Page 3 of Posing for the Artist Wolf

“Fuck.”

I sagged against a tree, the rough bark biting into my shoulder. This was insane. I was chasing a stray dog through a blizzard, armed with nothing but a dying phone and a bag of shredded cheese. If Grandpa could see me now, he’d laugh himself silly and order me back indoors.

“Screw it.” I shoved the cheese back into my pocket. “Sorry, pup. Stay warm.”

I turned, ready to retrace my steps. But where moments ago there had been a clear path, now there was only pristine snow. My heart rate kicked up a notch.

It was fine. I’d only been walking for what, fifteen minutes? Twenty, tops. I just had to head back the way I’d come and follow the lights into Mill Creek as soon as I spotted them. Simple.

I trudged forward, my legs growing heavier with each step. Cold seeped through my jeans, my coat, my gloves. The wind seemed to shift, blowing directly into my face no matter which way I turned. Snow plastered my glasses, rendering them useless.

Disoriented and chilled to the bone, I stumbled. My foot caught on something—a root, a rock, who knew—and I pitched forward. I threw out my hands to catch myself and plunged elbow-deep into the snow, pain jolting through my wrist.

“Shit!” I pushed myself to my knees, cradling my throbbing hand against my chest. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, immediately freezing on my lashes.

This was bad. This was very, very bad.

I fumbled for my phone with numb fingers. The screen flickered to life, revealing a measly four percent battery. And of course, no signal.

Panic clawed at my throat. I spun, searching for any hint of my path. The snow had erased it all, leaving a blank canvas of white. The beam of my flashlight lit up exactly nothing but swirling flakes and more trees.

“Shit.” The word escaped in a puff of vapor. “Shit, shit, shit.”

I stumbled forward, breath coming in quick gasps. Which way was Briar House? The diner? Any sign of civilization?

This couldn’t be happening. I wasn’t going to die in some ridiculous, self-inflicted Lifetime-movie moment.

A branch snapped nearby. I whirled, nearly losing my balance again.

“Hello?” My voice came out as a pathetic croak. “Is someone there?”

The heavy crunch of footsteps in the snow drew closer. I squinted through the flurries, my glasses nearly useless.

A shadow loomed, materializing from the whiteout. Tall. Broad-shouldered. For a heart-stopping moment, I imagined Derek’s dealer coming to finish me.

The figure approached with his hands out placatingly, and I stared into a pair of familiar warm brown eyes. I knew him. Or at least, I knew of him. I’d spotted him around town. At the gas station, filling up a beat-up SUV. In Tall Pines, nursing a coffee for hours. Even at the hardware store, hefting lumber like it weighed nothing.

And always, always watching me.

“You shouldn’t be out here,” he said, his voice a low rumble that felt like a finger trailing down my spine. “It’s not safe.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but my teeth chattered too hard to form words.

He frowned, concern etching lines across his forehead as he shoved a dark lock of hair out of his eyes. “You’re freezing. We need to get you somewhere warm.”

Without waiting for a response, he shrugged off his coat and draped it over my shoulders. The residual heat from his body enveloped me, and I fought the urge to burrow into the fabric.

“T-thanks,” I stammered. “My power went out, and I was trying to get to the diner, but I got turned around.”

He nodded, his gaze sweeping over me. “You’re a long way from Tall Pines.”

“I, uh... got lost,” I mumbled. Heat crept into my cheeks. How could I explain I’d been chasing a stray dog with a bag of cheese?

His lips twitched, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Happens to the best of us. Come on, let’s get you out of this storm.”

I felt a rush of relief mixed with a twinge of apprehension. On one hand, getting out of this storm sounded heavenly. On the other, following a stranger to his home wasn’t exactly the smartest move.

Another gust of wind whipped around us, and I drew my coat and my rescuer’s tighter around my body. I’d share a big, slobbery kiss with my worst enemy if it meant we got out of the cold.

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