Page 56 of Stuck with My Bossy Protector

I want to believe him, but the uncertainty gnaws at me. We move through the darkness, barely able to see a thing. The forest is a shadowy maze. The sound of wolves howling makes us stop in our tracks. Noah listens intently, his face set in concentration. The hair on the back of my neck stands up.

“They’re not too close,” he assures me, but to my ears, they sound right on top of us.

The engines of the snowmobiles roar closer, their sound mingling with the cry of the wolves. We come to a clearing. That’s when I realized that while the trees are dark and dangerous, being out in the open is terrifying. We pause, scanning for any sign of movement. Noah gestures toward a cluster of trees on the other side. I nod, my fingers tightening around his hand as we race through the open field.

The wolves’ howls kick up in an excited combination of yapping and howling, sending shivers down my spine. Noah scans our surroundings. The pack gets louder, but the engines seem to be fading. He turns to me, his expression urgent. Now, we’re forced to choose between wolves or men intent on revenge.

“We need to move,” he whispers.

We start walking deeper into the forest, following the faint moonlight filtering through the thick canopy above. I stumble over a hidden root. Noah catches me before I fall.

“Thanks,” I mutter, trying to steady my racing heart.

“Stay close,” he says, his voice low and steady.

We come upon a stream covered with a thin layer of ice. Noah breaks it at the edge with a stray branch. I’m relieved to see the water flowing underneath. He bends down, scooping up a handful of water and sipping it cautiously.

“It should be safe enough to drink,” he says, offering me some.

I drink eagerly; the icy water is refreshing and revitalizing even if I’m already cold. I didn’t realize how thirsty I was. The sun is just rising, casting a faint glow over the landscape. The wolves have gone quiet, which is almost scarier than the howling. We take a few more drinks, and both of us scan the area.

“We probably have another ten miles or so,” he says. “I know you’re cold, but we have to push hard. We’ve come this far.”

I nod, conviction flooding through me. “I trust you,” I say, meaning every word.

We continue our journey. The forest is slowly coming to life around us, and the sounds of nature are a welcome change from the terrifying silence of the night. I feel a bone-deep exhaustion, but we can’t afford to stop.

“How did you get into photography?” he asks out of the blue.

“I’ve always loved nature,” I say, a faint smile tugging at my lips. I realize he’s attempting to distract me. It’s working. “I studied biology in college, and photography was a hobby that became a passion. Combining the two just made sense.”

“Do what you love,” he says. “That’s what a teacher in high school told me. Do what you love, and it won’t feel like work.”

It feels good to talk about something normal, something that isn’t life or death. I find myself relaxing a bit despite the fear still lurking in the back of my mind. “Which is why you fly,” I surmise.

“There’s a freedom in the sky you can’t find anywhere else.”

“Do you think they gave up looking for us?” I ask. “I don’t hear the engines.”

“I’m guessing they are still searching, but they may have assumed we went the other direction,” he replies. “We’re the needle in the haystack.”

“Honestly, I didn’t think we would get away,” I tell him.

He chuckles. “Yeah, me either. We’re not out of the woods yet.”

I grin. “Pun intended.”

“Yeah.”

“So, this guy that wants you dead,” I say, broaching the subject he’s been unwilling to talk about too much. “Is he pretty dangerous?”

“I don’t think he’s a teddy bear. I honestly don’t know him all that well. The Feds made him sound like a pretty serious criminal, but I didn’t think he was an international drug smuggler.”

“I’m normally a pretty boring person,” I laugh. “The last few days have been a little too much excitement for me.”

“Honestly, I love adrenaline—the flying and fishing, but I could really go for boring.”

“And a cheeseburger,” I smile.

---