Page 18 of Curvy Girl and the Mountain Man Wolf
Lois nods, turning back to Lily. "It's getting late, sweetie. Time for bed."
"But I'm not tired," Lily protests, the effect somewhat undermined by the yawn that immediately follows.
"Uh-huh. Sure you're not," Lois says with a smile. "Come on, bedtime stories await."
As they head to the bedroom, I power up my laptop, grateful for the distraction. The satellite internet connection is slow but functional for an hour a day, allowing me to check the county's road clearing progress. As expected, they're working on the main highways first, then moving to secondary roads. The report estimates all roads will be passable by tomorrow evening or the following morning.
One more day. Maybe two. Then they'll be gone, and my life will return to its solitary rhythm. No little girl asking innocent questions that cut to the heart of things. No woman whose scent makes my wolf pace and whine. No shared meals or conversations by the fire.
Just me and the mountain again.
The thought should bring relief. Instead, it leaves me feeling empty, hollow in a way I haven't experienced since those first lonely months after I retreated to this place. I've grown accustomed to solitude, have come to prefer it even. Or so I've told myself.
But now, with the prospect of returning to that solitude looming, I find myself listening to Lois's voice as she reads to Lily, letting the soft cadence of her words wash over me. Allowing myself, just for tonight, to imagine a different life. A life where I'm not too dangerous to be around others. A life where a woman like Lois might look at a man like me and see something other than a monster.
It's a foolish indulgence, and I know it. When morning comes, I'll put these thoughts away, lock them behind the same iron control that keeps my wolf contained. I'll help them get to Cedar Falls, wish them well in their new life, and return to mine.
But for now, just for tonight, I let myself imagine. And for the first time in eight years, the beast inside me is quiet, content simply to listen to her voice through the wooden door that separates us.
Chapter 7 - Lois
Lily falls asleep halfway through the second story, her breathing deep and even, small fingers still clutching the edge of the quilt. I set the book aside and sit there for a moment, watching my daughter sleep. In these quiet moments, the weight of my responsibilities sometimes threatens to overwhelm me.
This small person depends entirely on me, trusts me completely to make the right decisions, to keep her safe, to build a good life for us both.
Have I done that? Running from Denver in the middle of the night, driving into a blizzard, getting us stranded on a mountain, none of that feels like good decision-making. Yet here we are, safe and warm, thanks to the strange, solitary man on the other side of that door.
Kane Wolfe. Even his name sounds like something from a novel. The mysterious mountain hermit with sad eyes and gentle hands. The man who lives alone but talks to my daughter about stars. The man who keeps his distance but watches me when he thinks I won't notice.
I should be afraid of him. Everything about this situation should terrify me—alone in a remote cabin with a man who clearly has secrets, who clearly has reasons for avoiding civilization. But I'm not afraid. Not of him, anyway.
Rising slowly to avoid waking Lily, I move to the small window in the bedroom. The night is clear, stars scattered across the black sky like diamonds on velvet. So different from Denver's orange-tinted nights. So silent compared to the constant hum of the city.
I think about the job in Cedar Falls, the tiny apartment I've already arranged to rent above the bookstore on Main Street. It'sa new beginning for us, a chance to build something stable after the chaos of the last few years. After Derek.
Derek, who promised to love us both, who moved into our apartment and talked about adoption paperwork, about making us a "real family." Derek, who I found in our bed with my best friend. Derek, who called me frigid when I wouldn't sleep with him during the first months we dated, who acted like he was doing me a favor by waiting, by being "patient" with my "issues."
My hand drifts unconsciously to the small scar near my temple, usually hidden by my hair. A souvenir from the last time I trusted a man completely, believed his promises, thought I could build a life with someone. Lily's father hadn't meant to push me that hard. He was just angry, just stressed, just having a bad day. That's what I told myself, right up until the moment he raised his hand to Lily and I knew we had to leave.
I never made that mistake with Derek. Never let him move beyond those boundaries. And in the end, he sought what I couldn't give him elsewhere. Maybe it's better this way. Maybe it's better to be alone.
The cabin creaks as wind moves through the trees outside, a homely sound that's oddly comforting. I pull on a thick sweater over my pajamas and slip quietly from the bedroom, drawn by the warm glow of the fire and, though I'm reluctant to admit it, the desire for company.
Kane sits in the chair by the window, his massive frame somehow fitting the rustic furniture perfectly, as if both were carved from the same ancient wood. He's reading, the book looking almost comically small in his large hands. He looks up when I enter, his gray eyes reflecting the firelight.
"Lily's asleep?" he asks, his voice low.
I nod, moving to sit on the couch across from him. "Out like a light. The mountain air and all that hiking today wore her out."
He marks his place in the book and sets it aside. "Any news about the roads?" I ask.
"They're making progress. Main highways are clear. They'll reach the secondary roads by tomorrow evening, probably."
"That's good," I say, though the words feel hollow. "We've imposed on you long enough."
"It's not an imposition." His response is immediate, definitive.
"Still. We've disrupted your routine, invaded your privacy. I know it can't be easy, having strangers in your space after being alone for so long."
