you just wait inside the house?” Vitus chuckled loudly. “We all know a door isn’t much protection against a grizzly bear.”
The older man nodded his head and tapped the woman on the arm. “He’s not wrong,” the trooper said. “You might not remember, but nearly seven years ago, a grizzly broke into a family home on the outskirts of town. Killed everyone there. They caught the damn thing a week later. Killed it as it was stalking another home. Once they get a taste for human flesh, they don’t tend to stop.”
Grace could tell the younger woman wanted to say something in return, but it was clear her superior was willing to chalk it up exactly as they’d said. Although, Grace remembered the incident slightly differently than the trooper.
Many people thought the bear was a cover-up for a murder suicide, and the grizzly had just taken advantage of the fresh meat.
But now didn’t seem like the time to go against the trooper.
“We’ll get the pictures for evidence, and might be contacting you in a few days,” the older man said. “I’m Officer Davidson. Tom Davidson. You just give us a call if you have any more trouble. For now, let’s let the paramedics take a look at you.”
Grace nodded as she followed Vitus out through the store. Lights flashed everywhere as she stepped outside, and already she could see a few of her regulars watching to see what it gone on. Wasn’t often the state troopers paid her a visit.
“Let’s look at that back,” a paramedic said to Vitus.
He shook his head. “Her first,” he said. “She cut her foot on a piece of glass and was standing nearly barefoot out in the snow for too long.”
The paramedic looked like he wanted to argue for a moment but decided against it because of the stern look Vitus was giving him.
Quietly, Grace let the paramedics lead her over to the back of the ambulance. Vitus stood some distance away, but his eyes were always on her, watching her to make sure she was safe.