Page 19 of Snowed In With the Grizzly

I gather everything up, and because I don’t know what else to do, I bring it back to the cabin. Guess none of it is salvageable, and guess I won’t see him again anyway, but I find a clothes rack and hang it up to dry.

The fire has almost gone out. I pile a couple more logs on, then I sit on Grandma Jo’s old tapestry rug, arms wrapped around my knees, staring deep into the glowing embers.

My heart hurts.

Now the shock of discovering Jaxton’s shifter nature is wearing off, I’m aware of this deep pain, taking hold of my body.

Jaxton is such a great guy.

I so wish things had been different. I wish I was just a regular girl who’d decided to come here on a whim. Single, untainted by my family, and I just happened to run into him.

I wish I was good enough to be Jaxton’s partner.

But I’m not. I’m screwed up. That look of disgust on his face is burned into my brain. He doesn’t understand such grubby things. Why would he?

I just hope like hell that I haven’t hurt him.

6

Rowan

Idon’t know how much time passes, but I become aware that it’s hella dark in the cabin and the wind has gotten even worse.

I snap out of my misery.

I’ve got to apologize to him. If it’s the last thing I do. I grab my phone.

There’s no reception, at all.

I look out at the snowdrifts outside. It looks wild out there. But I’ll be quick. I’ll run all the way.

I grab my coat, fasten it up and brace myself as I open the door.

Yikes.

The wind tears the door from my grasp. It’s at least twice as strong as I expected. It blows me against the door frame.

But I’m not going to quit. I brace myself and take off at a run, through the tire tracks. The fresh snow has covered them, though. I stumble and go down. When I stand up, fast-falling snow is driving toward me at an angle, blasting me in the face. Suddenly, all I can see is white. I’m disoriented, and I can’t see Jaxton’s place at all.

But there’s my place, off to my left. I just need to head off in the opposite direction.

Shit.I can hardly stay on my feet. I should go back. But I think I’m almost there.What if he’s not home though?

I can’t think about that now.

Whump.The wind knocks me off my feet, and I tumble into a snow drift. My cheeks are stinging from the cold, and I’m kind of crying from the shock. I stand up… and get knocked down again.

Crap.I need to get back. This is dangerous. Where’s my cabin though? The snow is coming so thick and fast. It’s a whiteout.

I stagger in the direction I think it’s in. But my foot disappears into deep snow, and I’m half buried. I haul myself up, but I’m getting tired. I’m not going to make it—

“Rowan!” a deep voice calls.

Jaxton!My soul cries out to him.

Suddenly, I’m being lifted off my feet. Something warm and solid is surrounding me, blocking out the cold.

Then I’m in Jaxton’s truck. The door slams and the wind quits howling.

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