Page 28 of Chomp's Challenge

I slide from the bed and make a quick detour into the bathroom before I walk back into my room and find his note, detailing the reason he left. A smile quirks the corners of my lips. He had to go because of his club, not because he wanted to rush from my side. I’m not sure when my thoughts and feelings toward Chomp began to change. They’ve gradually shifted to friendlier terms, and I’ve become comfortable around him. More than that, I can laugh and enjoy myself.

Am I ready to move back in with him? Start a relationship? Think of anything more than friends?

No to all three. And I’m okay with that. I believe Chomp is too.

We need time, and every day spent together is helping me learn more about the man, biker, and his animal side. I’m intrigued by him. Even with all I’ve been through, he’s starting to become someone I trust. I obviously feel comfortable with him, considering the fact that I curled around him.

He won’t hurt you, my brain whispers. He’s a safe place for you, Ariel. I like that thought, actually, because I lost that safety net the day my mom drew her last breath. Perry acted like he was that to me, but he quickly let his mask slip, showing me the monster beneath.

Chomp’s not like that, I think. Yes, he has an animal side, one who has the ability to eliminate any threat against those he cares about, but his actions since the day we met have been consistent. He’s kind, thoughtful, and generous with his time and attention. Plus, he’s being considerate where I’m concerned. I know he’s physically attracted to me, especially since Callie explained about mates, yet he isn’t pushing for anything more than holding my hand.

My TV is still on, and I notice the low volume, catching the app it’s stuck on. Teasers for other movies are slowly scrolling through a list I can’t begin to pinpoint. The light brightens the room and I climb underneath the covers, hoping to return to the peaceful slumber I enjoyed earlier. I don’t mind having the television on since the house is so quiet otherwise. Normally, I put it on the ID channel, but I don’t have the energy to do that right now.

I’m just drifting off, lingering in the ghostly realm where dreams and reality intertwine when I hear a sound that yanks me back into the present. I’m groggy, and it takes a few seconds to notice what’s causing my body to waken. A slight scraping sound drags across the pane of glass, causing a shudder to run through me.

I wonder if it’s a tree branch brushing the window’s surface. It has to be.

For some reason, I decide to investigate. Maybe I just want to be sure there’s no monsters outside like a little child who’s got to make sure there’s nothing hiding under the bed. It’s probably foolish. I know I’m alone in my room and there’s no one outside waiting to terrorize me.

Perry is gone. Ricky too, I remind myself. Chomp took care of them.

So why do I still want to look over my shoulder? Why does it feel like something sinister is lurking outside this very minute?

That’s when my TV shuts off. I’m plunged into darkness, and I jolt, caught by surprise. I never saw a countdown or any indication it would power off, but it makes sense. It’s been hours since the movie ended, and I fell asleep beside Chomp. Knowing him, he set my television’s sleep option.

Outside, I hear a loud crack of thunder followed by a flash of lightning in the distance. The jagged bolt frames the mountain and seems to touch down on its peak. I can close my eyes and feel the zip of energy across my skin. The air is supercharged, and it reminds me of how everything goes silent and still right before the earth shakes and the ground rumbles with an earthquake. It’s been years since I visited California, but I still remember waking up to one and how the walls shook with the force of the shifting plates on the fault line.

That’s how it is now, besides the occasional crack of thunder. Silent. Waiting. Anticipation zings across my skin as I walk to my window, hoping to catch the first few drops of rain as they fall. I’ve always enjoyed watching storms. There’s something soothing in the water falling and cleansing the ground, washing everything clean. Maybe it’s the fact that it soothes parched soil and restores life. Rain is so much more than hydrogen and oxygen. It’s a life-giving force. My mother used to say that whenever a storm hit.

I’m almost close enough to pull the curtain open wider and view the spectacle from bed, but I hear it again. A slight scraping across the window. It’s got to be the wind.

I shove the curtains wide and stare out into the night. At least, that’s what I think I’m doing until I see a figure. It’s dark out and the moon is covered by thick clouds. The stars are muted by the rain that’s already steadily falling. Heavy drops plop onto the grass, sidewalk, driveway, and road but I don’t focus on them. All I see is broad shoulders and a man’s stocky frame. His face is obscured by a black mask that I notice as soon as lightning strikes above us.

A desperate, terrified scream builds in my throat before it finally releases and populates goosebumps along my arms. Someone is outside my window!

I know it’s not Chomp. He would never scare me like this. Neither would any of his biker buddies. The man takes a step toward me, and I back up, whimpering as I see him stalking forward. Once he reaches the glass, his gloved hands slam against it, eliciting another strangled scream as I bump into my bed frame.

I have to get out of here!

My reaction isn’t logical, but I choose flight over fight. There’s no internal threat. Yet. But if that man decides to break the window, I don’t want to be standing there vulnerable. I grab a hoodie and pull it over my nightshirt, then pull on a pair of sweatpants before I slide my sneakers on my feet. I won’t worry about socks right now since my safety is paramount. With my phone in the pouch on my hoodie, I take one last look around me then leave my bedroom door.

“Should I try to call Chomp?” I wonder out loud as I silently move through Michelle’s house. “Or maybe Callie who can let Kodiak know?”

You’re safer inside the house, my mom whispers. He’s right outside, the doors are all locked. Call your friends, baby.

After finding out there are shifters and other things that go bump in the night, I no longer question the fact that my mother is talking to me right now. She’s right, though, while he might break in, I’m still safer inside the house than I am outside in the storm. I need a weapon to protect myself, so I head to the kitchen where I know Chelle has a huge knife block. I don’t know if I can use it, but I hope that if it’s my life or theirs, I can do it.

With a knife now in my hand, I pull my phone out of the pouch and hit Callie’s contact. When she answers, I say, “There’s someone outside, Callie. Chomp left a few hours ago, I think, and I’m by myself.”

“Shit, Let me text Kodiak.” She’s silent for a minute. “Okay, Kodiak’s on his way, and he’ll let the other brothers know. Can you lock yourself in a bathroom or something? I’ll call back when they’re physically there.”

“Yeah, Michelle has an ensuite in her room. I think under the circumstances, she’ll be okay if I go in her room, lock that door then hide in the bathroom. What do you think?”

“Go, Ariel. Help is on the way,” she encourages. “Chomp and Kodiak are close.”

“Don’t hang up yet,” I plead, unable to keep the fear from my voice. She may only be on the phone, but at least I’m not truly alone. It might not make sense to anyone else, but it does to me.

“I’m right here. Promise.”

---