Page 4 of Chosen By The Grizzly

Right now, I need to get some water before it gets dark. I also need to get away from these airheads for a while. I grab my water bottle, purifier and a quick-dry towel and stalk out of the clearing.

According to my maps app, there’s a stream nearby. I orient myself and start walking. The trees are dense here, and it’s getting dark. I stumble through the undergrowth, praying nothing sinks its fangs into my legs. My attention darts between the endless trees and the little blue arrow on my glowing phone screen.

I feel a little shaky and my heart is beating faster than usual. It’s pretty darn scary being out in the wilderness like this, totally alone. There’s no phone signal. My maps app is only working because I downloaded it earlier. If my phone suddenly malfunctioned right now, I’d be screwed. I don’t think I’d be able to make it back to the campsite by myself.

But that’s not gonna happen. The battery is nearly full, and I’ve got a portable charger as well.

And here’s the stream. When I hear the sound of running water, I let out a long breath. It’s real pretty. Crystal clear and tinkling over soft gray stones. I crouch down at the water’s edge and fill up my purifier. It’s also freezing cold.Damn.I was planning to have a little alfresco wash. I mean, there are only four people who are going to smell me, and I’ve long given up on caring what they think, but it’s nice to be clean. Okay, here goes.

I strip off my clothes, step in the freezing flow and duck right down.

Sheesh.I literally have to clap a hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming.

But after a few seconds, I stop feeling cold, and the water is actuallyrefreshing. Kinda silky. I work fast, scrubbing all the day’s dirt away, then I reach for the towel—

What was that? My head snaps up.

A rustle in the trees, on the far side of the stream. I peer into the gathering gloom. Did something move? My old schoolteacher used to tell us things look weird at twilight. Sometimes you see shapes that don’t exist—

What the hell?

Okay,thatdefinitely exists.

There’s a cabin in the distance. It’s half-hidden by trees, but it’s right there, no question. I can clearly make out a wooden front door and a square window with four little panes of glass. There’s even a little porch. What the actual fuck? Here we are in one of the most isolated places on the planet, and I’m looking at someone’s home. Somebody lives here. Suddenly, my throat feels tight and my heart is beating like crazy.

Something isn’t right here.

I scramble out of the water, haul my wet clothes on, andrun like hell.

2

Jason

My beast comes to a dead stop, ten feet from my cabin. It raises its snout to the evening air and sniffs hard.

Humans. A scent I haven’t smelled for a long, long time, but it’s unmistakable.

Fury rolls through me.

What the hell are they doing here? I’ve built this place deep in the wilderness, where no one could find me. If it was any more isolated, it’d be on the fucking moon. There are no active trails leading here. There was an old campsite a few hundred yards away, but it’s long been abandoned. It doesn’t even show up on any maps apps anymore. I’ve made darn sure of that.

Bristling with annoyance, I follow the scent toward the stream. I splash through the water and stop again on the far bank.

It’s stronger here. And it’s not the scent of many humans, but one.

One female.

And she smells good. More than good.

A sweet, delicate smell, like the first snowdrop of the year rolls through me.

My beast snuffles at the ground, desperate to know more about her.

She stood here on this spot for a little while.

Her hair is freshly shampooed, and it’s lustrous and healthy.

There’s a light scent of fresh perspiration—she’s been working hard today.

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