Page 37 of The Wolf's Bullied Bride

Inspecting the woods, I didn’t see anything specifically despite that unnerving sensation that cloaked me. But the longer I looked, the more weird shapes began appearing.

Knowing my eyes were playing tricks on me, I shook it off and kept walking at a faster pace.

That fear made my heart race, and it felt like my legs couldn’t move fast enough to make me feel any better about the situation. My pulse pounded.

“Did you hear me, Cora?” Sara said in my ear, breaking me out of that momentary panic.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry,” I murmured, glancing behind myself before I crossed the street, opting to stay closer to the light of town rather than the dark woods. If anything, it would keep me visible. “Everything’s fine. I just thought I saw something.”

“You’re sure? You were breathing heavily there.”

“It’s nothing, I’m sure,” I said, uncertain of who I was trying to convince. Swallowing hard, I tried to steady my frantic heart.

“Maybe you just sensed a shifter running by or something,” she suggested, sounding hopeful. “It could’ve even been someone on the Task Force.”

“We’ll agree to that.”

Even when I put a good distance between me and the trees, I couldn’t shake that discomfort still. It felt like someone had been watching me closely, yet they were undetectable with my eyes.

But like Sara suggested, it could’ve been anyone. There were plenty of people who enjoyed walking and running through the woods at any given time. It wasn’t uncommon. And given the vast, natural habitat surrounding Rose Valley, it could’ve been just an animal.

Reminding myself of that helped put me at ease as I made my way to my apartment and hoped to get there sooner rather than later.

I’m just paranoid, I told myself, thinking back to Liam’s warnings.

Even if I didn’t really believe I was messing with something potentially dangerous, he seemed serious enough to sound convincing.

It was just fresh in my mind, and I didn’t think much of it as I continued speaking with Sara to get my mind off it. Maybe that was what put me on edge.

Either way, I needed sleep, and I needed to get Liam out of my head.

Chapter 15 - Liam

Dread circulated in my chest as I pulled up to the community center, trying my best to remind myself that it would only be a few hours. I had to bear with it until the time was up then I could go home and forget all about it until the following week.

I contemplated bowing out of it and claiming I was too busy with tattoo appointments, but that wasn’t how I wanted to start my time back in town. It was for a good cause, and I didn’t want Sienna or anyone else to think I was a flake.

As I made my way inside, I told myself there was a chance that some changes were made. Maybe then I’d be reassigned to volunteer with someone else, and I wouldn’t have to worry myself about it at all.

“There you are!” Sienna said, approaching me the moment I walked through the door. “Thanks so much again for coming to help. If you follow me this way, I’ll show you what you’ll be doing today.”

“Sure thing,” I said, with my figurative fingers crossed as we went.

But no such changes had been implemented. There she was, already standing behind the table with a pile of boxed toys at her side. Rolls of wrapping paper, tape, and tags waited for us on the tabletop.

Cora gave me a brief, uninterested look before she focused her attention on Sienna.

“Now that you’re both here, this is what I need you to do,” Sienna began, smiling for us with her evident excitement. “Since the holidays are quickly approaching, we need to get the toys that have already been donated ready and wrapped up nicely for the families. First, they’ll need to be sorted, then wrapped, and put in the appropriate bins.”

I nodded along as she gave us further instructions, not wanting to let her or anyone else down. I did my best to ignore Cora’s visible disdain, reminding myself that this event wasn’t about me or her. It was about people in need and people I wanted to help.

“You guys are free to get started,” Sienna said, holding her clipboard close to her chest. “Just let me know if you have any problems or questions.”

“We will,” Cora said, reserving her pleasant expression only for Sienna.

“Perfect. Thanks again!”

As Sienna went off to oversee the other volunteers, I got started.

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