Page 38 of Wolf Fated
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he didn't look over at me. "No. But I did bring some granola bars." He patted the back of the seat with one hand while keeping the other on the wheel. "And some water."
I reached behind the seat and found a huge pocket across the back. After I pulled out two waters and two granola bars, I handed him one set and opened the other.
"So, you live in a log cabin, eat rabbits for dinner and granola bars for breakfast, I don't get it."
"What's not to get?" He gulped the water.
"You and the others. I mean is the mansion Axel's... or Drake's? You can afford caviar or hell, lobster even for breakfast but you have this?" I held up my bitten off granola.
"There is an amazing Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata that has both."
"Only you and the other two would even know that." I shook my head because rich people had their handbook which the rest of the world could only dream about. "But you still haven't answered my question."
“Why do I live out in the middle of nowhere?” He thought for a moment as we drove. "Before I found Axel and Drake, I was in a bad place. Being out here by the lake gives me peace. Don't get me wrong, I love the flourishes of being rich and being in the city too. But sometimes I have to get back to nature. This is what brings me serenity. What grounds me.”
"How often do you come here?" I asked and peeled down the granola wrapper more.
"Not often enough. About a week every month."
I reached over and touched his knee. "I can see how this place is very special to you. Thank you for sharing it with me."
His hand covered mine and a chill raced up my arm. I pulled away before he noticed my face turning red.
“What’s the connection between you three?” I asked to change the topic or the fact he was making me feel things I shouldn’t be.
The muscle in his jaw twitched as we drove. Had I asked something taboo?
“You could say we’re closer than brothers.” He glanced over at me before pulling down another dirt road. The truck bounced along the road, and he slowed. “We met one night when they went camping.”
What an odd way to phrase it, but I could tell by Nathan’s body posture that he wasn’t interested in explaining further.One day,I mused,I would find out what the story was between these three.
I finished my granola bar and drank down my water as we drove.
“We’re here.” Nathan pulled the truck under an alcove of trees.
Before us was a huge river that cut across the woods and had high banks on either side.
“I thought we were going hunting, not fishing.” I smiled, a pang of longing I couldn’t help in my voice from all the missed times I hadn’t gone with my dad before he died.
“Next time.” He nodded. “But you have to hook your own worm.”
“Deal.” I climbed out of the truck with him and stretched.
He gave me an odd look.
“What?” I asked and he handed me the rifle before unhooking his own.
“So, you’re squeamish about eating rabbit, but not about worms?”
“I’m not eating the worm.”
"If you get hungry enough, you'll eat anything."
He sounded like he was talking from experience, but he took off through the woods and I had no choice except to hurry after him.
We hiked to a clearing with a cluster of trees on one side that looked slightly out of place. Like something was off and I couldn't quite put my finger on what. I drifted closer after Nathan and noticed a camo tent as a roof.
"That's your deer stand?"
